Law degree, LPC, Training contract... Am I going mad?

legallylost

Hi,

I really need some help and don't really know where else I can turn to.

I'm a law graduate. I graduated with a 2.1 Honours LLB and am now doing my LPC part-time - a privilege I am paying almost £10,000 for. I have one year to go on the course.

So why is it that I can't seem to see past my LPC. I have applied for jobs and had nothing back. I feel like I'm not going anywhere with this and that all this money, time and effort could potentially be wasted.

I'm scared senseless that I won't obtain a training contract. My GCSE's and A-Levels are not straight A's (I have a mix of A-C grades) so I know this will not go in my favour on my application forms.

It's driving me crazy thinking about it. I'm losing sleep and waking up thinking of it.

Has anyone been in this position? Will this feeling end? Is there light at the end of the LPC tunnel? Will I ever get a proper nights sleep

Dinah93

I'm afraid I would love to offer positive advice, my OH was in the same position as you this time last year. There are some training contracts, but not many. He sent out over 200 job applications and 700 cold calling letters asking for oppertunities and didn't even get an interview which was more than a little disheartening! In the end he has decided not to be a solicitor and has gone into marketting which he's really enjoying and has already been promoted. Pay is nowhere near as good as he might have got as a solicitor, but we're just grateful he's got any job atm!

dmg24

I'm afraid I can't be any more positive than Dinah93. The training contract market is saturated with candidates, and it is very difficult to differentiate between each of them. Another negative is that firms seem much less willing to take on those that have studied on a part time basis. I discussed this at length with my uni careers advisor and he agreed, there seems to be some kind of snobbery about it (if only we could all afford to study full time!).

Do you have relevant work experience? Would it be possible to enter a firm at a lower level in the hope of getting a TC with the firm in the future?

Voyager2002

Be imaginative: look at central and local government as well as private practices.

Otherwise, remember that your level of legal knowledge will be of considerable value to a wide range of organisations. You could gain experience in a job using your knowledge of law, and in time this could help you to be an outstanding candidate for a training contract, if that is still what you want.

As for applications: see if you can find a potential employer who would be willing to give you feedback. While you can't change your grades, there are still ways to make your application seem absolutely right for the needs of a particular firm and so stand out from the crowd.

MrsManda

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Be imaginative: look at central and local government as well as private practices.

This is a good idea. Do you know what precisely you want to do or are you just looking for something in the legal profession? Have you looked at the Civil Service? They've got loads of opportunities to train and gain experience.

Fire_Fox

How good is your CV and covering letter? Do you know anyone in the industry or at least with a senior management role with experience appointing? Are you willing or able to do voluntary work to get a foot in the door, perhaps with a charity?

Torby

Daughter has just done her last exam....very few Tcs available, a lot have been deferred....means twice as many applicants next year....its not cheap to do and there are no g'tees....best to have a good c/v and relevant experience, try the CAB and the Student Law Office if your uni has one.

If you want to keep in the Law field until that elusive TC comes around...there's paralegal work and other stuff out there...it all adds to your cv....good luck...its a hard slog....and don't despair over your debt....everyone has it....just be glad you didn't go down the BVC route ..lol

atypical

Not all had their offer deferred. Some had their offers removed entirely.

Solicitors are being made redundant in the top 100 firms, the chances they will take on trainees are slim. I don't mean to be gloomy but realistic. I would spend a year bulking up my CV whilst continually applying for places. I certainly wouldn't start my LPC and pay for it myself.

cazzasmazza

Sorry to be a negative again!

I've been a solicitor for the last 10 years and have specialised in a few areas, including personal injury and family law. The economic climate has hit the legal profession in most areas (except insolvency law!) hard and I know most firms have made and are still making redundancies, pay freezes, and so on. It's awful.

Being a solicitor entails long hours, and you can't guarantee decent pay either, considering how hard it is to become a solicitor compared to other professions which demand equivalent long study and difficult training e.g. doctor or dentist, which pay very well. I earn about a third of what a dentist earns and I've been qualified 10 years.

It's a pressurised job whatever area you practice in and it is very stressful. It's actually rated one of the highest for alcoholism, stress related illnesses and job dissatisfaction.

Sorry to be so negative, but it is pertinent to me as I handed in my notice last week (hoorah!) because I am going back to Uni to train as a nurse (age 36!). I don't mind that we will struggle financially, as we are not exactly rolling in it now, I just want to do a worthwhile job that suits me and from which I get something back. And I HATE being a solicitor, so it can only get better from here! I know there is stress with every job, but the law is particularly bad.

On a more positive note, there are a myriad of opportunities open to you with a law degree - don't just focus on being a solicitor, your degree can open lots of other doors.

My brother also has a law degree and he never used it in his career - he works for The Co-operative Bank and really enjoys his job - he doesn't have a lot of responsibility and he works 4 days a week. It suits him down to a tee - he's really happy and not stressed.

It's the quality of your work life and your home life that counts. It has just taken me 10 years to figure it out!