Trainee solicitor contract question

Dandelion6

Hi, I'm going to be sitting my FE1s for the first time next year and I'm a little confused about the process for obtaining a trainee contract. I understand it's fiercely competitive and people usually start applying well in advance - but how far in advance? At the earliest I won't have all eight until October 2009 and that's assuming I pass them all (obviously not a safe assumption!). So when do I start looking for a trainee contract?

Maximilian

Well you can't formally become a trainee until you pass your exams but that doesn't stop you looking for a job now. For example, both the trainees in my office started here before they had their exams.

The only thing I would say though is juggling study and a job is not an easy thing, although most employers would give you study leave.

Cadet?

I believe that the general rule is that you can apply in the final year of your undergrad or anytime after that.

Then, if you are lucky enough you mite get a traineeship before you even start to study for your FE1's (which, in my opinion, paradoxically makes the whole process a little less stressful in that at least you know you've got a place to go once you pass, but a little more stressful in that by god if you don't pass them in time you're going to be kicking yourself!). The bigger companies will reimburse you for the cost of exams once passed as well. Which is nice.

Recruitment time for the big firms is normally Sept, Oct, Nov. Don't know about the smaller ones.

It's a competitive process and a lot of it comes down to luck. Don't get disheartened if you don't have a traineeship during or even after you sit the FE1's- as with everything, if you want it bad enough and work hard, eventually you'll get luckier.

Dandelion6

Thanks for the answers. I'm well past my undergrad and already in employment. My current job is pretty good and it won't be a problem taking off a bit of time to study for the exams. I don't want to leave this job any earlier than I have to because doing so would involve a very significant drop in pay. But I don't want to be in a position where my exams are done and dusted and I can't get a contract because they're all gone...

dats_right

OP, you are certainly right that it is fiercely competitive and it is only going to get worse. The legal profession had been up until relatively recently been enjoying the boom times, but like everybody else in the economy it's well and truly strating to feel the pinch now. There hasn't been any very high profile redundancies yet, but anecdotaly I've heard of a number of large/medium firms not replacing solrs or letting their trainees go on qualification. Sure just look at the Legal part of the Recruitment section in the Irish Times today only two jobs advertised or the lack of jobs on the Law Society's recruitment service.

Anyway, from a prospective trainees point of view it's probably even worse as most small firms will probably stop taking on trainees (unless family, etc) or at least a significant amount of them will and medium/large will invariably begin to reduce the amount of trainees they take on, and this all in the background of ever increasing numbers sitting the FE-1's! It will be interesting to see the numbers on next septembers ppc1, I would be astonished if there wasn't a fall-off in the numbers from last year. I think the days of 600+ trainees per year are a thing of the past, well certainly in the short/medium term.

Amazotheamazing

Even at the height of the boom it was hard to get a contract, getting one now that the easy money from conveyancing is gone will not be easy.

Good luck

dats_right

It isn't just conveyancing that has gone to the dogs, although that is more of a collapse than a slow-down. But, many if not most other areas of practice have and will continue to be adversely affected. Credit Crunch = no money = decline in business activity = fall off in M&A, other corporate, banking & finance, construction, commercial property, and every other area dependant on the economy.

There is a lot of uncertainty out there about job security and prospects, my advice is to run for the hills (by this I mean a permanent civil service or other mind numbingly boring, yet importantly SECURE, public sector job!) or emigrate to the bright lights and infinitely better paid legal environment of the City of London.

Dandelion6

dats_right wrote: »

my advice is to run for the hills (by this I mean a permanent civil service or other mind numbingly boring, yet importantly SECURE, public sector job!)

That's where I'm at now

brokensoul

Dandelion6 wrote: »

That's where I'm at now

How much freedom do you have to relocate?

It is easier to get a traineeship in the country than in the city. Might not be as exciting but it is worth moving somewhere to get the traineeship done if you have the flexibility to do so.

I got someone from Tipp a traineeship last year but he had to move to Londford for it! Hell of a sacrifice but it will be worth it when they qualify.