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Original poster

CPE Question any lawyers around?

19 replies

silver73 · 21/01/2009 10:35

I am currently doing the CPE in the evenings - just finishing off first semester. However, I have been made redundant and with the economic situation am very concerned that I may not get another job for quite some time.

It is also looking like prospects at the end of the course may be grim and therefore not sure if I should continue with the course.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

OP posts:

hel9a · 21/01/2009 11:30

You have my sympathy.

but good for you for doing the CPE.

I think that, if you can afford the fees, you should continue with your studies - maybe go full-time while you're not working or defer the rest of your course until you can afford to continue (I'm sure your college will be able to advise you about your various options) I really don't think that you will regret having additional qualifications particularly if you go on and do the bar course/ the LPC which opens many other jobs to you if you're determined.

(I am a solicitor, currently not working and even though things are tough now, I know they will pick up again eventually - by which time you will much better qualified!)
Good Luck

Lizzylou · 21/01/2009 11:35

Hi Silver, I am in Legal recruitment, yes, at the moment the market is not great (lots of 4 day weeks/redundancies) but there are still firms hiring and it was always be like this.
I second what Hel9a says, if you can afford to continue with your course, do so.

CioccolataCalda · 21/01/2009 11:40

I am afraid I have just given up working in Law after doing the CPE and LPC as training contracts are so thin on the ground and competition so fierce round here. Juniors will work ALL hours to get a traineeship.

If I were you I would continue with the CPE and then re-assess. There are interesting jobs in the public sector in Legal departments with good prospects and no need to qualify.

Good luck

Lizzylou · 21/01/2009 12:05

You could always try the Legal Executive route?
Earn while you learn (fees aren't as much either).

georgimama · 21/01/2009 12:11

If you possibly can I would continue, or get to the end of the first year and defer the second if you really can't do it straight through.

Opportunities in property and corporate are very limited but in two to three years things will be on the up again and there will be a potential shortage of qualified staff.

Judy1234 · 21/01/2009 13:01

My daughters have boh done it/are doing it (well teh GDL but that's the same thing), one got a TC in advance of the LPC which refunded the fees of both years and the other is applying now. There are jobs for people particularly if you're applying for 2011 like my daughter is unless firms are going to be very short sighted about future needs. Certainly firms are not saying we normally take 20 trainees and now we will take none. They still know they will need some.

Original poster

silver73 · 21/01/2009 14:46

Hi Everyone

I have spent most of the day soul searching and feeling uneasy about leaving the course...great to come back and find your replies which have made me feel so much better.

OP posts:

georgimama · 21/01/2009 15:10

Good luck silver.

Where are you studying?

I did the CPE part time at UWE, had a year off studying mainly due to finances, and then did the LPC part time. I got a training contract with a small firm which I started the year after finishing the LPC. I worked as a Legal Assistant throughout (and had a baby).

Some larger firms (regional not just Magic Circle) will reimburse course fees even if they offer you a TC after you have started or even finished the courses - most only reimburse LPC though.

Are you working? If you can get experience as a Legal Assistant/paralegal it will help with getting a TC. Lots of people will tell you it won't and that you will get pigeon holed as a paralegal and nothing more but in my experience that is simply untrue. Plenty of legal assistants at my old firm got TCs and I would have got one but preferred to move to a smaller firm and start straight away.

Lizzylou · 21/01/2009 15:38

Totally agree with Georgimama, experience gained as a paralegal/legal assistant/fee earner whatever is always useful.
Firms do look at this and I have often got people jobs on basis of what they did before the TC.
Good luck!

Original poster

silver73 · 21/01/2009 16:28

Unfortunately I've been made redundant. It was not totally unexpected hence the attempt to change career. My old career involved a lot of contact with people and problem solving so those stills will hopefully be of some value.

I'll start looking to gain work experience in law so have more chance of getting a training contract.

A couple of solicitors have told me that they have taken on trainees in their forties which fills me with some hope....

OP posts:

georgimama · 21/01/2009 16:30

I'm 30 on Saturday. One of our trainees is 47. It is possible.

georgimama · 21/01/2009 16:32

A good spring board is in an insurance company - even in a call centre. They all have in house legal departments (most of which actually offer TCs) which you could try to get into after gaining some experience?

Judy1234 · 21/01/2009 16:59

Yes, do carry on. And georgimama is right about fee. My older daughter got her TC in the GDL/CPE year and the firm repaid her GDL fee (good news for me as I'd paid the fee) and they paid her £7k retrospectively for that year and paid her LPC fees and £7k for year two. One reason I'm hoping her sister can do the same thing....

georgimama · 21/01/2009 17:08

Also you could try local authorities, the Civil Service and the Crown Prosection Service - they all offer training contracts.

Options for training are not just limited to private practice, and the public sector has more of a drive towards the not typical applicant, such as older people, disabled etc.

scubagroover · 21/01/2009 17:10

Hi
I am going to echo what most of the people on here have said. If you can afford to do it I would carry on. The market is pretty grim at the moment (I work in the City and its not great) but there is a general consensus that things will pick up by the end of 2009/ early 2010. Presumably if you are doing the CPE in the evenings it is going to take you 2 years to do the course. Are you going to finish it in the summer?

I would say that the CPE is a worthwhile qualification whether or not you go on to do the LPC and ultimately become a solicitor or not. There are many organisations who really value someone with some law background so don't be too disheartened even if you did decide not to go on and do the LPC.

My firm paid for both my CPE/GDL and my LPC so that was a massive bonus as far as money was concerned.

Lizzylou · 21/01/2009 17:34

Personal Injury is buoyant at the moment, firms will look at you if you have some IT/admin skills and you can get case handling experience fairly early on.

Commercial/Corporate/Property/Family and Crime not really doing much as present in terms of hiring

Another area which is booming where you may be able to gain experience is Employment, there are many Employment/HR outsourcing firms.

I see a lot of CV's, am always amazed by people's sudden career swerve: an ex-hairdresser who is now a Family Fellow of ILEX, a ex-catering assistant who is now Head of PI in a good firm. It certainly makes my job more interesting and firms do recognise that other life/work experience can be just as valid as the "traditional route"

cfc · 26/01/2009 13:15

Private client and probate is also going great guns at the mo.

Original poster

silver73 · 26/01/2009 13:27

Thanks for all your replies - they really helped me make my decision.... I have decided to continue with the CPE

OP posts:

mumoverseas · 27/01/2009 06:49

yay, well done silver, right decision.
I know things are bad at the moment with a lot of redundancies and cutting back of hours but hopefully by the time you are in a position to get a TC they will have picked up again.
Don't worry about your age. In my last firm they took on two trainees a year and although they usually tended to be 'youngish' one year they took on a guy in his mid 30's. A few years back, a friend of mine decided to try to re-train. She had started doing her degree around 13 years ago then fell pregnant and bailed out. She started again a few years later, again fell pregnant and bailed out. Once her two kids were settled at school she carried on with her studies, working really hard in p/t evening job, being a mum and studying and she managed to eventually find a training contract when in her mid (ish) 30's. She qualified last year.
Good luck to you

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