1st year Law student- Question

napplechunks

Hi

I am looking for some general guidance regarding legal experience.

I am a first year law student and am a little disturbed by the current state of the legal profession - i.e. the lack of training contracts for solicitors.

This among other reasons has focused attention on the job :

Barrister

Not totally sure, but had provisionally planned to go to Kings Inns after my law degree. I have heard & read that it would be a slow difficult start once qualified. This doesn't really bother me as I reckon if you work really hard things sort themselves out. That said I am curious if it is common in practice to see people do well without a family heritage in the legal business or politics.

Also, Where would one go to gain any kind of work experience to augment studies and get a feel for things ahead of arriving there ? Assisting, Court services, filing, paper shuffling or any kind of dogsbody work

Would appreciate any opinions or suggestions anyone has the time for.

Best regards

J

Reloc8

napplechunks wrote: »

Hi

I am looking for some general guidance regarding legal experience.

I am a first year law student and am a little disturbed by the current state of the legal profession - i.e. the lack of training contracts for solicitors.

This among other reasons has focused attention on the job :

Barrister

Not totally sure, but had provisionally planned to go to Kings Inns after my law degree. I have heard & read that it would be a slow difficult start once qualified. This doesn't really bother me as I reckon if you work really hard things sort themselves out. That said I am curious if it is common in practice to see people do well without a family heritage in the legal business or politics.

Also, Where would one go to gain any kind of work experience to augment studies and get a feel for things ahead of arriving there ? Assisting, Court services, filing, paper shuffling or any kind of dogsbody work

Would appreciate any opinions or suggestions anyone has the time for.

Best regards

J

Don't make the decision to go to the bar versus being a solicitor based on the current state of the job market, so to speak - they are fundamentally different jobs; albeit that many solicitors would make excellent barristers and vice versa and some people would be happy in either profession, you should educate yourself as to what is involved in each role and try and decide which you would prefer.

You have a number of years before you need to decide - enjoy your undergraduate course without losing sight of the fact that if you want to pursue a legal career you will have decisions to make towards the end of it.

The answer to the question in bold above is yes.

As regards work experience, it might be easier to gain in a solicitors firm as opposed to at the bar unless you know some barristers (also barristers tend to have less need or opportunities for work experience placements), that said where are you based for college ?

napplechunks

Hey thank you for your reply.

Understanding that there is plenty of time to figure out possible directions. I would like to get some balls rolling re: getting to know people, some guys in my class at Griffith (Dublin) have family & friends connections to successful barristers. This got me thinking ( okay, a little worried :eek:) on what else I could be arranging or planning.

I am a mature student who works freelance in another area. I study part time so when my primary job is quiet I have many free daytimes. I will ask my lecturers also if they have suggestions. This forum appears to have some experienced practitioners and I appreciate any advice.

J

Reloc8

There are a number of barristers lecturing in Griffith as you know - I'd start there and ask if they can arrange you to come down to the courts a couple of days - you'll know very quickly whether you like the look of practice at the bar.

On the solicitor side, send out letters offering your services in a work experience i.e. unpaid capacity - something might come up for you.

edit : Jo Kings suggestion below is in fact entirely correct - whilst ideally you could get a little more insight by accompanying a BL for a couple of days, there's nothing to stop you heading down to the courts yourself, and you should do this. I can't believe I didn't think to say that.

Jo King

napplechunks wrote: »

Hey thank you for your reply.

Understanding that there is plenty of time to figure out possible directions. I would like to get some balls rolling re: getting to know people, some guys in my class at Griffith (Dublin) have family & friends connections to successful barristers. This got me thinking ( okay, a little worried :eek:) on what else I could be arranging or planning.

I am a mature student who works freelance in another area. I study part time so when my primary job is quiet I have many free daytimes. I will ask my lecturers also if they have suggestions. This forum appears to have some experienced practitioners and I appreciate any advice.

J

If you are free during the day you should go to see some cases in court. You will not be allowed into family cases and some others, but most other cases are open to the public.

napplechunks

Reloc8, Jo - thanks for some helpful suggestions.

I have planned to spend a few days down at the four courts.
Been looking through schedules on courts.ie, trying to figure out what kind of case to sit in on.

Which (grade of) court might be beneficial ?

I will also bug my lecturers with the correct level of enthusiasm.

Thanks again

J