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.

#saveukjustice

I promise I will be back soon. I have so much to say. For the last couple of months I have been concentrating on exams and dissertation. I will continue to do so for just three more weeks! - I have three more weeks until I will no longer be a History student. I will be studying law, finally!

So, for now make sure you sign the e-petition to save UK justice.
https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48628

Most of you who read my blog don't need to be told by, nevertheless I will cover it in June - WHEN I HAVE GRADUATED!

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/48628

A new kind of experience.

As part of my role in the History Committee and as a Mentor manager, I take part in a Leicester award scheme. Below is the reflective blog I have using to evaluate the scheme. Helping with the workshop was something I had not done before and difficult as it involved taking a leadership role amongst my age group and class mates. - however, it was an extremely valuable experience towards a professional role as I learnt how to conduct myself appropriately and gradually build confidence within my role. It is always interesting to gain experience outside of law as it often holds qualities which can be useful within it at the same time as providing perspective.

If you are interested in seeing any more of the posts, or thinking about setting up a similar scheme see www.ullamentor-manager.blogspot.com.


The History Society, of which I am Treasurer have set up a pilot scheme which involve second and third years mentoring first years. The aim of this scheme is to integrate years and provide support to first years who may be struggling to settle into university. We have collaborated with not only our university academic department but also the university careers service. After multiple meetings, Leicester University Careers agreed to support our scheme by collaborating their Mentoring Award with us, which is a recognised Leicester Employability Award. From this, our members who take part in the scheme benefit from increased awareness and development of employability skills alongside receiving an award which appears on their degree transcript, making theme more attractive to employers.

This mentor scheme has now been running since October. We have had a high number of members enroll on the course and the mentors have been extremely effective with mentor and mentee interaction.

Today, this scheme, was my 'do something that scares you everyday'. A top up mentor training session was organised, of which me and a fellow committee member were asked to help run. This required organising an Icebreaker, monitoring and supporting the exercises in the workshop and acting as a judge on a panel marking presentations in an assessment center interview st. - Most of the students attending this workshop were my peers, students I take classes with. This was EXTREMELY DAUNTING.

Whilst I have certainly not been swayed away from a profession in Law, acting in a teaching role was extremely valuable experience.

My only solution to the days task was - to go for it. I ended up really enjoying myself.

Tasks throughout the workshop

1. Organise the Icebreaker.
   This was the first task of the workshop. We had only a vague idea of how to carry it out, so it was a bit of a pilot test. We needed to get the attendees warmed up and chatting with eachother. Therefore, the suggested Icebreaker was to tell 2 lies and 1 truth, whilst the rest of the group had to guess which was the truth. - This worked well. Although, it took a little bit of prompting the students got to know each other and were provided with the opportunity to try each others acting and detective skills. It certainly worked well as a bonding session.
2. Integrate and provide support to the groups whilst carrying out workshop excercises. By moving between each group and asking for an update on how they were doing, every student was always very responsive and positive. It was a great opportunity not only to offer advice on their projects but also to find out how they felt about the scheme. The workshop or some other type of facility should certainly be used in the future to collect feedback and opinions of participants, which can then be fed back into the scheme and improved on.
3. Judge the presentations. This was aimed to be carried out in a style that would be found in an assessment center as part of a job application. For me, this was the hardest part, as I was critiquing people who were of my own age and in my classes. However, it was all carried out professionally and appropriately so therefore became a non-issue. Again, it was really interesting to see students ideas on improvement which could be made within student life at the university and how they would implement this. I learnt a positive skill on how to provide constructive criticism. This also helped to improve my leadership skills by building my confidence and helping me to find the right balance between professionalism and remaining approachable.

Word count: 613

Is there going to be a place for me?

To begin, my new plan of prioritisation is off to a shaky start. It turns out it takes A LOT of motivation to stick to a plan and not get sidetracked. My 'to do list' is still being ticked off, just not in the right order. I'll get there...eventually.

