Vacation scheme

Day 3

I loved Wednesday. I was able to explore a new area of law, commercial dispute resolution. 

The first task required me to write a draft response letter a claimant regarding breach of copyright. Their argument referenced a number of case law which I was able to distinguish from the current case and put together as a response, laying out the predicted total in damages. - I loved the opportunity to research and apply case law and found the experience extremely insightful into the type of cases you might deal with in dispute resolution. The second task involved me looking through a contract to check if UCTA 1977 could be applied and as a consequence terminate an unwanted contract. 

The day also gave me an opportunity to speak to the trainees there already. Normally the TC involves 4 seats based on where the firm needs and what the trainee is interested in, this might be spread across their three different locations. Each of the offices have a different environment. He said the TC offers hands on work from the very beginning, and immediate client contact as soon as they are ready. - This is extremely important to me. The application process itself involves two interviews, an examination style exercise on property law and a presentation (his was on the LSA 2007). The hours are long but the staff know what they are doing and committed to the work. I also had an opportunity to speak to the recruiter who reflected what the trainee had already told me and highlighted the flexibility a trainee would need at the same time as the flexibility the firm might be willing to offer if they found the right candidate.

In the afternoon I was invited to court to assist one of the senior partners in a very high profile case, where the press were involved. It was a great insight into pre-trial preparation and the discussions needed between the client, advocates, CPS and clerks. I was able to have a chat with him afterwards about how the criminal law profession has changed following cuts and how short staffed and over worked the courts are concerning time and the need to deal with as many cases as possible. 

Day 4 and 5

I spent the remainder days with family law. Most of which was filled up with helping make bundles and writing divorce petitions a lot of administrative tasks. Whilst my perfectionist and logical side loves tasks like this, I was disappointed I didn't get an opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge of the law or other skills as I was with the recruiting partner for the remainder of my placement. However, I did have the opportunity to attend the civil court with one of their barristers.

Summary

I absolutely loved my time at the firm. Really enjoyed the work allocated and felt extremely valued throughout the entire placement. I felt the firm was full of lawyers who value the work they do and are committed to stay up to date with current affairs and application of the law. I would love to work there again. (fingers crossed).

Day 2

I was placed in the crime and regulatory department for my second day. The morning was spent in court, which was fairly familiar territory for me. In the afternoon I helped with three cases; confirming there was an evidential link between a defendant and co-defendant, legal research on a breach of a restrainining order for what was a 'reasonable excuse' and then prepared questions for the cross examination of two witnesses for a trial the following day.

I really appreciated the time I spent on the cases in the afternoon. Particularly for the guidance I received building questions for cross examination - ask open questions to your client so they tell the story and build on it, closed questions to the appellant/ (prosecution) therefore directing what you want the court to hear.

Vacation scheme Day 1

I applied over a year ago for this placement. I was attracted by their location, regional spread of offices and the sectors they practice including crime. 

The vacc scheme involves me visiting 5 different departments. This provides an opportunity to explore different areas of law (commercial, crime and regulatory, employment, family and residential conveyancing), at the same time as getting to know the entire team at the firm. 

My first day started off with an introduction to the firm. Whilst the firm are a fairly large regional firm the departments are relatively small, except for crime and regulatory. The office is open plan which means all the departments are right next door to each other. This was a real positive for me, as it meant I could see how areas of law overlap and interact with each other. The lawyers would consult each other  if anything outside of their specialist area came up. It gave a real sense of team work and feeling of a firm cooperating together, rather than churning out clients (I have just been working at a conveyancing firm which felt more like a factory rather than a law firm.)

I spent the remainder of the day in the commercial department. I was given a task to summarise in my words and format the standard regulations for commercial property. Whilst normally, scanning through  documents with a lot of information on and picking out the important detail is a skill of mine, I really struggled with this. Largely because I didn't recognise a lot of the law and found it difficult to condense something I didn't understand myself. It put into context for me how my academic studies form only the very base of what you might use in practice. All that studying and there is still so much more to learn!

I really enjoyed getting to know the commercial department. The exercise helped me understand the process of commercial conveyancing and also the necessary skill to be able to read large quantities of information on a daily basis without missing any important or changed terms. 

