You’ve probably heard as a law student or prospective attorney how important it is to obtain work experience in the field you want to practice. Experience like this is very helpful in honing your talents and enhancing the visibility of your resume.
In certain cases, like vacation plans, it’s even intended to lead straight into employment. It’s also important to note the significance of law work experience for the new SQE route, as it is now a requirement for certification.
This article will cover a variety of law work experiences, from those usually connected to the attorney or barrister path to more all-encompassing options for anyone with an interest in law.
Advantages of Law Work Experience
After talking about the significance of law work experience, it’s helpful to highlight the following advantages:
- Enhance your abilities in fields including writing, research, and communicating with clients.
- Enhance your resume (which is frequently questioned later on in applications) Prove to employers your dedication to a law career Help you decide which area of law you might want to specialize in
- Gives you a true taste of what law work is actually like opportunities for law work experience are paid
- Great chance to network with more senior staff members and other interns in your cohort Helps you decide which career path you wish to take (for example, a solicitor or a barrister)
Experience Working in Law for Students in Year 12
Gaining experience in the law field may be a priceless way for 12th graders to learn about the law field and make a decision about their future career path. Students can gain law work experience in a variety of methods, such as through internships, job placements, volunteer work, and shadowing opportunities.
Students can gain practical, hands-on experience in a law company or law advice clinic while working with law professionals through internships and work placements. Students may be required to assist with many facets of a law case, perform research on law cases, and observe client interviews.
An excellent opportunity for Year 12 students to learn about various law fields and become acquainted with the law profession is to volunteer at a legal advice clinic. Law clinics depend on volunteers to assist them give free legal advice and counsel to those who cannot afford an attorney. Students can gain valuable skills from this experience, including problem-solving, collaboration, and communication—all of which are essential for a future in law. This can be a very fulfilling experience.
Last but not least, students can also obtain law job experience prior to attending university by observing judges and attorneys. Students get an idea of what a typical day in the law profession might entail as well as the skills necessary for success by watching judges, attorneys, and other law professionals at work.
Experience in the Workplace for Future Lawyers
Travel Plans and Vacation Schemes
For those aiming to become solicitors, vacation schemes, sometimes known colloquially as “vac schemes,” are the most obvious type of law work experience. Vacation packages that law firms provide are frequently a certain way to land a highly sought-after training contract. These programs, which target recent graduates and differ in structure from firm to firm, typically last one to four weeks, are paid, and give you an opportunity to experience working as a solicitor in a variety of “seats” (different practice areas). They also happen at different times throughout the year, usually in the winter or summer but occasionally in the spring. In addition to your job, you’ll probably meet other vac schemers on your cohort and go to firm presentations. It’s common knowledge that getting a vacation scheme is difficult, particularly at the best companies, so you should read our best advice on increasing your chances of getting one.
Days Open for Law Firms
Though you can come at any time, open days are usually aimed at students who are earlier in their degrees, much like first year courses. The term “open day” isn’t being used here in the same sense as, say, when you were looking at universities; for example, law firm open days are typically selective, which means your application will need to be highly competitive. On the actual day, the business will probably provide speeches and there will probably be some sort of hands-on engagement (online or in person). These experiences look fantastic on your resume since they show that you have the necessary competence to be hired in the first place and that you are interested in the firm and lawyer profession in general.
Virtual Work Experience
These are a relatively new type of virtual law work experience in law that are being introduced by several businesses. Since they are flexible and non-selective, there’s really no excuse not to at least try out a few before submitting an application for a vacation scheme, for example. These virtual internships may be incredibly lucrative to have in your application arsenal, especially considering the minimal amount of work involved. They might take many hours to do and often entail a few pages of various law chores. Upon completion, you will often receive a certificate that you may attach to your LinkedIn or CV. The majority are provided by a company called Forage and are often available on the websites of the specific law firms.
Programs for Brand Ambassadors
Brand ambassador roles are a great place to start if you want to show that you are interested in a company that you have your eye on. They also help you hone your abilities in order to prepare for future applications. These jobs sometimes entail promoting a certain company on your school through events, social media, etc. The Lawyer Portal and prestigious legal practice Bird & Bird have partnered to provide a position as brand ambassador that is worthy of consideration.
Opportunities Before University
Opportunities for younger people (i.e., those not yet in college) to gain job experience in law firms are more scarce. Undoubtedly, there are less options for formal legal job experience. Having said that, there’s nothing stopping you from applying speculatively to law firms at this time. With law summer schools, you might be able to increase your legal experience prior to attending college.
Law Internships
In order to give undergraduate students a flavor of what working in their offices would be like if they decide to pursue a career in law, several companies allow them to spend a week or two there.
Advice for Getting into Law Internships
Work experience in law is highly competitive. Here are some of our overall best recommendations, in addition to the more detailed guidance available on the sites that are already linked within this article:
- Make use of whatever prior experience you may have and connect your applicable talents to the task at hand.
- Send applications that are specifically tailored to their intended recipient (perform as much research as you can find time to accomplish).
- Be as excited as you can
- As part of the application process, get ready for any admissions exams (such as the Watson Glaser critical thinking exam).
- Keep up your best possible academic record (law places a lot of attention on this).
- Throughout, show off your interpersonal and communication abilities. Keep in mind that practicing law is almost always about interacting with people.
To put it briefly, legal job experience may be a great method to show that you are really interested in a career in law (or perhaps even a direct path into it). Numerous chances exist that, although competitive, are unquestionably well making every effort to obtain.
