After you have completed your LLB degree, please note foremost that the LLB as much preferred over the BA.  The second step is to decide if you want to become a solicitor or a barrister.  A further tip is if you have good grades from GCSE and are online for a 2:1 then it may be worth your while in your final year to apply for training contracts.  The deadline for this is usually 31st January.  This concerns all the top law firms, in my experience, without flawless grades ti is not worth the hours and hours of effort each application (of about 7 pages) requires.

 

What made my decision in choosing the solicitor route was that I wanted to see a case from beginning to end and having a good deal of client contact.  Solicitors are still able to go to court as do barrister but they have very limited rights to represent in the Court of Appeal and Crown Courts and the courts above.  Once qualified a solicitor can do exams to gain the extra rights of audience needed to appear and represent in these courts so all is not lost.

Barristers have limited contact with the client and do as instructed by the solicitor.  Aside from appearing in court they can be asked by solicitors for their opinion on the strength of a case.  As barristers have a great deal of courtroom experience and weight given by the Judges in all sorts of situations, courts, particular Judges it is important to a solicitor to ask for an expert advocate for his/her opinion.  A barrister does not see a case from beginning to end, on a good day they see it from halfway to the end.  It is not just a rumour that barrister only get evidence and instructions 30 minutes before they appear in court, I have seen it happen many times.  You need guts of steel and a great deal of confidence (and experince) to handle these situations.

 

It is possible to become qualified as a barrister/solicitor and transfer and qualify as the other.  Again this is not unknown but is not common.

 

As regards the LPC I can give further advice.

Studying this full time is unbeliveably stressful.  I have a couple of grey hairs and I am on the part time course! A friend of mine who was on the full time course now has a good deal of grey hair bless her!  She is a hard nut, stronger than me in many ways and we both have physical cracks that our personalities wont show.

You have to weigh up the need of finishing in a year to studying part time over two years with the stress levels.  I can certainly say I cannot strongly recommend NOT having a job on the full time course.

I took the part time course as it is less stressful and you can get part time work to give you insight into the office and legal work in practice.  This has proved invaluable to me.  The theory is often very different in practice and you need to realise this when choosing applying for training contracts.

Choosing the right place for a training contact is again very important.  You need to decide if small/medium/large firm suits you best and then the area of law you wish to work in.  When applying you need to research each firm carefully and decide if they are compatible with who you are.  There is little point in blind applications.  They see through your applications and put you in the pending bin.

 

Once again, any more help then just ask.

All the very very best.

So the final countdown is.... 10 weeks until the end of my uni career   been in education all my life and finally the end is near.  i can tell you I am not going for another post grad degree- heck no! And another 6-9k of debt? Thanks but no thanks!

It may be helpful to those contemplating on going uni or those in uni as to what debt you could be looking at if you have no help or limited help from your parents.  I can well understand if you are so put off by the cost that you will get a job and say sod it.  If I had known the cost of my career in uni fees then I cant honestly say that I would do it if I knew back then.  I didn't realise that there was a post graduate professional degree after your LLB or BA degree.

The costs are as follows:  This was valid for 2002 - 2005 for a first degree

£4,000 - living costs each year.  This will cover the rent and minimal food each week.  Anything else and you need to get a part time job.

£1,100 - tutition fees each year.

Total:

For the non sandwich degrees i.e. 3 year degree you can see your basic costs amount to £15,300 for a degree.

 

Postgraduate Degree: As of 2005 entry

£6,000 - Average cost of an ordinary degree

£9,000 - For a professional degree for a good uni, for the LPC (solicitor route) the best places are College of Law, BPP and Nottingham Law School.

Please note if you are trying to become a barrister make an allowance for around £10,000 for the BVC course.

 

Total cost for finishing your studies:

£15,300 +

£  9,000 =

£24,300

 

So you can see how much I have spent on my career before I have even begun it in practice.  My personal debt situation including interest, last I had the resolve to look at my statements stands at £21,500.  This reduced figure is thanks to me having part time jobs throughout uni and my parents help.

I have no idea how the 'top up fees' system will affect the finance situation the above is a good basis to rely on, the government never reduce prices.  Just a note here, french students do nto pay university fees and uni fees in some German states is still free.  Mostly in germany the fee is very low and capped.

I can give honest advice based on me going through the process for those considering going into law and those in the process.

 

Start working your butt off at A Level stage.  To ensure a place at a good university you need about CBB minimum.  I got by on 4 grades down somehow, so less than this is still possible.  To get straight Bs is a much better grounding.

Choose your university not on its general merits but on its Law department merits.  If the Law department is merged with another department then move on.  Each university has a peferential department that it relies on for its reputation- be aware of this.  I would recommend DMU, it is known for its sports and law department.  I had the best education I could have asked for.  i studied at Surrey University for 2 week, paid up and left as it was as organised as a zoo.  Not recommended.

during uni- get a job with part time hours.  Work your butt off at uni and make sure not that you just pass the exams/assessments but that you fully understand the law itself.  You will be practicising what you have learned the least you can do is know your stuff when you practice.  It will also give you a good standing in your post grad course.  Participate in extra curricular activities and put these on your CV.

In the holidays have work experience at a solicitors/chambers organised.  Again put these on your CV.

When you are in your third year I'd strongly suggest not having a job if you can possibly manage to get by.  This is a big year and a lot harder.  It deserves your time and attention.

