ApplicationHub - Application hub

Solicitors hub
Everything you need to know about becoming a solicitor
Search training contracts
Search for a training contract at nearly 1,000 organisations
Training contract deadlines
A comprehensive list of training contract deadlines
Vacation scheme deadlines
A comprehensive list of law firms' vacation scheme deadlines

INSIDE LOOK

Meet the Lawyer
Read how today's lawyers went from student to qualified lawyer
Meet the Recruiter
Advice from recruiters on acing your applications and more
Vacation Scheme Insiders
Get a sense of what firms' vacation schemes are really like
Brochures
Your essential first step in identifying the firm for you
Practice Area Profiles
Hear from solicitors working in specific practice areas

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Barristers hub
Everything you need to know about becoming a barrister
Search pupillages
Search for a pupillage at nearly 200 barristers' chambers
Pupillage deadlines
A comprehensive list of pupillage deadlines

INSIDE LOOK

Meet the Lawyer
Read how today's barristers went from student to qualified barrister at the Bar
Practice Area Profiles
Hear from barristers working in specific practice areas
Types of chambers
Find out more about the different types of chambers

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Interested in a future career as a lawyer? Use The Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Law to get started

Apprenticeships hub

Find out about the various legal apprenticeships on offer and browse vacancies with The Law Apprenticeships Guide

Information on qualifying through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, including preparation courses, study resources, QWE and more

Commercial awareness hub

Discover everything you need to know about developing your knowledge of the business world and its impact on the law

The latest news and updates on the actions being taken to improve diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

Application hub

Discover advice to help you prepare for and ace your vacation scheme, training contract and pupillage applications

Your first-year guide to a career in law – find out how to kickstart your legal career at this early stage

Your non-law guide to a career in law – everything you need to know about converting to law

Education hub
This hub covers all aspects of legal education and training
Search law courses
Search law-related courses across the UK
Law school prospectuses
Identify the right law school for you with these prospectuses
Finances
Find out about sources of funding at each stage of the qualification process

COURSES

Undergraduate degree
Find out what an undergraduate degree is
Law conversion courses – PGDL
Find out about what you learn and where to study
Legal practice course – LPC
Find out what the LPC involves and whether you're eligible
Bar courses – BPTC/BPC
Find out about the course required to qualify as a barrister
SQE preparation courses
Find out about the brand-new SQE preparation courses

STAGES

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Commercial Question
Articles from law firms designed to get you thinking commercially
Features
These are designed to increase your knowledge of the profession
LCN Says
Insights from LCN and contributors from the world of law
The Oracle
Advice on issues from funding your studies to getting experience
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Kickstart your legal career with the latest content in our newsletter

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Discover key stories from the legal world
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Our videos feature interviews and webinars on careers in law
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Hear from the experts via The LawCareers.Net Podcast
Blogs
Hear from your peers about their journey into the profession

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Application hub

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Meet the Lawyer

Hear from lawyers at top firms ahead of 31 May deadline!

Meet the Lawyer

Recruiter advice

Read these interviews with recruiters for advice on acing your applications

Read the interviews

User survey

We want to find out how you use LCN

Take the survey

Introduction to applications

Find advice on all stages of the legal recruitment process!

Meet the Lawyer Recruiter advice User survey Introduction to applications

Application deadlines

Vacation scheme deadlines

See a list of firms with upcoming vacation scheme deadlines!

Training contract deadlines

See a list of firms with upcoming training contract deadlines!

Pupillage deadlines

See a list of chambers with pupillage deadlines!

Vacation scheme applications

Olivia Partridge - Top 10 tips for your vacation scheme applications

Olivia Partridge

Acing a vacation scheme application comes with time, effort and a lot of research. With the biggest vacation scheme deadline of the year – 31 January – looming (and many firms having their deadline before this), how are you approaching your applications?

How to include extenuating circumstances in training contract and vacation scheme applications

The illness of a close family member has really impacted my studies and exam results – how can I explain this in my training contract/vacation scheme applications?

Niamh Gray - Training contract and vacation scheme applications: three ways non-law students can stand out

Non-law students often worry that somehow their non-law degree is holding them back from a successful career in law. This is absolutely not the case.

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Training contract applications

MyLocker

Sign up to use MyLocker - it's a central applications hub that allows you to store key info (eg, GCSE and A-level results) and copy this information into most AllHires Graduate application forms

How to apply for a training contract

Here’s our four-step training contract application masterclass.

Four areas of knowledge you need to get a training contract

These will help you to understand the profession and the job you hope to do, effectively research a law firm and identify your skills and strengths to demonstrate in applications.

Five tips to help you secure a training contract

As daunting as this process may be, here are a few tricks that may help you stand out from the crowd.

Does it matter when I submit my training contract application?

"Does it matter if I wait until the deadline to submit my training contract application?"

Insights from those on the ground

Meet the Recruiter

Find out what Shoosmiths’ emerging talent team is looking for in vacation scheme and training contract applications, how the firm is adopting the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and Laura’s advice for those contemplating a career at the firm.

