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How Do You Progress To A Managing Partner?

21 May, 2018

When it comes to any career, your ultimate goal, in many cases, is to try and work your way up to the highest position possible. In U.K. law, the end-game here is becoming a managing partner. However, as it is for many of these types of positions, there’s a finite amount of managing partner roles , not enough for every single person who works in the legal field. In order to improve your chances of reaching that point, you not only need...

Protecting Your Professional Indemnity Insurance: Questions a law firm should ask during the recruitment process

09 May, 2018

by Jenny Screech, Legal Professions Executive, Howden UK Group Ltd 020 7398 4894 | jenny.screech@howdengroup.com Due diligence is important when a law firm is recruiting a new fee earner – whether that is at trainee, paralegal, solicitor or even partner level. Some firms are highly organised and have a pre-hire question set. Other firms are more reticent and feel awkward about asking questions relating to issues such as...

Tips for Your Next Law Firm Trainee Job Application

09 May, 2018

The time is here—law firms across the U.K. are beginning to recruit for trainees, and if you are among that hopeful group, you need to realise that you are in a very competitive field. Figures from a few years ago showed that on average, there are 65 people competing for every single training contract in England and Wales, meaning that you need to excel in both the interview process and what gets you there in the first place...

CILEx - Another Route to Becoming a Lawyer

27 Apr, 2018

The legal sector is a potential goldmine of a profession for those who are skilled and able to work hard. To put this in perspective, the UK legal sector grew 8% from the previous year in 2016, worth around £26bn. Statistics from Oxford Economics and Cambridge Econometrics showed that 370,000 people are employed in the profession, two-thirds of those in solicitors’ firms. Many people who want to pursue this path think that...

Is The Legal Sector Open To Job Shares?

20 Apr, 2018

For most employers, the idea of paying two people for one job may seem a bit absurd at first. However, if you stop and take a closer look, this is becoming more and more common. In 2017, one report showed that more than 770,000 high earners were now working part-time, not due to bad luck, but by choice. Timewise co-founder Karen Mattison explains: “The dramatic increase in job shares offers us a glimpse into how jobs will...

How Diverse Is The Legal System In The UK?

20 Apr, 2018

Diversity is becoming more and more of a hot-button topic in workplaces around the U.K. and beyond. The legal sector , long having been predominately white and male, is no exception. There has been an ongoing debate about exactly what is the root issue here, from the system itself to educational opportunities to financial issues (but that’s a talk for another day). Exactly what is the demographic breakdown for solicitors and other...

An Alternative Route: The Steps to Becoming a CLC Lawyer

10 Apr, 2018

Whether sitting down with a legal and/or educational advisor or searching the web, it’s quickly realised that there are several ways to earn courtroom status. While the traditional route requires a two-stage process: academic (earning either an undergraduate qualifying law degree or the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)) and vocational (in-office, hands-on training), other methods exist for mature students and entrants who are interested in...

Legal Apprenticeships Open New Career Opportunities

03 Apr, 2018

Qualifying to become a solicitor can be a costly career path. For aspiring lawyers, the traditional costs of formal education and training can frequently be an obstacle to qualification. Discovering alternative routes to learning programmes opens the door to lower-cost possibilities and enriching hands-on experiences for those candidates seeking to accomplish the sometimes-difficult task of qualification. Solicitor training is a critical...

How Diverse is the Legal Profession in the UK?

03 Apr, 2018

Diversity in the workplace is important because it helps workers from all backgrounds to experience high morale and increased productivity. It’s important to measure diversity across an entire industry to help identify any potential hurdles for people who might want to forge a career in it. In an industry with as much prestige as law, it could arguably be even more important to measure this. The most comprehensive study of...

It’s Never Too Late to Qualify as a Solicitor

28 Mar, 2018

Not every career path begins immediately after secondary education, A-levels or University. For some people, discovering their true passion, skills, and aspirations does not develop until later in life . Experience in various fields and participation in the workforce can help hone career choices beyond traditional expectations. Becoming a solicitor is an attractive later-life option that appeals to people with experience in a broad range...

Solicitor Training: Qualify for the Next Career Step

11 Mar, 2018

Training to be a solicitor is both costly and time consuming , but worthwhile for those with the drive and desire to pursue the benefits of a career in law. In the UK, qualifying as a solicitor can be accomplished through a rigorous course of academic and professional examinations and lengthy practical experience. The shortest route to qualification for prospective solicitors is for law graduates, but also students who have completed a...

Under the Cosh: Solicitors Face Rising Stress

03 Mar, 2018

For anyone who has never set foot in a courtroom or dealt with a significant legal problem, law is a mysterious profession. Television dramas paint solicitors as in-control and aggressive Type-A personalities who have the world by the tail. Most people may not consider a solicitor’s office as a worrying place to work, but the legal business is among the top five most stressful jobs in the UK. Solicitors and other legal professionals...

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