Law vacation schemes
I'm a second year law student at Oxford and everyone else I talk to has already started looking at/applying to vacation schemes but I don't even know where to start. Everyone I've asked has just said they find them online but idk where to look. Uni is being very unhelpful about it (they haven't even mentioned it) but a lot of the ones in summer have application deadlines within the next few months.
Another really massive concern for me is the money. Most of the schemes are in London and all are in major cities (from what I've heard) but I don't live within commuting distance of any city and I can't afford to stay in one. I will also need to do paid employment over summer to save up to be able to afford the rest of my time at uni and hopefully a masters.
I also don't know how I'm meant to be finding the time to apply to them at the same time as doing my work. At the minute my work is taking up basically every minute of my day and when I was studying for less hours last year my grades were worse. Everyone else must just be way smarter than me to still find time to research/prepare for interviews for vac schemes as well as doing enough studying to get good grades.
How essential is it to do vacation schemes? Will my employment prospects really suffer if I don't do it?
Another really massive concern for me is the money. Most of the schemes are in London and all are in major cities (from what I've heard) but I don't live within commuting distance of any city and I can't afford to stay in one. I will also need to do paid employment over summer to save up to be able to afford the rest of my time at uni and hopefully a masters.
I also don't know how I'm meant to be finding the time to apply to them at the same time as doing my work. At the minute my work is taking up basically every minute of my day and when I was studying for less hours last year my grades were worse. Everyone else must just be way smarter than me to still find time to research/prepare for interviews for vac schemes as well as doing enough studying to get good grades.
How essential is it to do vacation schemes? Will my employment prospects really suffer if I don't do it?
In short, assuming you're planning on applying for training contracts at large commercial firms, they are very important.
First off - how do you find them - google is your friend and a quick search brought this up as a starter:
https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/law-firms/vacation-schemes/vacation-scheme-deadlines
What I did when I was applying for vac schemes back in the day was to start with the UK "largest 100 law firms" list and just worked my way through checking their websites to see details of the scheme, getting a rough order in place and then cracking on with the process.
Why are they important?
law firms will expecting to see legal work experience when you apply for TCs. You're still at uni so you can't gain experience via a full time paralegalling job, so you need holiday work/work experience. That's where vac schemes come in and it's the only way you'll be able to get work experience at the large law firms during your studies. Without a selection of legal work experience on your CV you will be at a *serious* disadvantage in obtaining a training contract compared to your peers. ie - unlikely to make it through to interview stage at all. If you don't obtain legal work experience during your studies, then you 1) have less of it to begin with, and 2) have to obtain it after instead, typically via paralegalling for a couple of years.
Secondly - the process of applying for vac schemes, including interviews etc.. is very good practice for TC application & interviews themselves. I remember just how much I improved over the process. If you haven't practiced interviews, you won't perform anywhere near your best in them, and there's no better practice than doing them. Many law firms recruit directly from their vac schemes too so you're missing opportunities in the cycle to obtain a TC too.
On money... it's a problem if you don't live within striking distance of a major city - if you look at the url above some law firms do pay you for the scheme which can offset living costs. Otherwise, it's a case of making the best you can of it, any friends you could stay with for 1-2 weeks? a bunk in a hostel can be had for a week in London for around £180. None of this is ideal but they are options. Any money you do have would be far better spent facilitating attendance at vac schemes than doing a masters - which has little to no benefit for TC applications.
On finding the time... Yes it can be tough but you have to find a way. I didn't study at Oxbridge so can't directly appreciate the pressures you're under, but the honest answer is you have to make the time - assess how you're spending your day and be brutally honest with yourself. Does your academic work truly take up 80+ hours a week such that there's no time for applications? The application process does speed up significantly after the first few as you build up a good answer bank and become more familiar with the process.
First off - how do you find them - google is your friend and a quick search brought this up as a starter:
https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/law-firms/vacation-schemes/vacation-scheme-deadlines
What I did when I was applying for vac schemes back in the day was to start with the UK "largest 100 law firms" list and just worked my way through checking their websites to see details of the scheme, getting a rough order in place and then cracking on with the process.
Why are they important?
law firms will expecting to see legal work experience when you apply for TCs. You're still at uni so you can't gain experience via a full time paralegalling job, so you need holiday work/work experience. That's where vac schemes come in and it's the only way you'll be able to get work experience at the large law firms during your studies. Without a selection of legal work experience on your CV you will be at a *serious* disadvantage in obtaining a training contract compared to your peers. ie - unlikely to make it through to interview stage at all. If you don't obtain legal work experience during your studies, then you 1) have less of it to begin with, and 2) have to obtain it after instead, typically via paralegalling for a couple of years.
