Masters and FE-1s at the same time!

BellaElla

Im starting a masters in UCD in september and sitting the first four FE1s in October, has anyone done both at the one time?
I didn't think it was a big deal as it will all be over 5 weeks into my course but friends are telling me im crazy! has anybody done this that could offer some advice?

Wink

I did four FE1s while doing a Masters in Edinburgh, it's definitely possible. The only problem is you might lose out on the social aspect for the first couple of weeks, but you'll have lots of time to catch up!

Good luck!

theo2008

Yeh, I'd say go for it. Alot of people do it. Bonne chance.

_JOE_

I did the same and worked also... it's definitely possible. As stated, your social life will be down the drain!

Beeinmybonnet

It's totally possible but it'll be tough, no doubt about that. If you're doing the FE1s in Oct, hopefully you can spend more time on them and then catch up with the LLM once they're finished - I did the same and got on fine with both. Didn't do any FE1s in April of my LLM though, just had too much of a workload.

_Coco_

I lived with a girl who did both, she sat 4 in the October and sat another 4 in April. Her masters was originally secondary to the FE1s but she ended up really enjoying it and slightly resented the time she had put in to her FE1s. She also failed one so will be lucky if she has the 8 FE1s by October. It can be done with a lot of determination and very minimal social life! I was thinking about it myself but have decided to give the masters my full attention! Good luck either way!

Dante09

I did my first 4 two weeks before my LLB finals. Passed everything quite comfortably, although I was a bit of a hermit for 3 months! Its defo doable considering you'll only be in the start of term.

jonsnow

I sat and passed my first four FE1s in an october session and started a Masters as well that September- I started studying in mid august.Having said that I know they,re getting harder all the time.In my LLM the course didn,t really pick up for the first few weeks so I didn,t really miss much and I just made sure to go to the occasional lecture in every subject to check in.

Ashlinggnilsia

Just a quick question say for example if you wanted to sit the exams in October how far in advance do you have to apply for them?

shaneybaby

Ashlinggnilsia wrote: »

Just a quick question say for example if you wanted to sit the exams in October how far in advance do you have to apply for them?

7th August is closing date

Ashlinggnilsia

Cool stuff thanks a mill for that!!

jonsnow

bridheffernan wrote: »

If anyone can't find an apprenticeship I advise going onto Facebook and befriending Revolutionise the LawSociety or Brid Heffernan or emailing apprentice@bridheffernan.com. They are trying to organise a group of graduates to lobby the Law Soc to change the requirements for getting into Blackhall! or call 0851705555.

I,m not on Facebook. what are their goals!!

Ashlinggnilsia

jonsnow wrote: »

I,m not on Facebook. what are their goals!!

Basically giving out about how they cant start the course without gaurenteed work placement and how in the current economic climate its very hard to get it and how people with all their FE1's done are stuck because of this. And the price of things but I think its mainly over the traineeship

Johnny Utah

Ashlinggnilsia wrote: »

Basically giving out about how they cant start the course without gaurenteed work placement and how in the current economic climate its very hard to get it and how people with all their FE1's done are stuck because of this. And the price of things but I think its mainly over the traineeship

If the Law Society let people automatically do the PPC, then you would still have the same situation with loads of post-PPC students still looking for the training contract. Those students would be even worse off actually because they would have spent €8k (or whatever it is) and would still be left without a traineeship.

Maybe they should focus on the fact that it is nearly impossible to get into law without contacts- this is the real difficulty for those that have passed the fe1s, and with so few training contracts up for grabs nowadays, it's only going to get more difficult in the immediate future.

legal eagle 1

Maybe they should focus on the fact that it is nearly impossible to get into law without contacts- this is the real difficulty for those that have passed the fe1s, and with so few training contracts up for grabs nowadays, it's only going to get more difficult in the immediate future.

This is another point that they are canvassing about. Their goals basically outline alot of the issues all of us who are stuck in limbo having the FE1's completed and no training contract are facing on a daily basis. The sad sight is the amount of people who have joined the group today alone!

Ashlinggnilsia

Johnny Utah wrote: »

If the Law Society let people automatically do the PPC, then you would still have the same situation with loads of post-PPC students still looking for the training contract. Those students would be even worse off actually because they would have spent €8k (or whatever it is) and would still be left without a traineeship.

Maybe they should focus on the fact that it is nearly impossible to get into law without contacts- this is the real difficulty for those that have passed the fe1s, and with so few training contracts up for grabs nowadays, it's only going to get more difficult in the immediate future.

That second point that you made is what they are giving out about they have passed all their FE1s and are finding it impossible to get contracts and basically they are just pissed off because they have spent so long preparing and studying to pass the FE1s now they have finally passed them and the cant do anything because the cant get contracts and as a result cant go any further with their studies!!

legal eagle 1

Ashlinggnilsia your posts sound very negative on what they are doing??!!

Ashlinggnilsia

legal eagle 1 wrote: »

Ashlinggnilsia your posts sound very negative on what they are doing??!!

**** sorry im not meaning them to be... Im bad at explaining myself sometimes.... It a good thing what they are doing...I agree with them and I am joined to it .... They have a good point something i was not able to express clearly sorry!!

legal eagle 1

No worries Glad you support it!!

