“You’ve got to get some legal sector work experience, or you won’t get a job in law.”
Everyone knows that, right?
Well yes, normally some work experience is a very good idea – but these aren’t normal times. Every one of us has had to adapt to a different way of life and law firms are no exception. They understand that the option of going to a local firm for a bit of work experience hasn’t really been on a table since March 2020. So what does that mean for your job search? Are you doomed if you didn’t get in and get some experience before the pandemic hit?
No, you absolutely are not. First, understand the purpose of work experience. It’s so that you can demonstrate that you know what it’ll be like to be a legal professional and show that this life is for you. It isn’t to train you up on some obscure task which can be handed to a work experience student but which you might never do in real life! Firm’s aren’t looking for technical ability you learnt from work experience but your understanding of the life you’d be buying into.
Once you’ve got that idea on board it becomes much easier to think how you can make up for that time you can’t spend in the office. Here are our top tips on what to do.
Virtual Work Experience
Engage in some of the virtual work experience schemes that are around. There are lots on offer from larger firms. We’ve heard good things about:
All of these schemes are available for you to sign up to now and it’s worth keeping an eye out for anything Legal Cheek or Lawcareers.net might put on.
Ok, so we know these experiences are all commercial and that not everyone wants to do commercial law. The smaller practice doesn’t have the wherewithal to put on resources like this and even if you don’t want to do commercial law you will learn from these. For one thing commercial awareness if for everyone! We’re not suggesting you do all of them but at lease try to engage with one or two. We’ve absolutely heard stories from students who say that they would not have got their TCs without the knowledge that came from these courses.
Pro Bono
Look for any pro bono experiences available at your provider and seize them! These are likely to be supporting individuals but don’t assume they will teach you nothing if you want to be a commercial lawyer. Client care is also for everyone!
Be Proactive
Engage with the world around you and have a narrative for how you have spent the last year. Lawyers need to be proactive and to be good at engaging with people. Show that you have energy and resources which have enabled you to find ways of being productive over the last year.
CV Check
Get a CV together and learn how to do a speculative cover letter so that when the situation changes you can reach out to law firms to ask for some experience.
And above all else – don’t despair – broadly the situation in relation to work experience has been the same for everyone. Lawyers will still need to recruit and you just need to show you understand what you’ll be letting