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Chloe Somerwill

Cardiff University

Law

July 2023

Meet the Lawyer

Evie Elsbury discusses her CILEX apprenticeship route into law and her career in the professional indemnity team at DWF Group Limited in this Meet the Lawyer profile.

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Our tips on researching law firms

How to research law firms when applying for vacation schemes

How to find the right law firm for your career and disability

How to research law firms

A comprehensive(ish) guide to researching firms

How to write your applications

How many training contract applications should I make?

Last year I sent off more than 40 training contract applications but didn’t get one interview. What am I doing wrong?

Should I mention other firms on vacation scheme applications?

I'm busy completing applications for spring and summer vacation schemes before the big deadline on 31 January. Can I list placements at other firms that I've got lined up in my applications?

The University of Law - Top 10 vacation scheme and training contract application tips

The University of Law

In this LCN Says, The University of Law, sponsor of our LawCareersNetLIVE conferences, shares 10 tips for a successful vacation scheme or training contract application.

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Worried about your interview?

A 26-step guide to training contract applications and interviews

LawCareers.Net’s 10 tips for training contract interviews

How to handle scenario-based questions at training contract interviews

LawCareers.Net’s guide to video interviews

What should I wear to an interview?

Five top tips for virtual interviews and assessment centres

Advice for non-law students

Training contract application advice for non-law students

I'm finishing my final year of a non-law degree and need to complete a law conversion. Is the application process for a vacation scheme or training contract more difficult or different for non-law students?

Niamh Gray - Training contract and vacation scheme applications: three ways non-law students can stand out

Non-law students often worry that somehow their non-law degree is holding them back from a successful career in law. This is absolutely not the case.

Meet the Lawyer

For physics graduate Sam Harvey, it was about finding a career that matched his scientific background and passion for written argument. As an associate working in patent litigation at Bristows LLP, he found just that. Read more about Sam’s journey and his advice on securing a role in the profession in this Meet the Lawyer profile.

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Non-law students

Five things you can do to get ahead as a non-law student

A non-law student’s guide to a career in law

Online training contract and vacation scheme application tips

Training contract assessment centres: everything you need to know

Many law firms use assessment centres as part of the selection process for vacation scheme and training contract candidates. So, how do you prepare for an assessment centre, what can you expect on the day and what exactly are firms assessing you on? Here’s our expert advice.

How to talk about sports in legal job applications

Whether you’ve played at a competitive level or just for fun, these experiences can be used to demonstrate several skills and mindsets that law firm recruiters want to see in interviews or applications.

How to write the perfect cover letter, CV or application form

According to recruiters, too many candidates are let down by their sloppy writing skills. Shakespeare made up words, spelt his name however he pleased and is still praised for his mastery of language. However, if his cover letter was written along those lines today, every law firm would bin his application. So, how can you write the perfect application?

5 tips to improve your COMMERCIAL AWARENESS

Commercial awareness can be difficult to understand and develop as an aspiring lawyer. Here’s our list of small and easy ways to understand the business world and how law firms and their clients operate within it.

Managing rejections and asking for feedback

How should I ask for application feedback?

Listen - Episode 28: work experience, interviews and processing rejection

I wasn’t offered a training contract this summer – what now?

More interview advice

Jessica Carr - Key tips for training contract assessment centres

A key stepping stone to securing a training contract can be taking part in an assessment centre. Here are some key tips for success in the most common types of assessment centre task.

Interviewing for vac schemes and training contracts

Anna Samokhina - How to secure a training contract – international student edition

"You’re not from the UK, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a training contract. Are you even aware how difficult it is?" – if you’ve ever heard something along these lines, this LCN Says is for you.

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Pupillage and mini-pupillage applications

How does the pupillage application process work?

A guide to pupillage interviews

Tips for applying through the Pupillage Gateway

Videos

See more videos

3 Tips for Writing Training Contract Applications

LawCareersNetLIVE: advice for applying to law firms

EASY MISTAKES TO AVOID on application forms

BASIC PUPILLAGE APPLICATION TIPS | Dani the Barrister

LawCareersNetLIVE: one thing to know before applying

Boost your commercial awareness

Wrestle with PESTLE

Ellie Nicholl - Podcasts and influencers you should follow to boost your commercial awareness

It’s so easy to consume regular, up-to-date information in our modern world. Listening to podcasts and browsing social media are easy and interactive ways for candidates to work on their commercial awareness. And, as the world becomes increasingly digital, there are more podcasts and influencers than ever on the legal scene for you to follow and learn from.

Trending commercial issues to know about in 2024

Let’s break down the top stories that made headlines in 2023 and consider what you should look out for in 2024.

Aleksander Larski, Mayer Brown International LLP - Wrestle with PESTLE: race to net zero

Aleksander Larski, Mayer Brown International LLP

The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 by 196 countries and all but three have since ratified it. The Paris Agreement underlines the need for net zero. It requires states to “achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century”.

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More application advice

How aspiring lawyers can succeed with no legal work experience

Training contract assessment centres: everything you need to know

Will going travelling increase or decrease my chances of a training contract?

How to demonstrate the key skills for law in applications