article
The elusive training contract - which route to take?
27 April 2009
Should undergraduates take the tried and tested route and opt for a
law degree followed by the Legal Practice Course (LPC) before
searching for that elusive training contract, or in these difficult
economic times, are other tactics required? James Gibbons, a
trainee at Browne Jacobson who studied Law at undergraduate level,
considers the options.
The application process is more competitive than ever, and with
the reducing numbers of vacancies for trainees the boot is now very
much on the foot of the employer.
It is therefore essential that you can stand out from the crowd.
One important choice you must make after deciding to be a solicitor
is what route you take to get there. You must consider this from a
potential employer’s perspective, as well as your own.
Law, law, law
So, you love Law; you have all of Judge John Deed on DVD and you
read the small print on shampoo bottles for fun. Basically, you
know you want to be a lawyer and the automatic choice may therefore
seem to be to study law.
Unashamedly the law degree aims to satisfy the academic appetite
of an undergraduate, requiring independent thought, research and
communication skills, as well as an introduction to legal concepts
and terminology.
Studying a law degree implies that you have a keen interest in
law. However this benefit can only go so far. It is all well and
good arriving at an interview with a firm and being able to recite
the judgment of Donoghue -v- Stephenson while standing on your
head, but in the real world of law firms, potential trainees need
to offer more than a head full of law.
Whilst the law degree reveals that Tort is not just something
that can happen to a rope, and that Counsel is not spelt the same
as Council; the degree bares little or no resemblance to the
working life of a solicitor.
In addition firms want you to stay long enough to see a return
on their investment. Employers may have concerns that your careers
department gave you a flowchart entitled ‘how to become a lawyer’
and you blindly followed it without having experience of other
options, only to risk panicking two years down the line and joining
the circus. It is your job to convince them that this is not the
case.
Studying a law degree is a great way of getting a head start in
understanding legal concepts. However never underestimate the
importance of being able to relate to clients about topics that are
outside of the legal field, and more importantly, outside of your
comfort zone. A different degree is a good way of evidencing an
ability to do this.
Studying an alternative degree, then
converting
If you want to study an alternative degree, this is achieved by
taking a conversion course known as the Graduate Diploma in Law
(GDL), before the LPC.
The GDL is a tough ride, condensing the fundamentals of law into
a year, but is it worth it?
The benefit is that you develop an entirely separate knowledge
base. You may study any degree prior to the GDL, although it is
important to consider how a potential employer will perceive the
degree. For example, a degree in Equine Management is useful to
those who are equestrian enthusiasts, but it may make it difficult
to argue that you have an inherent interest in law, and that it can
be applied to your career.
Katy Edge, the Recruitment Manager at Burges Salmon, where
around 50% of trainees took the GDL, believes that undergraduates
should “study a degree they are interested in as not only will they
enjoy university more, but they are likely to get better
grades.”
It is also worth giving thought to the area of law you are
interested in, and choosing a degree which may help. “In some
firms, for example those with an Intellectual Property focus, a
non-law degree can be a big advantage,” adds Teresa Sandon, the
editor of Lex 100.
There are drawbacks. The GDL can result in significant extra
personal expenditure; you will have to explain why law was not your
first choice; and it takes more time and hard work. Also, although
many firms still offer funding through the GDL and the LPC, this is
a cost firms may look to save. If you apply for a training contract
before you have undertaken the GDL, this may compel a firm to pay
you through it, as well as fund the LPC. This can impact on your
chances, as saving costs could be a deciding factor.
Despite this, a different degree can represent major added-value
in the application process. The fact you have chosen to convert to
law shows an impressive level of commitment. In addition, the
larger law firms taking on their army of trainees are keen to take
on people with a variety of interests, who can bring different
abilities to the table.
Isla Grant, the editor of Lawcareers.net, says : “The skills and
knowledge that non-law graduates can offer are normally very
attractive to firms looking for a diverse range of recruits.
Recruiters also like people who've made a conscious decision to do
law at the postgraduate stage.”
Studying a non-law degree followed by conversion is a route that
can impress recruiters, and it gives you some different experience.
However the effect of extra expense to firms cannot be
overlooked.
Now for something completely different…
Another option is to embark on a different career prior to
converting to law. For a number of people, this swap in career may
come about due to a lack of satisfaction with their previous work.
However there is scope for a potential lawyer to choose this path
with the forethought that it will help achieve their ultimate
ambition to succeed as a solicitor.
This may at first appear to be a drastic step. However, for
example, it is sensible that working in a Human Resources
department prior to embarking on a career as an employment lawyer
is a great launching pad. Not only do you gain vital experience,
you also develop contacts and a great understanding of the client’s
needs. In addition, working in a commercial setting allows you to
develop and evidence your ‘commercial awareness’.
This route can also aid the progression of your training
contract. Those who have begun their career already have become
accustomed to the nature of working life; from having to book
holidays, to the unfathomable appetite those who work in an office
have for tea. Most trainees have this hurdle to get over, so having
previous experience will help you to focus on impressing and
progressing.
Michael Sadler, a solicitor in the Construction department at
Browne Jacobson who converted from a career as a Quantity Surveyor
relates to this. “When I tell clients about my previous job, their
language and demeanour becomes more relaxed. It also helps me to
identify the main issues in any dispute quickly,” he says.
However this route requires a leap of faith from the first
career which may have involved a growing salary and job security,
to the bottom rung of the ladder in the legal profession. In
addition, there is a concern that the typical recruitment processes
for firms are not suitable for such applicants as they cater for
undergraduates with a poor working knowledge of business; making it
difficult to showcase the talents you may possess.
This route can arm you well for a career in law. Previous
experience can be of great benefit; however changing careers
requires patience, commitment and more than an ounce of
bravery.
Does it really matter?
According to Janine Beaconsfield-Herbert, Recruitment Adviser,
at Slaughter and May, the route you take is not the be all and end
all. She says : “We are happy to recruit as trainees, those who
have completed a law degree, non-law degree or embarked on a
different career before deciding to become a lawyer. We do not look
less favourably on any of these routes but consider each individual
application on its own merits.”
So your chosen route may not dictate whether or not you get a
training contract. After-all, of the 8,000 solicitors who were
awarded practising certificates last year, it is unlikely any of
these got to this position purely on the route they decided to
take.
However it can be an important factor, and is well worth
considering.
In order to stand out, you must consider each and every part of
your application. The route you take forms a major part of your CV
and can affect how the reader of your application will perceive
you.
Doing a law degree is a great way of showing interest in law;
however the degree alone will fail to make you stand out.
Converting from a different degree makes it easier to prove you
have other talents and interests, and this may help your
application form to seem that bit different from other
applicants.
However while in the past, firms would have gone for the best
candidate regardless of cost; cost is now a primary consideration.
With industry experts estimating that trainees cost over £100,000
each to train, the cost of taking these recruits on in the first
place will also be reviewed. The more it will cost a firm to take
you on, the more onus there is on you to show you are worth it. If
you fail to, and a similar but less costly option is sat next to
you, what would you be doing with the money?
Standing out in the current market is a necessity. You must
acknowledge that firms will be more reserved in spending money that
they do not believe they need to. Therefore your ambition should be
to prove that they need you.
save to PDF