This week, I have been trying to track down a bit more work experience, motivated by the deadlines for a lot of the vacation placements. I contacted a fair few of my previous contacts for references and advice, who have all been extremely helpful! However, they have filled me with gloom and doom about the future for criminal defence lawyers.

I came away from this rather shaken up. Whilst I have certainly never considered it an easy task to find a place in criminal law, I had never thought of it being potentially impossible. Therefore, it provided me with a wake up call. I can't put all my eggs in one basket.

Before I get ahead of myself, I do actually have a long way to go before I choose my area in law. Nevertheless, it is daunting to feel that the reason you want to do law may not necessarily exist in the form it is today by the time I qualify - let alone it being a stable choice.

So, do I start to explore other areas of law or do I carry on submersing myself in criminal law, with the acceptance it may not have an entirely prosperous outcome? - I have come to the conclusion, the answer is to do a bit of both.

I want to do criminal law because I want to be part of the right side of the criminal justice system, not because I want to be Mrs Moneybags. If nobody has the funding to take me on by the time I qualify, I am certain there will be voluntary work I can take on, until I become experienced enough to become beneficial to a practice.

On the other hand, as I have already said, I still have two years (ish) to decide officially, which means lots of time to explore other areas. - I enjoyed family law, although that is going much the same way (if not worse) as practices in criminal law. - I have started looking at firms which specialise in areas of employment law, healthcare and supporting charities. As these sectors all still provide aspects which I find attractive in Criminal Law.

Therefore, I will continue to increase contacts and work experience (starting to explore other areas). I have recently applied to work for the Citizens Advice Bureau, which will be great experience and have my first 'on call' next week with YOS. Very excited!

So my conclusion is, carry on finding work experience and following my interest in criminal law but branch out and find experience in other areas which compliment the factors I look for.

Learning to juggle.

Well, it has certainly been a long time since September. Looking back over my previous posts I have modified my New Year resolution. This is to take more care over my writing. Therefore I apologise for any previous suffering I may have inflicted (and any further).

Updates:
1. I am a fully fledged Appropriate Adult.
2. I have a place at The College (or should I now say University) of Law in Guildford. Starting my GDL this September.

Since returning to my last year at University, It feels as if I have been constantly pestered by a storm cloud adamant on dumping workload after workload on me. In truth however, it is by fault of my own, taking on possibly too much (if I can bring myself to admit it).

Finding the right balance in life is certainly a skill I am still developing. I plan to have it cracked by June!

So what am I trying to juggle?

1. History Degree
2. Preparing for Law conversion
3. Applying to vacation schemes
4. Keeping in touch with Law contacts
5. Making new contacts
6. Finding work experience towards law
7. Managing volunteering
8. Managing committee role
9. Managing Mentor Manager role
10. Managing job role at home.
11. Managing course representative role.
12. Family
13. Remembering I actually have a social life.
14. Relationship
15. House
16. Dissertation
17. Assignments
18. Finance
19. Me!

And I have most likely left out the most important things.

This is in no particular order, so don't worry Kirran. Infact, this is exactly my point, it's just a long list of things to do. So many people do SO much more seeming to glide around effortlessly. Whereas I constantly trip over my feet and write off my day as a failure when my boiled egg isn't right.

So, what is my solution?
PRIORITISE!

Currently, my degree is of foremost importance. Therefore that comes first.

1. Complete assignments and dissertation whilst remembering to revise - 2 days a week to Medieval module, 2 days to Post War and 2 days to dissertation.

Preparing for law is ongoing.

2. Allocate one day a week to finding work experience and contacts. This will be the day for the blog. Saturday!

Why will I do my Volunteering and Job?

3. Allocate to free days. YOS Thursday. Hospital Holiday weekends.

4. Committee prep and mentoring Sunday evening. (In front of Mr Selfridge!)

Me?

5. ME time - after 6pm Weekdays and outside of 11am-3pm weekends. - this includes time for retail therapy, going out and socialising (Definitely needs to be reigned in)

6. Stick to it.

7. Don't beat self up if I don't.

Done!

