Law fairs 2024: all you need to know

Law fairs are an important stage of the recruitment process, offering you the chance to meet recruiters, trainee solicitors and partners from the law firms you could be joining in the future. Find out more about the opportunities available in our guide to law fairs.

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Law fairs are a valuable source of information about legal opportunities, both for those studying law and for non-law students thinking about converting. Law fairs usually take place from September to December. 

In-person law fairs – autumn 2024

If you’re a current university student, your university may be hosting a law fair on campus. You should check with your university’s careers service or law school to find out when your university’s law fair takes place. Some universities run law-specific fairs, while others might have a legal section at a more general recruitment fair. Here are a few of the law fairs taking place in person across the autumn term.

• The Warwick University Law Fair is on 22 October 2024 from 20:30am until 3:00pm in the Rootes Building.
• The University of Manchester Law Fair takes place on 12 November 2024 from 11:00am until 3:00pm in the Whitworth Hall.
• The University of Exeter Law Fair runs on 20 November 2024 from 12:30pm until 3:30pm.

Several virtual law fairs are also likely to be taking place alongside those organised by individual universities. Check with your institution for the latest information and use the LCN Events page to make sure you don’t miss an event.

Exhibitors

Law firms

If you’re interested in training as a solicitor, law fairs give you an opportunity to talk informally to trainees, solicitors and recruiters. Areas to explore include:

• the firm’s key work areas and clients;
• the firm’s size and annual trainee intake;
• location;
• style of training and range of experience offered to trainees; and
• opportunities for trainees in firms with overseas offices.

It’s also well worth considering opportunities outside private practice (eg, with the Government Legal Profession).

You may want to ask about funding and sponsorship. Many firms offer financial support for postgraduate courses, which could affect your choices.

Barristers’ chambers

If you’re interested in training as a barrister, you should consider finding out about:

• the cost of training for the Bar and how you’ll fund your training – all chambers now offer a minimum wage for pupillage, but not all offer funding;
• opportunities for mini-pupillages and pupillages; and
• the reality of being self-employed.

If you’re an international student, you may wish to explore opportunities to qualify in the UK.

Course providers

Universities and law schools attend fairs to provide information about the law conversion courses, the Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exam preparation courses and Bar courses.

Preparing for a law fair

Start by looking at the list of organisations attending the law fair. Make a list of the exhibitors that you’re most interested in speaking to – this will enable you to have a plan of action on the day, rather than just aimlessly wandering around ! Although, that being said, you can certainly use the law fair to spontaneously chat to people or firms you weren’t expecting to meet.

Don't approach interactions with potential employers with a casual attitude, as though you’re unsure why you want to speak to them or whether you’re interested in law. Questions like, "So what do you do?" and "Why should I consider working for you?" don't go down well with professionals who’ve given up valuable time for your benefit (read the profiles in our Meet the Recruiter section for insights into the level of preparation they expect from students attending law fairs). Equally unimpressive is the question, "Where are your offices?" when the answer is a quick Google search away!

By taking just 15 minutes to research a law firm before you speak to its recruiters and trainees at a law fair, you’ll have the basic information you need to ask more developed questions and have an engaged conversation. Recruiters and lawyers will remember candidates who were able to demonstrate a genuine interest in their firm.

After a conversation with an employer, you may want to note down your key takeaways for later as the insights you pick up from these fairs could prove useful when you’re putting applications together.

Visit LawCareers.Net’s Application hub for more advice on applications, interviews and assessment centres.

It’s important that you make the most of law fairs to help you decide whether law is the right career for you, so make sure you have a plan of action for the day. They’re ideal opportunities to meet professionals and start planning your next steps – don’t waste them.

Find out more

For more tips and tricks, check out LawCareers.Net’s YouTube for videos on how to prepare and make the most of law fairs.