Pure Potential

Law

If you are thinking of studying law at university or thinking of entering the legal sector when you graduate, this is a great place to start your research.

Our Partner Law Firms

We are fortunate enough to work with some of the world's leading law firms and they offer a wide range of programmes from career tasters to internships to training contracts. Visit their web page for more information on what they do and to apply for their student programmes.

Allen & Overy
Baker McKenzie
BLP
Clifford Chance
CMS
Freshfields
Herbert Smith
Linklaters
Hogan Lovells
Norton Rose
Slaughter and May
SNR Denton
Stephenson Harwood
The Bar Council

Getting work experience

Work experience at sixth form is not easy to come by, and we suggest applying to your local solicitor's office to get a taste of a career in law. Leading firm Pinsent Masons also offer a fantastic, paid opportunity for any legally-minded students who are thinking of taking a gap year. You can find out more about their programme here, (note that applications won’t open until September and will close at the end of December). 

However for students not able to commit to a gap year, they can apply to undertake a week of work experience across a number of intakes in the holidays. You can find out more about their programme here, (note that applications close at the end of February and will reopen in September for the 2012 intakes).

Applying to study Law at university

The most common route into the legal profession is studying law at university. It is one of the most popular degree courses and is offered at over 300 HE institutions across the country. Most universities will look for candidates who have three A-Levels (or equivalent) in subjects such as English and History, as well as a flare for the subject. You can demonstrate this through wider reading, extra-curricular activities and work experience and they are great things to include in your personal statement and CV. We have plenty of example law personal statements for you to browse through, so be sure to have a look before you start. Some universities will require their candidates to take an aptitude test called LNAT. It is a good idea to research the universities which require students to take the LNAT and what the test entails. 

Career tasters are a great way to find out more about any industry, especially law. Several of our partner law firms offer career open days where you can find out exactly what you need to jump-start your law career.

Studying Law at university

There are so many legal work opportunities for buddying lawyers whilst studying at university. Most opportunities are for students in their penultimate year of study and they are a great for developing skills and working on projects which will give you plenty to talk about in an interview. Internship programmes run for approximately 6-8 weeks over the Easter and summer holidays and students are often given the opportunity to attend client meetings, carry out research in preparation for meetings and cases, whilst shadowing a lawyer. Internship programmes are very competitive and firms are looking for enthusiastic and committed candidates who can demonstrate their commitment to the industry. Although it is important to get work experience, internships aren't the only way. Shadowing a lawyer and working as a legal clerk are just a few other ways you can gain that valuable legal work experience.

Legal Practice Course (LPC)

The LPC covers the movement from being a graduate to becoming a lawyer-in-training. It can be studied full-time and completed within a year, or it can be split over two years and done part-time. The course consists of several compulsory and optional subjects and helps students to determine which type of law they prefer. The LPC also includes practical skills such as interviewing techniques, communication skills and negotiations. The course is taught at several institutions and it is important to carry out the same level of research for when you were selecting your universities during the sixth form.

Not studied law at university?

Not to worry! There are so many students who do not study law at university but who go on to become successful lawyers. The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) allows non-law graduates the chance to enter the legal profession and work as a solicitor or barrister. The one-year course is very intensive and ultimately condenses a three year undergraduate law degree into one! Sounds tough, but institutions offer a great deal of support and guidance so you are in safe hands. There are several institutions that offer the GDL and again, we recommend students to carry out extensive research into the various institutions as they all offer a slightly different course. 

Training Contracts

A training contract is the final step for many lawyers on their career path to becoming a solicitor. Contracts last two years and involve a mixture of class-based learning and practical experience which are run by the law firms themselves. There is a lot to think about when applying for a training contract and much of this is dependent on personal preference. For example, would you like to work in a small firm, what type of law firm would you prefer (city law firms, in-house law departments, government, international) and area of practice (tax, criminal, commercial). Carrying out research is really important to help you ascertain what type of firms to apply to. Speaking to people who have secured a training contract at the firm you are thinking of applying to is another useful thing to do. Another excellent way to find out about a firm's training contract is experience! Summer internships and vacation programmes are great ways to get first-hand experience of working within a firm and you will learn plenty of useful information about their training contracts. Like internships, training contracts are very competitive, but doing work experience, studying hard and having passion for the industry are just a few things you can do to boost your chances of securing your training contract.

Thinking of a career at The Bar?

We have an increasing number of students who are interested in becoming a barrister. For more information on a career as a barrister and the qualification required visit the Bar Council website.