I know that it's unlikely I will follow this to the T. However, now I have a plan and know what to put first. - For the time being.

So, here it is until next Saturday! - Where I will update the blog on my time with YOS/YOT.

Wish me luck!

My first and my last...

This post will account for day 8,9 and 10. Therefore covering my time spent at my first full Crown Court trial , right up until the last day spent with the firm.

Day 8 and 9
Due to the nature of the work the firm carried out, it was not always possible to plan ahead with the firm as to what we would be doing with our time. Providing an insight into how unpredictable a day of work can be within Criminal Law. Therefore when all of the lawyers were at the police station and there was no legal research to be carried out, we decided to attend Crown Court and get a bit of experience from a Barristers point of view.

By a pure fluke of luck I ran into the barrister we had met a couple of days ago, who would be representing prosecution for the trial about to take place. We later became acquainted with the barrister for defense as well! Both were so accommodating and took a lot of time over the 3 days we were at the trial, to talk us through the trial, answer any questions, advise us for the future and recall their own experiences.

I learnt a lot from being at the trial from start to finish and gained so much valuable experience from the contacts I made. Both of whom I am still in touch with and will stay in touch with. It is SO important to approach as many people as possible, take an interest in everything and try and find contacts until you are blue in the face! Due to the people I have met, I have landed on my feet!

Day 10
We returned back to the firm for the final day, as we felt it was important to conclude our time spent in our placement and de-brief with the partners of the firm. We later did the same at Crown Court and made sure we expressed how grateful we were for everybody's help.

What did I enjoy?

• I loved carrying out legal research. (Partly because this is my forte concerning my degree). It gave me a real buzz to pick apart a prosecution case and help to form a defense.
• The people contact was really important to me. I would love for this to be a large part of my future career. Being able to interact with clients who need your advice, alongside working with the police, barristers, probation, courts..the list could go on! It really felt like we were part of a team, who were making a difference.
• I got a real feeling that what we were doing, was contributing to the workings of our country. Which is a real honor to be able to take part in.

What did I find difficult?

Working within criminal law presented some really difficult emotional challenges. I found the pressure, people contact and intellectual side extremely manageable, particularly as I love a challenge. But I often came away at the end of the day still thinking about a lot of the cases, it was really difficult to detach myself from the people I had just met. It often presented a moral/ethical dilemma, particularly when I could see a very good defense and prosecution.

It is certainly a job which will become part of your lifestyle. After only two weeks, it has changed my perspective on many things. - But then again what more could you ask for from a job! As I said I love a challenge!

So, what next?  Next, I will be going back to uni for my last year in reading History. Applying to Law school for my GDL. Gaining more experience and making more contacts. I will be starting work with YOS and St Andrews and of course be keeping my blog updated when I can.

Day 7....

When taking a work placement make sure you ask lots of questions, search for advice and note it all down!

9:00 am: finish legal research on 'abuse of process'
10:00 am: visit police station and learn about viper. - also opportunity to talk to civilian and her views on different style of solicitors and firms as she works with them.
12:00 am: magistrates court
1:00 pm: lunch
2:00 pm: legal research on case with charge of 'in charge of vehicle whilst over limit'
4:00 pm: QUESTION TIME- find the right moment to approach the people you are working with.
5:00 pm: home.

As a history student who only knows bits of law and how to get into the law from my own research, it's really valuable to be able to ask people who are part of the industry all of my questions and queries.

Because of the advice I have been given I have started to form a personal development plan;
- work within the citizens advice bureau.
- try to get involved as an accredited representative. (particularly for criminal law)
- network network. (who you know helps!)
- try to get work experience in other areas, which are not to far away from your desired practice area.
- learn from everything and keep up the enthusiasm.

After speaking to a relatively newly qualified solicitor, I have realized straight forward work experience is not enough. I need to be able to demonstrate my enthusiasm and commitment.

So onwards and upwards!

Day 6....

Yesterday was a simple day. Crown court in the morning, with a VERY quick trial at crown court and legal research in the afternoon.

