Student law societies: don’t just stand by the sidelines

The next two weeks sees thousands of freshers gathering at their new universities, met with a flurry of new faces, suitcases full of text books and a students’ union overflowing with societies to join.

As a law student, it might seem like a no-brainer to sign up for your law society. But it would be wrong to suggest that all law societies enjoy a 100% participation rate from their law undergraduate population. So what are you missing out on by refusing that membership card?

One of the most obvious benefits is making friends with the rest of your law cohort. In the vast expanse of whole-year lectures, or during the tense scrutiny of seminars, it can be hard to socialise with fellow undergrads through academic activities alone. Speaking to LawCareers.Net last year, the Kent Law Society committee highlighted that joining the society can help with the “overwhelming” start to your first year – both in terms of getting to know others and getting to grips with the legal world. Megan McMellon, president of Warwick Law Society, adds: “The support network, provided through mentoring and academic sessions, is extremely important as you embark on this new challenge.”

You could also be waving goodbye to some excellent links with law firms. Many committees work hard to secure sponsors for their societies, as well as plan and organise careers events with other firms or chambers throughout the year. With graduate recruiters and trainees in attendance (often trainees who hail from your own alma mater), you have the opportunity to make an excellent impression on those who will remember you. We’ve heard that firms will try to send the same contacts to visit you throughout the year – ensuring that members can develop a real relationship with that sponsor. Work and play often combine for a heady mix; a vacation scheme presentation followed by pizza and prosecco, “dinner with the City” and a champagne and chocolate social are just some of the activities planned at Oxford, Nottingham and Bristol respectively. A gentle warning in advance though – make sure you save your less articulate conversations for your fellow law students, rather than a nearby recruiter (even if law societies self-identify as Alcoholics Anonymous groups).

Some firms take the chance to work with law societies seriously. Earlier in the year, I was invited to Shearman & Sterling’s London office for their presidents’ day: an impressively collaborative venture, which sees representatives from law society committees meet with all the graduate recruitment team, the training principal and several trainee solicitors. As well as offering insight into how law firms’ recruitment teams work, Victoria Bradley and Katie Meer also shared feedback to the group on how their particular universities fared in the firms’ application process for a first-year scheme. Detailed breakdowns on success rates at each stage of the process allowed attendees to gain a much more focused idea of their respective members’ strengths and weaknesses. From not applying at all (some committee members struggled to explain the lack of applications!), to surprising struggles at the psychometric testing or interview stage, there were certainly overall trends evident which the presidents commented would guide their careers planning during the next academic year.

As the years pass by, you may be tempted by the lure of presidential power. Committee elections are hard-fought battles, with variations in formalities across the country; committee success is certainly a badge of pride for many. Clearly, the skills of budget management, website design, event planning and team management are desirable to develop – concrete evidence of your key skills and competencies is essential for employers. Moreover, if you are approaching firms for sponsorship in a professional and courteous manner, your name may well stand out for all the right reasons when it reappears on a vacation scheme or training contract application form.

As one student law society president told us, if you’re serious about a career in law there are no reasons not to join; as McMellon comments, the law society “is a brilliant way to get involved in the legal world”. Given the ever-strong competition for training contracts, you’re certainly well-advised to take every opportunity presented during your degree.

Learn more about active student law activities.

If you’re a first-year law student, make sure you read the Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Law and use the first-year checklist effectively.