How to use The
Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook to find legal work experience
The Training Contract & Pupillage
Handbook is a comprehensive one-stop shop for every stage of the
journey to beginning a career in the legal profession. Gaining some legal
work experience is a crucial milestone on that quest, so here we demonstrate
how you can use the Handbook to find and apply for work placement schemes
(also known as vacation schemes) – arguably the most valuable work experience
opportunities out there for anyone aiming for a career as a solicitor.
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Identify
which firms are running vacation schemes
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First, head to p.118 of the
Handbook for a full list of firms offering work placement schemes. Those
displayed in bold
have provided detailed information about their schemes in their Handbook
directory entries, while you should then head to the other firms’ websites
and/or contact their graduate recruitment departments for more
information.
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Start your
research with law firms’ Insider Reports
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Now do some research to select the
firms to which you want to apply. Read the Insider Reports chapter (p. 61)
for an insight into what different firms’ schemes are like, provided by
people who recently completed the schemes themselves. Here you will be able
to get a sense of whether a firm’s vacation scheme will throw you straight
into doing real solicitor work, or whether the focus is more on mock
exercises and presentations.
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Use the
regional index to find out more
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Learn more about the firms which
interest you, both to aid your decision making and applications, where you
will need to demonstrate knowledge and keenness. Use the Handbook’s
regional index to find out firms’ practice areas, size and total number of
partners – all of which you should have basic knowledge of before applying.
Firms are divided by region – there are a lot of them, so take some time to
pore over this useful information, which would take much longer to find by
searching online.
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Use the
regional index to find out more
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The centre of the Handbook is a
comprehensive directory of law firms in the United Kingdom (p. 304). Use it
to find the firms which interested you during your research, then note down
their contact information before applying. Some firms have provided expanded
directories with more in-depth information, such as details of their work
placement schemes and minimum academic requirements for applicants, so take
all this in. Thus armed with all the details you need, you’re ready to
apply.
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