9:00 am: head to crown court.
10:00 am: sit in on trial (pleaded guilty so ended very quickly)
11:00 am: network!
1:00 am: lunch
2:00 am: legal research into abuse of process procedures.
5:00 am: home.

Networking is probably the most important thing you can do whilst on a work placement. Get to know the people your working with and around and make them like you! You want them to remember you!

I have gradually been gaining more and more confidence to approach other lawyers. Therefore, as we were leaving the court room we approached one of the barristers asking for advice on how we can further ourselves in law. Without hesitation he sat down with us to chat. On asking him whether he thinks it would be advisable to gain a mini pupilage even though I am currently more inclined to take the solicitors route, he rang his chambers there and then to ask if they had any placements - to which the answer is yes! So all I need to do is send in my cv and covering letter, then there we have it!

Just goes to show its always worth it to be bold and take a chance! Although be aware not everyone will be quite so accommodating and never take it personally!

Watch this space!

Drink with a Judge.

Saturday evening, I met up with a district judge to take advice on how to go forwards in law.

She was really friendly and so willing to help. She had dug up materials for me to read and wanted to know about all of my plans and what I had done so far. Of course, she was more than willing to answer all of my questions.

Two larger points I took away from our conversation was;
1. The job market right now is much more suitable for future solicitors , particularly as the approach 'cradle to grave' comes ever nearer. And of course there is the option of gaining higher rights whilst having the security of working in a firm.
2. Be prepared for abstract interview questions! Think about how your answers can be shaped around law and what the firm/chambers are looking for. Make sure you practice!

I found the meeting really helpful and now have a great contact to guide me. Just goes to show so many are willing to help, no matter what the level!

Day 5...

So today was a really good example of how unpredictable a day can be.

I spent the morning 8-10am with a Detective Sargent in the Child Investigation Unit. Fortunately I have worked in similar environments with similar systems, so I was able to avoid being completely overwhelmed by the office environment and computer procedures. - it was a really insightful experience. I was able to learn first hand of what goes on before something is passed through lawyers to the court. I was made aware of what they have to be careful of and how meticulous they have to be when extracting information to form cases. - part of the reason why I love the idea of working in criminal law is due to how much teamwork there is to get one case done. Not only within the firm but also with the police, probation, YOT, the list could go on!

10:00 am arrived back at the firm and went straight to court.
10:30 am I was able to sit in on a couple of briefings in the cells before a clients hearing. Including one very high profile case.
11:00 am sat in on the remaining court hearings.
1:00 pm treated ourselves to a good lunch out and a drink. - its really important in situations like this however, to not go over the top!
2:00 pm we headed over to the police station with the holding cells and were shown around, incorporating how a solicitors role would fit into police procedures on arrests and first interviews. - really good to be able to relate to the gorier parts of the job and where some clients have come from.
4:00 pm home time since its a Friday.

And now for the weekend!

Le quatrième jour....

Day 4 was spent mostly in court. As I've gained more court experience the more confident I have begun to feel with the procedure and what to expect, enabling me to express my own thoughts on the cases. (outside the courtroom of course)

9:00 am: head to court from the firm after a briefing of the cases the firm will be dealing with that day.
9:30 am: sat in on a consultation prepping the client for court.- A really interesting situation as the client wanted to plead guilty even though he stated in the consultation he was not but believed he would be sentenced anyway, so wanted to receive the credit from pleading guilty. - eventually went with no plea and case adjourned for 28 days.
10:00 am: sat in on multiple cases in the magistrates court. - one hearing, the defendants would not attend but the court proceeded anyway and charged a sentence.
1:30 am: lunch
2:30 am: read through some crown court cases and discussed.
4:30 am: Home time as most of the firm had been called to the station.

I love being in court and the interaction with clients. After looking at their cases yesterday I was able to get a really good grasp of what was going on and what the likely outcomes would be.

I've found it really helpful to record cases and experiences, particularly learning experiences so that I can call on them later either for reference or as examples of what I have learnt and taken part in. However, I make sure I don't put them into my blog or any other type of public site as I feel this is a breach of confidentiality.