Speaking to one of the lawyers, she expressed how important she felt it was to have a commercial seat as the law overlaps with each, particularly in the progressing market today. It teaches a different set of skills which can be transferred to other departments and develops a broader base of knowledge.

I would really like the opportunity to explore this area of law further and hope my time at the firm might give me a better understanding of how it infiltrates into other areas. 

Filling in the gap.

My last post was in February 2013 - just around the time of my dissertation hand in. Since then, I have abandoned this blog and let myself become consumed by, what I like to tell myself is, "a very busy and time consuming schedule."

In other words, I was embarrassed by how many people appeared to be reading my terrible literacy skills and shied away.

So now, I have my brave boots back on and will try harder to find the time for the blogs original purpose - reflecting on my journey into the legal industry and more recently, my hunt for a Training Contract.

For those that don't know...

I graduated from History last year and have since been studying the GDL at the University of Law. My end goal is to become a Solicitor Advocate specialising in Criminal Defence. However, I consider myself to still be young, so keep my mind open to areas of law such as Private Client and Employment.

What happened between February 2013 and May 2014?

Other than graduating, I spent the summer travelling Eastern Europe and moved from the Midlands to Greater London. I completed a mini pupilage (confirming I prefer solicitor over barrister) and transferred location with the Citizen's Advice Bureau.

I sent off three Training Contracts, all of which I got through to the second or final stage, but haven't yet made it to the last post!

I have started, and now almost completed law school - I am about to enter exam period in June.

What's it like studying the GDL?

The GDL is radically different to my History degree. The course is EXTREMELY intense, although is designed around a manageable structure by the University of Law.

I previously studied a course where you could read a couple of books over night and splurge out some argument, which was awarded with good grades without trying very hard at all. I now study a course where it takes you 400 years to even try and remotely put together a decent argument , with the exact PRECISE law (may be slight exaggeration).

In essence, to study the GDL you have to be committed and driven. So now, I spend every waking minute with a law book, at least in the corner of my eye.

Despite the fact it is mentally draining, it's for a worthy cause. To qualify in law it isn't just about academic prowess - you need commitment.

At the University of Law, I have made full use of the Careers service and got involved with the Mooting competition which I really enjoyed. My time at the college has taught me that the legal industry isn't full of these strange insanely intelligent creatures, but instead, it is made up of lots of people like me who all want to do one thing - practice law.

The battle of the Training Contracts

Training Contract applications are often even more time consuming than your academic work for law school. I have a lot of relevant experience, which I hope makes me stand out. However, there are a lot of other, want to be lawyers out there, who may have just as much experience and are blessed with the gift of being a straight A Oxbridge student. So, the battle continues.

I have sent off three applications so far, which in comparison to most, isn't a lot at all.

Each firm has been different. For the first stage, I have sent off either online applications or CVs with covering letters. Some of them jumped straight to interview, then assessment centre, whilst others have interim stages such as tests or writing exercises. For one firm, I had to submit a paper on 'How to solve the problems of medium sized firms'.

Each stage is coupled with the agonising wait to hear the outcome - staring at your email inbox or jumping every time the phone rings and the letter box opens. The process makes you a nervous wreck.

However, with each experience my application and interview technique has improved. Most importantly my confidence grows.

It is important to always take a reality check in this process. I have been extremely fortunate to get through the first couple of rounds with all of my applications. Only 10% (if that) of my year have a Training Contract so we're all in the same boat together.

Advice for other want-to-be Trainees

Take a reality check. We have entered one of the most competitive industries. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day. Take every experience as an opportunity to improve until you land your Training Contract.

Also consider your application technique. For me, I have started to realise the importance of networking. Firms will prefer applications from faces they know.

What next?

I will continue with my battle for a Training Contract and complete my law exams. I have a place confirmed at the University of Law for the LLM LPC and have secured two legal placements in Hong Kong and Sydney.

In the next couple of posts, I'm aiming to look at applications, my CV and my experience at the Citizen's Advice Bureau with clients and company negotiations.