Last blog post and goodbye
I am sad to say that this is the last blog post on LSE Law Careers after 274 posts and 75, 973 views in that time. The blog started back in April 2009 and hit the heights of 381 hits in one day on 4th December 2009.
It was an experiment to see whether you read it and found it useful and the feedback was very positive. And I very much enjoyed writing it.
However, I am moving on from the LSE and today is my last day. To all the LSE students who followed the blog, I have enjoyed working with you over the last few years and I hope you go on to great things in the next few years.
Photo: Eye@CCPiXel.net.
Booking now open: law workshops
Welcome back and happy new year and I hope it is a successful one for you.
To help kick start the recruitment season we have 2 workshops next week for students interested in a legal career:
Wednesday 18th January 12-1pm
Assessment Centres: Judith Baines, Careers Adviser for Law Dept
This session will look at what a law assessment centre may include, some brief tips on performance and an intro the resources that the Careers Service has on the website to assist you with preparation. The talk will include psychometric tests, group exercises, written law exercises/case studies and negotiation exercises.
Wednesday 18th January 1-2pm
Law Interviews: Watch and Learn: James Wakefield, a barrister and Head of the BPTC at Kaplan (the workshop will be equally valuable for both potential solicitors and barristers)
A unique opportunity to attend this session to learn how to best impress in law interviews The session will start by giving some top tips for making the best impression; this will be followed by watching a live mock interview with a law graduate, you’ll learn from the feedback they receive. You really can improve your interview technique by taking on board a few straightforward points.
Booking now open on My Careers Service
Last blog post of 2011
The Careers Ser
vice is open for appointments until Wednesday 21st December. We will then reopen on Tuesday 3rd January.
However, as today is the end of term and I am away until January, I thought I’d take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
I am sure you will be working hard on your vacaction scheme/training contract application forms but equally sure you will find time to have fun and relax.
See you in 2012!
Spotlight on: interview resources
At LSE Careers recently we have had incredibly high demand for practice interviews and so we wanted to take this opportunity to point you to the following resources which you may find useful:
Resources
- Interviewssection of our website
- Interview stream – use your web cam to record yourself answering from a huge bank of questions, watch yourself back to gain useful insights into your interview technique
- Common interview questions – download our pdf of practice questions … (more…)
Spotlight on: Reed Smith
Visited
Reed Smith this week to find out more about them and for RS to find out how to attract more applicants from a university like the LSE. Many students think of them as a US firm but they are a large international firm covering 3 continents with a very large London office with a single partnership. So what makes them stand out:
- Interesting range of practice areas including media, real estate, shipping, energy and natural resources, health, international arbitration, government investigations and white-collar criminal defense. All this in addition to the standard financial, business and corporate practice areas…. (more…)
Changes to ABS passed today
As you may know, the Legal Services Act 2011 was implemented on 6th October but the SRA did not have the power to authorise the first Alternative Business Structures. The last glitch was ironed out in Parliament today and they will now accept applications from 3rd January 2012. The Co-op is hoping to be one of the first to be accepted and then will roll out a family law division in mid 2012 investing in the high street:… (more…)
The future of the legal sector?
Alex Aldridge, Guardian law columnist, has written an article for LawCareers.net on his predictions for lawyers in the coming years. He covers:
- Shrinkage in the corporate sector and an increase in mergers
- UK corporate firms moving more of their operations to Asia and how future lawyers may want to tailor their skills to this shift eg. students considering Chinese studies alongside their UK law degrees
- Maybe an increase in the numbers of students doing paralegal jobs before getting a TC?
- Big upheavals in legal aid affecting both barristers and solicitors
- Increased flexibility in study mode for postgraduate legal courses but maybe also increased prices
Read the full article for more detail; could help to answer questions in interviews on the topic of issues facing law firms or issues facing the legal profession.
Photo: Flickr: Coneee
ABS Update
If you are hoping to get an interview any day soon for a vacation scheme, then you may want to read up on the latest changes to Alternative Business Structures as it is current hot topic for law firms.
Neil Rose, experienced legal journalist and editor of Legal Futures, has written an article for LawCareers.net which will help you get up to speed quickly.
Stand Out in a Stagnant Legal Economy
Stand Out in a Stagnant Legal Economy: Ari Kaplan
When: Wednesday 23 November 2011, 3.30-5.00pm: Where: NAB 2.14
Register on My Careers Service
Learn how to reach the people you want to meet and successfully develop long-term professional relationships from the author of The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development (Thomson-West, 2008). This program offers instructions for leveraging technology to raise your profile, harnessing the power of building organic relationships, and generating opportunities to distinguish yourself to prospective employers. Attendees will learn proven techniques for establishing a strong reputation, engaging in dynamic networking and honing their potential for career development.
Bio: .. (more…)
CityLawLive: One Day Conference
LawCareers.Net introduces CityLawLIVE, a one-day conference for students considering a career as a solicitor with a leading City law firm. The event is ideal for both law students and non-law students who are considering or undertaking the GDL conversion route.
The event is open to 200 student delegates, and details of our sponsors, conference programme and how to apply for a place are available at www.citylawlive.com. Our first five law firm sponsors are Ashurst, Baker & McKenzie, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Macfarlanes and White & Case. Further sponsors will be announced on www.citylawlive.com and via the CityLawLIVE newsfeeds on Twitter and Facebook… (more…)
LSE Law Careers is brought to you by Judith Baines.