One noticeable point for me from today was how much humanity there actually is in court in comparison to the classic stereotypical view. I noticed more than once how a sentence would often be in accordance with the emotional influence from the defendant towards the magistrates. (good/bad)

On another note, I have been lucky enough to get in touch with a Judge who has worked in criminal law. We have already spoken on the phone and she has offered to meet me for a drink on Saturday! It will be really great to hear her advice from the view point of a barrister and also within the context of the changing politics of law during her experience. - I will of course report back on here!

Tomorrow it has been arranged for me to go into the police station and shadow a Detective-sergeant who works in Public Protection Department Family Investigation Unit, for a couple of hours. This will be a really good chance to learn about the processes and build up before a solicitor is involved. It will also be really fascinating to see how evidence and materials are recorded which will use for/against a case.

I will also be in crown court tomorrow meeting another partner at a linked firm in the centre of the city!

Lots of excitement for tomorrow!

Day 3....

A great day today! Lots of interaction with the other solicitors and able to start to get involved within some of the processes.

9:00 am: analysed the cases for tomorrows court. Using the magistrates handbook ran through the likely sentences.
11:00 am: carried out legal research for a case of appeal on a SOPO and discussed with advocate.
1:45 pm: lunch. Make sure sometimes you give yourself a bit of space to reflect. Although don't do this at the expense of relations at the firm.
2:45 pm: ran over a couple more cases before court tomorrow.
4:00 pm: one of the solicitors took us through a case explaining how she approaches, carries out and concludes a case. We then ran through a practice case and picked apart evidence to try and form a case.
5:30 pm: heading on home.

Really proved to myself that this is that I want to do today. I love forming cases and picking apart evidence, looking for the flaws and holes. It seems that the method is very similar to writing an essay in History, finding your facts backed up with evidence and forming your argument.

Although I have really enjoyed experience within the firm, my favourite parts have certainly been in court and researching higher level cases. For this reason I am hoping to find some experience at the bar just to try out the other side!

Court tomorrow!

Day 2....

Today I was based at the firm all day, getting a taste of the less exciting parts of a career in law. Although, of course I wasn't in love with it, it was still a great learning curve and experience.

9:00 am: read through and discussed a case. It was one of my first real experiences of the seriously grim parts of being involved in criminal law.
1:00 pm: lunch (opportunity to increase connections)
2:00 pm: watched tapes of primary interviews at police station and discussed evidence.
5:00 pm: end of day.

As today most of the solicitors had to be down at the station there wasn't as much interaction available. However it is important to notice when the people you work for might need an extra hand just to do the menial task to speed up any processes. Always offer up your services, demonstrating your enthusiasm.

I also took the opportunity to ask a couple of questions about subjects that I would like to know more on.

What did I learn today?

- The importance of the right level of professionalism with clients. Keeping a good emotional distance at the same time as building a trusting relationship.

- What holes to watch out for in evidence and how to begin to form a defence.

- The structure of case files.

- The importance of the team within the firm to deal with the emotional challenge of some of the cases together.

On to day 3 tomorrow!

Day 1...

The main thing to take away from an internship is the learning experience.

My advice to do this is - ask lots of questions and write it all down when you get home so you can refer to it at a later date before an interview.

Today was the first day of my two week internship at a criminal law specialists firm.

9:00 am - introductions. Remember the importance of first impressions!
9:30 am - straight over to the magistrates court, where we watched a couple of consultations in the cells and duty solicitors. This was great for watching different techniques and styles.
11:00 am - listened to a couple of hearings in court. A good opportunity to get to grips with the processes and style of court. It seemed that the etiquette of the court often depended on who was present at the time.
1:15 pm - lunch. Make sure you take every opportunity to get to know your colleagues as they are the ones who can put you in the right direction.
2:15 pm - court opens again.
4:00 pm - read through some open cases back at the firm, enabling us to pick up the proceedings and structure of carrying out cases within a firm.
5:00 pm - home. Make sure you don't just pick up and leave, wait about to say bye and thank you to the people you have worked with.

