First-year law students: First-year law students

In this episode we give you lots of tips of things to do in the first year of your law degree in order to launch your career. We spoke to Jane Wood, Course Leader and Principal Lecturer at Nottingham Law School, Maaya Sachdev, President of Warwick Law Society and Charis McGowan, Emerging Talent Coordinator at DWF.

How do I become a lawyer?

The Beginner's Guide to a Career in Law

Essential reading for those starting out

Feature

First-year opportunities: open days and insight schemes

Most trainee-hiring law firms run work experience schemes and events specifically for first-year students. So, if you’re seriously considering becoming a solicitor, you’ll be doing yourself a big favour by making sure you attend one or two during your first year at university. Use this list of firms offering opportunities to first-year students to get you started!

Key questions

How can I get work experience in my first year of university?

"I’m a first-year student, how important is legal work experience and do you have any advice for securing some?"

What types of lawyer are there?

Solicitor, barrister and paralegal - find out about the different branches of the profession

When do I start looking for a job?

It's never too early to start thinking about your future career. Here are the main employer deadlines

Do first-year exams matter?

If they don't count towards my final degree, does this mean law firms won't see my exam results as important?

In this week's newsletter

Sign up to LawCareers.Net to receive the LCN Weekly newsletter, diary updates, events, surveys and other emails providing information for future lawyers.

Meet the Lawyer

Ian Masser

From trainee to partner, Ian Masser discusses his 18-year journey at Beale & Co, the importance of career progression and trainee retention, as well as his area of expertise.

Videos

See more videos

Masterclass | How to research law firms

LawCareersNetLIVE London 2023: trainee panel

Getting started as a FIRST-YEAR LAW STUDENT

Meet the Lawyer | Ugo Ebhogiaye - Trowers & Hamlins LLP

PRACTICE AREA PROFILE: DISPUTE RESOLUTION | Harvey Briggs - RPC

The latest news

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News

Kaplan and SRA apologise after SQE1 results error

Kaplan and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have issued an apology after an error by Kaplan meant that 175 students were incorrectly told that they’d failed parts of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) assessments.

News

Kingsley Napley LLP announces new ‘Time-off for Dependents’ policy

City law firm Kingsley Napley LLP has announced a new enhanced ‘Time-off for Dependents’ policy, which surpasses the UK’s statutory obligations.

Getting started

Your first-year university checklist

Here's a list of things you should be doing in your first year at university

Career paths

Take a look at our simple timetable of the different legal career paths

What you need to know

From vacation schemes to law fairs, here's what to focus on this year

Looking beyond exam season

Some inspiration for you over the summer!

Blog posts and other insights

Hear from first years

The Rookie Lawyer

Blog post

The aspiring solicitor's question bank

Part of applying to law firms involves talking to qualified solicitors and trainees − either at open days and events, or by reaching out to them on LinkedIn.

LCN Says

Ellie Nicholl - More than just careers advice: five things your university’s careers service can help you with

Ellie Nicholl

With Freshers’ week now a distant memory, and exams and essay deadlines a looming reality, what can you do to improve your career prospects?

Anisa Rahman Choudhury

Blog post

How to stay disciplined in law school

With the end of the academic year approaching, a lot of students may struggle with maintaining motivation and studying for exams. Towards the end of the year, students are more likely to procrastinate, feel a lack of energy or face burnout