How law students can get ahead over the holidays

Dear Oracle

I’m a second-year law student, how can I get ahead in my search for legal work experience or a training contract/qualifying work experience (QWE) during the winter break?

The Oracle replies

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You should definitely enjoy some time off over the holidays: spend quality time with friends and family; practise some selfcare; and have a break from your studies.

That said, it’s also good practise to use some of the time off to think ahead to next year. These few years spent studying, gaining work experience and applying for a vacation scheme, training contract/QWE or pupillage are intense, but there are plenty of things you can do during the winter break to get your CV in shape for the applications ahead.

Apply for work experience

First, you should aim to apply for some legal work experience over the break. You might have already landed a winter vacation scheme or mini-pupillage, but if you haven't, contact some local high-street firms to find out whether you can do a short placement.

Follow this link to find out more about work experience.

Many firms’ spring and summer vacation scheme deadlines fall in December and January too – in fact, one of the biggest application deadlines of the year is on 31 January, with more than 30 firms closing applications on this date. So, switch Mariah off for a bit and allocate some time to writing and submitting a few excellent applications. Remember to take your time, do some thorough research and make sure your application is unique to the firm you’re applying to. Recruiters will see right through any generic applications.

For some top tips, read this feature on demonstrating the key skills for law in applications. 

Alternatively, you may like to get in touch with your local court to see whether it’s possible to do some judge marshalling or even just sit in on a few cases.

Read this previous Oracle on alternative ways to gain legal work experience.

Volunteering

Voluntary work is also a great idea. First, it’s an excellent way to use your skills to help people in real need, but it’ll also be sure to impress legal recruiters. A variety of organisations welcome the help of students, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, doit.life, LawWorks and the Bar Pro Bono Unit.

See LCN’s pro bono initiatives section to find more volunteering opportunities near you. You can also read our Feature for more information on the professional benefits of doing pro bono work and this LCN Says on finding pro bono opportunities.

Plus, if you’re qualifying via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the work experience you gain could count towards the two-year QWE requirement.

Transferable skills

Having said all that, not everybody will have time for unpaid work experience or volunteering as many of you will be working.

Don't forget that any non-legal work experience or employment is useful – for example, working in a bar will improve your client handling skills and ability to work in a team. Include these kinds of jobs on your future applications; recruiters want to hear about them and (more importantly) the skills that you developed while doing them. Don’t underestimate the power of any non-legal experience you’ve had.

Read LCN’s Meet the Recruiter profiles to find out why leading firms want to see evidence of your non-legal experience and this LCN Says on how aspiring lawyers can succeed with no legal experience.

Research

As well as gaining experience, you can use some of your free time to consider the type of firm you want to work in. You should be aiming to identify a handful of firms that fit your criteria. Remember, there are deadlines for vacation schemes throughout January, so you should begin working on your applications for these.

You can find a full list of vacation scheme application deadlines via LCN’s deadlines page and our advice on researching firms is also a must-read.

Extra reading

Finally, remember that good academic grades are important when it comes to a career in law. So, your time would also be well spent getting ahead with your reading and any assignments that you might have. Good academics, coupled with interesting experience (legal or non-legal), will stand you in good stead as you start to make your applications.

Happy holidays!