For law graduates who don’t want to qualify as a solicitor or barrister, a career as a professional paralegal is a great alternative.

The long road, from starting your legal studies to becoming a fully qualified solicitor or barrister, can feel lonely. For me, one of the most difficult aspects of starting my journey into law was knowing what I was getting myself into! 

Law students and aspiring lawyers' life paths can easily become overcomplicated throughout the year, as you tackle applications and exams (among other things). It's important for individuals dealing with such workloads to slow down and take stock to stay confident, motivated and avoid burnout. 

If your university runs on a similar timetable to mine, you are currently in a bit of a lull if you have chosen exam-assessed units. Substantive teaching had all but finished by the Easter holidays, and now we have had the final few conclusion and revision sessions, it is up to us to prepare ourselves for the upcoming exam season.

As first-year scheme applications draw to a close, I thought that this would be a good time to blog about my experience applying to first-year schemes and open days at various law firms.

The stereotypical neat rows of seated students and scrupulously timed written exams may be a casualty of the pandemic. There seems to be a proliferative consensus among professors and more broadly within the education departments of universities which suggests that the old style of examinations is anachronistic. 

Many more law firms are preparing to offer legal apprenticeships when the government’s apprenticeship levy comes into effect in April. 

The National College of Legal Training has announced that it will not recruit intakes for the GDL or LPC in 2013-14 because of a decrease in applications for the courses.

How long are legal qualifications valid for? Once I graduate with my law degree, how long do I have to qualify as a solicitor/barrister before it expires?

Jessikah Inaba, aged 23, made history last week, qualifying as Britain’s first Black, blind barrister.

It’s A-level results day and as thousands of students across the country find out where they are going to study at university, we urge all incoming law students to head to our first-year zone for more information on what to do at this stage. Meanwhile, we’ve summarised a collection of interesting and relevant commercial news stories below.

Rabin Kok explains the importance of mini-pupillages for aspiring barristers, outlines the type of work he gets involved with at South Square and offers advice for those interested in a career at the Bar in this Meet the Lawyer interview. 

Here's our suggested timetable for recruitment to the Bar.

Accounting giant Deloitte has announced a three-year training contract that incorporates one study day a week for trainees to prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

A new academic year is beginning and with it a new round of work experience, training contract and pupillage opportunities. LawCareers.Net has lots of tips on how to work your way into a legal career, including information on self-analysis, research, virtual law fairs and where to access support.

Kate McLean, managing corporate associate, provides insight into her career at Ward Hadaway. Find out more about her journey into the profession, including advice about vacation schemes and choosing the right firm to train at.  

I want to become a barrister; do I need to complete a mini-pupillage? What are the benefits of doing one?

A new academic year is beginning and with it a new round of work experience, training contract and pupillage opportunities. LawCareers.Net has lots of tips on how to work your way into a legal career, including info on self-analysis, research, virtual law fairs and where to access support.

BPP University Law School has announced fees for its new Bar Course which is set to replace the BPTC from September 2020.

The Bar Standards Board’s 2021-22 budget foresees a 40% increase in student fees from last year, despite declining numbers of pupillages available. The regulator has predicted an income of £1.35 million from Bar training, compared with £958,000 last year and £657,000 in 2019.