Secondly - the process of applying for vac schemes, including interviews etc.. is very good practice for TC application & interviews themselves. I remember just how much I improved over the process. If you haven't practiced interviews, you won't perform anywhere near your best in them, and there's no better practice than doing them. Many law firms recruit directly from their vac schemes too so you're missing opportunities in the cycle to obtain a TC too.
On money... it's a problem if you don't live within striking distance of a major city - if you look at the url above some law firms do pay you for the scheme which can offset living costs. Otherwise, it's a case of making the best you can of it, any friends you could stay with for 1-2 weeks? a bunk in a hostel can be had for a week in London for around £180. None of this is ideal but they are options. Any money you do have would be far better spent facilitating attendance at vac schemes than doing a masters - which has little to no benefit for TC applications.
On finding the time... Yes it can be tough but you have to find a way. I didn't study at Oxbridge so can't directly appreciate the pressures you're under, but the honest answer is you have to make the time - assess how you're spending your day and be brutally honest with yourself. Does your academic work truly take up 80+ hours a week such that there's no time for applications? The application process does speed up significantly after the first few as you build up a good answer bank and become more familiar with the process.
(edited 5 months ago)
Original post by AMac86
In short, assuming you're planning on applying for training contracts at large commercial firms, they are very important.
First off - how do you find them - google is your friend and a quick search brought this up as a starter:
https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/law-firms/vacation-schemes/vacation-scheme-deadlines
What I did when I was applying for vac schemes back in the day was to start with the UK "largest 100 law firms" list and just worked my way through checking their websites to see details of the scheme, getting a rough order in place and then cracking on with the process.
Why are they important?
law firms will expecting to see legal work experience when you apply for TCs. You're still at uni so you can't gain experience via a full time paralegalling job, so you need holiday work/work experience. That's where vac schemes come in and it's the only way you'll be able to get work experience at the large law firms during your studies. Without a selection of legal work experience on your CV you will be at a *serious* disadvantage in obtaining a training contract compared to your peers. ie - unlikely to make it through to interview stage at all. If you don't obtain legal work experience during your studies, then you 1) have less of it to begin with, and 2) have to obtain it after instead, typically via paralegalling for a couple of years.
Secondly - the process of applying for vac schemes, including interviews etc.. is very good practice for TC application & interviews themselves. I remember just how much I improved over the process. If you haven't practiced interviews, you won't perform anywhere near your best in them, and there's no better practice than doing them. Many law firms recruit directly from their vac schemes too so you're missing opportunities in the cycle to obtain a TC too.
On money... it's a problem if you don't live within striking distance of a major city - if you look at the url above some law firms do pay you for the scheme which can offset living costs. Otherwise, it's a case of making the best you can of it, any friends you could stay with for 1-2 weeks? a bunk in a hostel can be had for a week in London for around £180. None of this is ideal but they are options. Any money you do have would be far better spent facilitating attendance at vac schemes than doing a masters - which has little to no benefit for TC applications.
On finding the time... Yes it can be tough but you have to find a way. I didn't study at Oxbridge so can't directly appreciate the pressures you're under, but the honest answer is you have to make the time - assess how you're spending your day and be brutally honest with yourself. Does your academic work truly take up 80+ hours a week such that there's no time for applications? The application process does speed up significantly after the first few as you build up a good answer bank and become more familiar with the process.
First off - how do you find them - google is your friend and a quick search brought this up as a starter:
https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/law-firms/vacation-schemes/vacation-scheme-deadlines
What I did when I was applying for vac schemes back in the day was to start with the UK "largest 100 law firms" list and just worked my way through checking their websites to see details of the scheme, getting a rough order in place and then cracking on with the process.
Why are they important?
law firms will expecting to see legal work experience when you apply for TCs. You're still at uni so you can't gain experience via a full time paralegalling job, so you need holiday work/work experience. That's where vac schemes come in and it's the only way you'll be able to get work experience at the large law firms during your studies. Without a selection of legal work experience on your CV you will be at a *serious* disadvantage in obtaining a training contract compared to your peers. ie - unlikely to make it through to interview stage at all. If you don't obtain legal work experience during your studies, then you 1) have less of it to begin with, and 2) have to obtain it after instead, typically via paralegalling for a couple of years.
Secondly - the process of applying for vac schemes, including interviews etc.. is very good practice for TC application & interviews themselves. I remember just how much I improved over the process. If you haven't practiced interviews, you won't perform anywhere near your best in them, and there's no better practice than doing them. Many law firms recruit directly from their vac schemes too so you're missing opportunities in the cycle to obtain a TC too.
