Law fairs

Law fairs offer an important opportunity to meet firms face to face or virtually.

They are your chance to meet trainees, associates and partners, as well as graduate recruiters, to quiz them about their firms and get a sense of what they’re like.

These conversations are also a chance for you to make a good impression, so people at the firm remember you. If you’re a non-law or a first-year student, law fairs are a crucial place to start considering a career in law and learn more about the profession and the options available to you.

Law fairs take place at most universities across the country in the autumn term, so look out for posters and careers service emails to find out about yours. If the law fair is in-person, when it arrives at your university, it’ll commandeer a large space like a sports hall or conference centre.

Following the events of the pandemic, many universities moved their law fairs online and will continue to host certain events in a virtual space given the improved accessibility that they offer for many prospective candidates. That said, many law fairs are now back in person and students should make the most of this face-to face networking. Whether virtual or in person, they’re an excellent opportunity that shouldn’t be missed if you’re serious about a career in the legal profession.

At in-person fairs, firms bring large exhibition stands to grab your attention and quirky (or not so quirky) freebies to entice you – although an increased focus on sustainability has lowered the number of freebies! At law fairs, everyone's a winner: you get to chat to recruiters and lawyers to find out what they really want in candidates and they get to take an initial look at you, all within a relatively informal environment.

Watch this LCN video to find out to prepare for a virtual law fair to ensure you’re making the most of the opportunity, including turning your camera on, arriving on time and speaking up.

Meanwhile, here are two quick tips to maximise your chance of a successful virtual fair.

Research

Before attending a law fair, research the firms that’ll be there and shortlist the ones you'd like to talk to.

If you’re unsure where to begin, read this page all about researching firms.

Speak confidently to the people on the stand (recruiters and lawyers) and ask interesting questions about their firm – try to avoid obvious questions that you can answer by reading the firm’s brochure or website. The recruiter is likely to remember candidates who carry themselves well.

If you'd just like some ideas of what you can speak to firms about, try preparing some questions on the:

• size of trainee intake and culture of the firm;
• types of client and range of business;
• locations (eg, London or the regions);
• future plans of the firm;
• recent cases or deals you’ve read about;
• style of training and range of experience offered to trainees; and
• opportunities for trainees to go on secondment to overseas offices.

Speak to law schools

Law schools providing the postgraduate courses you'll study after your degree also have a presence at law fairs. You might want to ask them about:

• the percentage of students who complete the postgrad courses but don't have a training contract/pupillage lined up;
• links with firms and chambers;
• whether you can defer the course to take a year out (if you're considering a gap year); and
• what SQE preparation courses they have on offer.

Why attend a law fair?

You can really benefit from attending a law fair if you do some preparation beforehand. Your interactions with lawyers and recruiters will be of more use if you’ve done some preliminary research into the firms attending. This will eliminate the need for you to ask basic questions and enable you to have more interesting conversations and make a much better impression.

When you find out which firms are going to be attending your fair, search for them on LCN and also check our Meet the Recruiter and Meet the Lawyer sections for relevant profiles containing potentially useful insights. 

Keep an eye on the LCN Events page for upcoming law fairs and read our Feature ‘Law fairs: everything you need to know’ for more detailed information and advice.

For more on how to make the most of a law fair, listen to this episode of The LawCareers.Net Podcast,  featuring tips from LCN and Shoosmiths.