The first day has been great! It was insightful to watch the consultations within the cells and it's surroundings. Being able to witness these interviews highlighted certain techniques and styles which vary between solicitors. The processes within court was relatively easy to pick up and enabled me to understand what may affect the level of a case.

It seemed there is often overlapping of areas in law, as today I witnessed family, criminal, EU and even contract law. I found it really thought provoking how circumstances of witnesses and offenders can change a case entirely.

Everybody so far has been extremely friendly and co-operative, all very willing to share their experiences.

When speaking to the firm they emphasised that they look for enthusiasm and willingness to work hard, which I certainly have!

Later this week I will be attending some hearings at the crown court and even getting a bit of experience about the local police station, to try and learn as much as possible.

I have asked questions for anything I am unsure of and have recorded everything, particularly some of the cases so that I can learn from it and have the cases to refer to later on when I attend interviews.

So far, I have really got a feel for this and seem to be enjoying criminal law much more than family, which I wasn't necessarily expecting!

1 day down 9 to go!

Back on track!

Since exams, my blog has been suffering from neglect! With travelling and trying to balance summer jobs I haven't managed to keep up to date with my blogging but I am still making my way up the path towards law.

So here is a quick update;

Over the summer I have been lucky enough to bag a couple of summer jobs. I am even more lucky to be able to take experience from these job roles and use it during my career path towards law.

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I have always had an interest in mental health and hope that I can incorporate this into my future career. Due to this interest I have recently taken on a job role as a Health Care Assistant at St Andrews Mental Health Hospital.

To attain this job role I had to be successful in the written application, expressing my interest and relevant experience. Then to be successful in a selection event and individual interview. Taking what I learnt from similar situations I was successful and now have the following job role.

My Position involves:
1. Aiding in the healthcare of the hospitals patients.
2. Monitoring their behaviour and intercepting to avoid dangerous situations and maintain a calm environment.
3. Entertain patients during the day, to avoid them becoming distressed.
4. Accompany patients on day trips to maintain the patients and the public’s safety.
5. My role is on bank, so the hours are flexible around my other commitments.

Skills Developed:
This role will provide me with excellent experience of the outcome of Criminal and Mental Health Law. I have always had a keen interest in mental health and wanted to take this opportunity to have an active role within the improvements of the mental health community. Many of the patients are convicted criminals or unable to leave the hospital due to risk for public safety. Working in an environment will provide me with first hand experience of the results of convicting criminals and the mentally ill into institutions, which will be extremely valuable to me and eye opening if I take a career path in criminal law. It also provides me with the experience of working in an environment with people, without the safety blanket of customer services. I plan to take the training offered for restraint so that I can expand my role and work on more challenging wards. – It is important to me that I understand all aspects of my future career and believe this role is a step towards achieving that.

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My second job role this summer is with Barclaycard, as a Recruitment Clerk in ROPS. Working at the Northampton complex provides great experience of working in an extremely professional corporate environment. The complex is huge and divided into multiple departments of varying levels. Working within this complex has also provided me with a lot of valuable experience working under confidentiality and security issues.



My Position involved:
It was my role to check merchants who are trading through websites against Barclaycards Card Scheme Trading Policy.
If a merchant was not compliant with the policy I would then have to take further action, to either access the information required to be compliant or terminate their trading through the merchant’s facility.
I needed to know the basics of Contract and Tort Law, as I often had to challenge merchants Terms and Conditions if they were not compliant with Barclaycards Policy.

Skills Developed:
This role has provided me with excellent experience in Contractual and Tort law, which has helped me to understand the basis of many other areas of law. I have learnt to be aware of any responsibility I was taking on and what the result of any of my actions may be. I learnt how to interact with a wide variety of colleague and customers across the entire department and deal with the level of responsibility I held within my position.

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Finally, I have an Internship which I am starting tomorrow!!!!!!!!

I will be working in a Criminal Specialists solicitors law firm for two weeks, attending court and looking at cases. I will of course be updating my blog daily concerning my experience.