Ashlinggnilsia

Its just the words i use like when i say giving out i would they are annoyed and when i said pissed off i would mean not happy... i think i will be quiet from now on

Johnny Utah

Interesting, the Law Society believe that family connections have no bearing on whether one secures a training contract! :pac:

Evening Herald wrote: »

A law graduate who cannot find a traineeship is forming a protest group to try to revolutionise the Law Society.

Brid Heffernan (21) says she has been rejected by hundreds of firms and cannot get an apprenticeship -- despite even working for free at one point.

The Griffith College graduate says she spends her days ringing scores of firms but keeps being rejected.

"I've 25 people already on my Facebook site, 'Revolutionise the Law Society', since it went up," she said. "No-one is willing to take on someone. I was working in a place until last June and now I can't find any work. I've been going around to hundreds of firms and dozens of them have said that they've a nephew or daughter or some relation working for them."

HOPE

"I even drove up and down to Athenry to work for free, which took me five hours of driving per day. I did the work for free in the hope of getting an apprenticeship, but I did it for nothing."

Brid, originally from Cappawhite, Tipperary, stressed: "I have a 2.1 honours degree in law and have passed the entrance exams to entitle me to enter Blackhall Place, the solicitor college, but in order to start this college one must also have a solicitor traineeship organised for when we finish it in a year's time. I spend every day now calling to firms or ringing 30-50 solicitors a day. I must have spoken with several hundred law firms in the past month.

"Some firms really want to help me out but no one can offer the requisite amount of time I would need to spend in the office, and even if I was there they just wouldn't have the money to pay me."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Competition Authority said: "We looked at the overall system saying that there should be a choice of schools

"Essentially we don't like the way the legal profession is regulated. There are lots of obstacles and barriers to get into the legal profession and having connections makes it easier.

"You're facing a monopoly, you have to do what they say and you have to pay what they say. We've been calling for an Independent body since December 2006. The Law Society is the only body allowed to run courses to get a qualification."

She added: "There's no competition. The fees are extremely high and no one is saying that they should be lower."

Meanwhile, Ken Murphy, Director General of the Law Society says: "We had a seminar in June in Blackhall Place to assist trainees in their search for a trainee place.

False

"Any sensible firm, and the majority of firms that take on trainees, are not taking on any who is related to anyone in the firm. It's a false impression to think that anyone who takes on a trainee is related. Most are no relation.

"The professional practice course (PPC) in the Law Society is, in our view, in terms of the quality of education and training, at least on a par with the rest of the world. It's very highly regarded internationally."

However, he added: "All indications are that the intake on the PPC1 would be substantially reduced from the number that entered last year. It's hardly surprising given the serious implications of the professional situation in Ireland."

hnews@herald.ie

Link:
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/why-budding-solicitor-brid-is-taking-on-law-society-in-her-tough-battle-to-find-first-job-1838794.html

legal eagle 1

Mr Murphy is obviously not in touch with reality!!!

Ashlinggnilsia

Im sorry now but im not even lookin for a traineeship and i know that, if your a solicitor and your going to take a trainee on and you have a choice of Tom, dick and harry or your niece your going to pick your niece especially as the way things are going at the moment you would want to help your family out if possible or even people who you know well enough!! Thats a ridiculous statement to make!!

Jev/N

No offence intended to anyone in this thread or otherwise and just trying to play devil's advocate but do you not think that one takes a risk doing the FE-1's without having attained a training contract?

I myself have committed to this route but I won't be complaining about the failings of Law Society this time next year if I don't have a training contract

I accept the point that they are making money off the backs of many people who still haven't gotten a traineeship further to passing all FE-1's but surely you have to realise that people have a choice whether to do the FE-1's or not and that most contracts are interviewed for in such a way that the intention is to leave time for the exams after getting a traineeship

legal eagle 1

I myself have committed to this route but I won't be complaining about the failings of Law Society this time next year if I don't have a training contract

I wouldn't be so sure!:rolleyes:
Believe me this time next year if you are still struggling to obtain a training contract, you will have a different prespective on things!
And as regards taking a risk..........why i did the FE1's before securing a training contract was because i was told by countless small to medium sized firms (the ones i was aiming for) that i would not be taken seriously or considered unless i had the exams done!

Johnny Utah

Jev/N wrote: »

No offence intended to anyone in this thread or otherwise and just trying to play devil's advocate but do you not think that one takes a risk doing the FE-1's without having attained a training contract?

If you don't have connections, you are very unlikely to obtain a training contract before the FE1s.

Jev/N wrote: »

I myself have committed to this route but I won't be complaining about the failings of Law Society this time next year if I don't have a training contract

The failings of the Law Society have messed up the entire profession and have created a race to the bottom (something which I predicted about 2 years ago on this forum).

Jev/N wrote: »

I accept the point that they are making money off the backs of many people who still haven't gotten a traineeship further to passing all FE-1's but surely you have to realise that people have a choice whether to do the FE-1's or not and that most contracts are interviewed for in such a way that the intention is to leave time for the exams after getting a traineeship

In the "top 5" (as they like to call themselves) commercial firms, then yes they interview candidates about 18 months - 2 years in advance. However, in my experience, the small legal practices around the country will only consider candidates who have passed all of the entrance exams.