granddaughter wants to be a solicitor

Filey

Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this but my 14 yo granddaughter has said she wants to be a solicitor. I'm not sure she knows what a solicitor actually does. I think it is from what she has seen on films and TV. Can anyone suggest any books (novels or factual) that might help her get a better idea of what is involved.

Or any other suggestions. Thanks for any help.

cheepskate_2

Why find things to put her off?

Encourage her to be a solicitor, find out what grades you need, (For the top uni's it is now 3A+'s that are needed to just get interview) and finsd a way to achieve these grade if she is not on the way to doing it.

She may change her mind in a few years, remember she still has 4 years of school left and to get a wealth of grades is better as it opens all the doors to all careers

meg72

Google Careers Advice,Solicitor.It brings up load.Good Luck to your Grandaughter,it involves a lot of hard work studing but would be so worthwhile if she suceeded.

LunaLady

http://www.debatechamber.com/

Debate chamber offer summer schools for 11-18 year olds. They can be pricey but really invaluable at giving her an insight into what she wants to do, so maybe worth saving up for for next summer?

Encourage her to get good grades to get into the best university possible.

margaretclare

Oh, I wish I had done that when I was offered the chance to go to uni (then polytechnic). I could have chosen to do a law degree but I went for Behavioural Sciences instead because that tied in with my career in the NHS. One of those 'roads not travelled'...

The main thing that put me off was, after the law degree you needed to be 'articled' to an existing firm of solicitors as a sort of apprentice and wouldn't be earning in that time. I didn't have the option of doing that.

Your GD should have a careers teacher at school who could advise but, in any event and in the short term, she needs to work hard at school and get good results. Being able to express herself clearly in both speech and writing will be important so, English language is crucial. And history perhaps, so that she knows just how far we have come and how our present system of laws developed. Michael Wood is a historian whose books are very readable and I enjoy his TV programmes - try http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00r12j3

Best wishes to her!

HeatherintheHills

Filey wrote: »

Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this but my 14 yo granddaughter has said she wants to be a solicitor. I'm not sure she knows what a solicitor actually does. I think it is from what she has seen on films and TV. Can anyone suggest any books (novels or factual) that might help her get a better idea of what is involved.

Or any other suggestions. Thanks for any help.

To give her a real first taste, take her to the library and encourage her to look up facts about becoming and being a solicitor.

FatVonD

It probably won't be as exciting as on TV but it'll be very lucrative, I wouldn't find any way to dissuade her!

sleepless_saver

HeatherintheHills wrote: »

To give her a real first taste, take her to the library and encourage her to look up facts about becoming and being a solicitor.

Internet is probably quicker and easier these days. For starters, the Law Society has good basic info on careers in law at this link.

Nicki

I'm a solicitor and never particularly liked history as a child, so I wouldn't inflict that on her if she isn't interested! There is no overlap between law and history really.

OP, do you know what it is about being a solicitor that appeals to your granddaughter? There are many different areas of law, so if she was interested in say becoming a solicitor to work in the city advising banks on complex commercial contracts, that would be very different to being a solicitor who advises families on their divorce, custody applications, etc, or someone who is doing criminal law and down the police station on a regular basis. There are certainly novels dealing with all these different areas of law though.

The other thing to bear in mind is that solicitors and barristers follow exactly the same academic path right up to almost the last moment, so she doesn't need to elect which she wants to be until she is about 23/24. She will need a good degree from a top university either in law or a rigorous academic subject (ie not media studies or something ridiculous ), then if not a law degree will need to do a conversion course for one year. At that point, she has to elect whether to be a barrister or solicitor and do a further one year Legal Practice course, followed by either a two year training contract for a solicitor or a pupillage if a barrister. Training contracts and pupillages are now paid. The other thing to bear in mind is that a legal qualification makes you very employable as a graduate in any number of roles, so it does very much leave your options open.

melancholly

There's also no need to pick a law degree. Many people do but plenty of others do any degree they want and do a law conversion course after uni. Can she ask at her school about contacts they might have for work experience? That might only be suitable in a year or two, but can't do any harm.

Bitsy_Beans

margaretclare wrote: »

Oh, I wish I had done that when I was offered the chance to go to uni (then polytechnic). I could have chosen to do a law degree but I went for Behavioural Sciences instead because that tied in with my career in the NHS. One of those 'roads not travelled'...

The main thing that put me off was, after the law degree you needed to be 'articled' to an existing firm of solicitors as a sort of apprentice and wouldn't be earning in that time. I didn't have the option of doing that.

!

Where I used to work and where my H works the article clerks aka trainee solicitors (don't actually think anyone refers to them any other way these days) are paid a wage during their 2 year stint at the firm. No one works for free.