I have prepped for the work by;

1. Researching the firm and area of speciality.
2. Contacting the firm to confirm what I will be doing.
3. Prepare how you are going to get there so you are not late in the morning.
4. Make sure you plan what to wear as presentation is one of the most important factors for first impressions.
5. Sleep well the night before to be on best form!

Really looking forward to starting tomorrow morning and can't wait to learn form it! - watch this space!

Experience employability.

Previously, I spoke about partaking in the Employability Award - a scheme which helps students to increase their employability skills through mock interviews, case studies, projects and networks. It also provided a chance to meet with top employers such as Accenture and TeachFirst who sponsored the award. The end result appears on your transcript and is reflected by your increased employable skills. Therefore furthering your ability to be successful in your future career. The award also appears on your degree transcript.

What did I get out of it?
For me, I felt I really benefited from the scheme. Although I already knew the general direction of how to attain employable skills, the scheme provided a means of focus, testing your ability whilst providing feedback and helping to build your confidence.

I particularly benefited from a lecture on networking and valued all feedback we received from project appraisals. Most importantly the focus it provided has helped me to find and develop my career path!

I would really recommend this to anybody who is floundering on the edge of where to go and what to do!

Would I have done it if I knew what I know now?
Of course! I feel I wouldn't be where I am today without the guidance of the scheme. It's easy to fit around your degree with relatively simple assignments and also a great way to meet like minded people who can inspire each other.

I've recommended it to everybody who is in a similar position, so much so that, we (The History Committee), are currently trying to link the leadership award to our mentoring scheme, in order to enhance the employability of our students!

How might I do it differently?
To get the most from the award you need to make the most of its facilities. That means try to attend everything, get involved with everything and be enthusiastic. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend some of the networking evenings or fairs last year, which I will certainly be attending this coming year.

I hope to partake in the volunteering award this year via my involvement with the Youth Offending Service and if we are successful, with the leadership award via the History Committees mentoring scheme.

If you are interested, enquire at your university's career service or find it on their website.

http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/careers/la/


I hope you have as much fun as I did!

A trip to Parliament and a thought on expectations.

A couple of days ago, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet my local MP at the Houses of parliament. I would assume not many people get to casually bump into famous politicians, whilst having a drink and debating with their local MP on the exclusive Strangers terrace bar in the Houses of Parliament!

Dad offered me the opportunity to go along with him, via a charity event raising money for mental support for teenagers with depression. Of course I jumped at it, considering my interest in law and politics.

The building itself is awe inspiring. As a history student it was incredible to walk where so many men and women I have studied have been. I even got to see the closet were a sufrajet locked herself in overnight before the signing of the census!

I was struck by the humanity of the people working inside parliament and the community there seemed to be. Even across opposing parties.

A particular comment got me thinking whilst I was there. It concerned weighing up people's expectations alongside their well being. - many people EXPECT to be successful and are then disappointed when they realise that they may not turn out to be the CEO of a multi billion pound company. - challenging my long held belief that if you believe in yourself enough then you can do almost anything.

So what do I expect?

I know I have a fight ahead of me. I'm not an Oxbridge student, I don't have straight A* grades and I will probably get a 2:1 rather than a 1st. So my fight will be harder than many others.

However I do have the passion and the drive to do law. And I am beginning to build my experience ahead of many others who are in the same situation.

Therefore I expect getting a training contract is going to be difficult but achievable. I expect I will struggle to work my way up quickly and know that it will be a slow and most likely a difficult climb. I need to continue to expand my experience, network and knowledge base. All of which I feel is achievable.

However I also expect I will eventually be successful and be lucky enough to be involved in a career which, I will love and follow through with enthusiastic passion for the rest of my life and be able to make a difference in the world of law. I am sure that many would consider this (myself included sometimes) expecting too much.

Yet, is it better to expect too much or too little? An applicable quote which I think answers this is, 'Aim for the moon, then if you miss, you will land amongst the stars'. (Paula Radcliffe)