Aim for a 2:1 result or above if possible.  I achieved a 2:2 and training contracts are still available to those with 2:2s but you have to disregard the top firms and magic circle.  Look for smaller high street firms and apply a minimum for these firms by May of the year you want to start your contract (ie on your LPC)  it is possible to start the LPC without a training contract, it will make you more desirable to firms.

 

BIG ADVICE POINTS

If you are not so hot on exams and cant get the grades then you need to get the experience on your CV.

You are going to go through some rough times and possibly encounter depression, anxiety, panic attacks so you best be strong and focussed on your goals.

Dont do this on a whim.  You need to have the determination, self motivation and focus to never give up.

Good family ties to help you through the rough patchs counts for everything.  Also good friends help no end, its not the amount of friends but quality.

 

In closing:

I'd recommend doing this path to anyone with the drive as it is very rewarding to see things unfold and the light dawn as something you just couldn't fathom out finally makes sense.

I dont recommend it for those who are after the money.  I can tell you here and now Legal Aid work is not worth it.  And as yet that is the only work as a fee earner I have had, and I have had plenty of pro bono work (No charge).  This path is not for the unintelligent or those with no common sense.  A tip: those who are most intelligent have zero common sense.  A mixture of both will make you a valuable asset.

 

All the best, make your decision but do not make it lightly.  It will be a costly one to lose.

If anyone wants further help or advice then feel free to get in touch, I am not untouchable like some lawyers appear to be.

 

So hello there one and all and Jason- hello there!

As from my last blog you will see that on sat afternoon I came down with that deadly virus that hacks away at your doors, that is known as 'the flu'.  You will be heart felt relived to know I have pulled through and this day here today (that is Wednesday) I am almost back to normal, or as normal as I ever was.

On a more serious note I found out last night that my good friend Glors this year came down with an actual life threatening lung infection and was in hospital for a month and has taken a further month to finally get on her feet without any aids.  Having not known about this, you'd understand that I was at a loss for words and hoped she was well on the mend.  This girl here has been through more physical and mental crap than many people know in their entire lives at just 25 years old. I then get landed with another smacker: not onlly did she get engaged last nov, but is getting married june 16th!!  I have only met Leon once and he seemed like a decent enough person, didn't really get to know him but they both looked happy.  To know that he has stood by here these tough 3/4 years is a good sign.  So I wish the very very best for them- Leicester best watch out coz I will return up there and rock the place lol.

British Superbikes are at brands April 9th- woo hoo, may just go to the qualifying day as there are a few newbies in it this year.

Hey everyone,

how are you all?  I am terrible at going round everyones space and dropping lines, I think I average on once every 4 months!  How bad am I?  Slapped wrist that's for sure.

 

Well for those know know me you may be pleased to hear my ex-boss has finally paid me, yes indeedy- it has taken 4 months but we are square so that is cool.  Big battle won there.  And who do I have to thank but my own mum.  Yep.  You know when the mum gets invovled that things are getting serious! from one mum to another they know its war, and a week after she called her, a cheque arrives in the post.  Not bad huh?  Gotta love your mum no matter how different you are.

 

Not too much has happened otherwise, I am still having bad signal from 3 and was going to sort that out when I fell down with flu yesterday :(  but at least I know how to get access to changing from 3g to 2g when I get my phone debranded.  If you live in/around london and dont want to have to send you phone off or pay monthly bills...  then try king mobile phones.  I was recommended and will update as to how it goes when I rearrange to meet up and sort my phone out :)  king does debranding, unlocking and other stuff so try them if you have probs with your phone.

 

So I am going to try to relax and get this flu over and done with as I am going to have to miss uni tonight and tomorrow night and in doing so miss a load of work which i wont get back. :(  And have to work during the easter week where I have an assignment to do, the following weeks work to do and silly me wanted to go up to peterborough to see my God daughter for the very first time.  She'll be 2 months tomorrow- bless.  After Easter I wont get to see her until late June and that certainly isn't good enough.  So this illness better go quick so I can work my ass off to go see her.

 

I hope you are all well, or on the mend, see you around and about online

All the best

Xx

 

Ok, hello one and all.

Heard the DJ show down on Virgin this morn with a smirk on my face, and thanks to their antics I had some v dodgy looks directed at me- yes I look like this every morning! lol.  Good clean fun- but come on Christian- bringing your toddler into it?  thats harsh that is AND AND!- you inspired Suggs to do an impression of his nan for crying out loud! lol.  Thank God I didn't hear the results ay? lol.  Some of us have to work ya know

Not much has been happening in this part of the world.  Just going to court for youth gang crimes and travelling to Winchester on Mon to court.  You may see me around there if you are about the Crown Court area... although I dont want to know why you'd be there considering it is a court... hmm.

On other matters I have the time set aside for getting my ex boss to finally pay me my last invoice if it is the last thing I do, dec has come and gone and I mean business- oooooh!!!!!!  Yes the handbags are coming out, being shaken free of dust and brandished for the big battle.  Why not I say I say I say?  good point- lets do it!  And who's with me?!!!  (tumbleweed flats across cyberspace)  Cheers guys.  Thanks a bunch

I realise my music has been the same for a lil while now and when fileden wishes to work again I may be able to put more music on here. i fancied Saturday Night by Nickelback this morn, got me in the mood to battle my case.

Anything been going on with anyone recently?  Good bad- lets start a clan or even a clam, or quite possibly a dam. Whichever; I'm easy