On money... it's a problem if you don't live within striking distance of a major city - if you look at the url above some law firms do pay you for the scheme which can offset living costs. Otherwise, it's a case of making the best you can of it, any friends you could stay with for 1-2 weeks? a bunk in a hostel can be had for a week in London for around £180. None of this is ideal but they are options. Any money you do have would be far better spent facilitating attendance at vac schemes than doing a masters - which has little to no benefit for TC applications.
On finding the time... Yes it can be tough but you have to find a way. I didn't study at Oxbridge so can't directly appreciate the pressures you're under, but the honest answer is you have to make the time - assess how you're spending your day and be brutally honest with yourself. Does your academic work truly take up 80+ hours a week such that there's no time for applications? The application process does speed up significantly after the first few as you build up a good answer bank and become more familiar with the process.
I was thinking of doing a masters because I'm only on track to get a 2:1 (my average this term is 65) despite the effort I'm putting in, which I've heard significantly hinders your employment prospects, so I thought having a masters as well might be a good way to show that I'm academically committed and almost offset the bad grade a bit, especially if I could get a first in the masters which I think I'd have a better chance of getting as I'd be studying somewhere else (not saying other unis are easier, just that the teaching/assessment structure looks like it would suit me better at some other unis I've looked at). Would having a masters still not be much use?
Original post by Username123ab
I was thinking of doing a masters because I'm only on track to get a 2:1 (my average this term is 65) despite the effort I'm putting in, which I've heard significantly hinders your employment prospects, so I thought having a masters as well might be a good way to show that I'm academically committed and almost offset the bad grade a bit, especially if I could get a first in the masters which I think I'd have a better chance of getting as I'd be studying somewhere else (not saying other unis are easier, just that the teaching/assessment structure looks like it would suit me better at some other unis I've looked at). Would having a masters still not be much use?
I can't speak for non-legal careers, but for training contract applications a masters is of no use - if you plan to go into academia or for pure personal interest by all means go for it. For the actual business of working in law, they serve no advantage.
A solid 2.1 from an RG or equivalent uni (bonus points for Oxbridge too) is more than enough to tick off the academic requirements box and shows strong academic commitment. What law firms want (and what you need to get) is practical work experience. You'd be far better off spending that year paralleling or gaining other solid legal work experience.
Original post by Username123ab
I'm a second year law student at Oxford and everyone else I talk to has already started looking at/applying to vacation schemes but I don't even know where to start. Everyone I've asked has just said they find them online but idk where to look. Uni is being very unhelpful about it (they haven't even mentioned it) but a lot of the ones in summer have application deadlines within the next few months.
Another really massive concern for me is the money. Most of the schemes are in London and all are in major cities (from what I've heard) but I don't live within commuting distance of any city and I can't afford to stay in one. I will also need to do paid employment over summer to save up to be able to afford the rest of my time at uni and hopefully a masters.
I also don't know how I'm meant to be finding the time to apply to them at the same time as doing my work. At the minute my work is taking up basically every minute of my day and when I was studying for less hours last year my grades were worse. Everyone else must just be way smarter than me to still find time to research/prepare for interviews for vac schemes as well as doing enough studying to get good grades.
How essential is it to do vacation schemes? Will my employment prospects really suffer if I don't do it?
Another really massive concern for me is the money. Most of the schemes are in London and all are in major cities (from what I've heard) but I don't live within commuting distance of any city and I can't afford to stay in one. I will also need to do paid employment over summer to save up to be able to afford the rest of my time at uni and hopefully a masters.
I also don't know how I'm meant to be finding the time to apply to them at the same time as doing my work. At the minute my work is taking up basically every minute of my day and when I was studying for less hours last year my grades were worse. Everyone else must just be way smarter than me to still find time to research/prepare for interviews for vac schemes as well as doing enough studying to get good grades.
How essential is it to do vacation schemes? Will my employment prospects really suffer if I don't do it?
Hey!
You could find the vacation schemes as well as the requirements for them on law firm websites where they publish what they are looking for in their trainees and give a better description of what you will do on a vacation scheme. You should start by making a list of the firms you are interested in and attend events with those firms where you can talk to trainees and get an understanding of the law firm culture.
From that point I would focus on working on your law firm applications, I know that you have a busy schedule esp. with work and uni but try to set aside at least 1h/week where you are working on your applications. It is essential to do a vac scheme if you want to pursue a career as a solicitor either in the city or a national level. Sure, you could also apply for direct TCs but nowadays firms seem to recruit quite a lot from the vac schemes. If you need help with distinguishing between the work that law firms do and writing successful applications, the Commercial Law Academy has two great courses on this and they also have a bunch of free Youtube videos that you can access on these topics.
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