FE1 Exam Thread (Read 1st post!) NOTE: YOU MAY SWAP EXAM GRIDS

DavidX90

maggie95 wrote: »

Have just submitted a complaint to the Ombudsman myself. Included a plethora of emails that I sent in to the Law Society over the last number of months, which of course received no response, and emails to my TD about the situation. Also included their posts here to show their method of "communication".

I'm fed up of the same nonsense happening year in year out, this year especially was truly outstanding in terms of inefficiency and incompetency.
Every time we complain, start a petition, or garner any kind of debate/support outside of Boards, the Law Society attempt to appease us by releasing statements or tweeting about results dates. We then tend to forget it happened because of that appeasement (naturally) and the exact same thing happens for the next candidates.
This shouldn't be the case, I am committed to seeing this through now. It really will be about the amount of noise we can make, so if you feel the same way about the Law Society as I do, then please email your TD, submit a complaint to the Ombudsman, ring Joe Duffy, do whatever so we don't have to deal with this bulls*t again.

100% agree. I won't be stopping until there is an acknowledgment and an apology from the LSI, and a written pledge that this will never happen again.

Fe7

DavidX90 wrote: »

100% agree. I won't be stopping until there is an acknowledgment and an apology from the LSI, and a written pledge that this will never happen again.

In addition to a plan regarding a clear marking scheme, pushing out the March 2021 exams, using the funds to coordinate faster grading and thus result turnover, proper communication to candidates rather than making a farce on social media to save face, staff that respond to emails and calls. I'm losing my breath..

LawStudent999

Just an interesting point of note as so many have discussed cost of the exams themselves. I noticed earlier that the software used by the LS (BetterExaminations) holds themselves out in one instance to reduce examination costs by 64%. For this reason I would be interested to know where all this money the LS has saved is going? Of course I understand markers have to be paid but this is an external cost to the actual cost of hosting the exams. For this reason I would be interested to know where the excess funds have gone as quite clearly given the delay it has not gone to further examiners. I notice the cost of doing the exams has not lessened either. This should raise more eyebrows than I think it has.

mydogwentroof

What was the software for the exam like? This is my first time doing exams online.

Hmm still waiting on that email how to log in to results...

Mc96

The software was very user friendly. They gave us the option the week before of a mock exam which let you familiarize yourself with the software, I imagine they will offer the same this time round.

On the day of the exam you login, the exam should be there for you to click into. You will have to go through some checks on your wifi etc which it brings you through and then you need to show your passport to the camera. You then agree to a terms of service and are placed in a waiting room with a countdown clock until the exam begins.

Each question comes up on its own page and you can move easily between questions, it saves your work as you go. There is a facility to add sticky notes and a virtual notepad. We were not permitted any blank hard copy paper for rough work which I thought would be difficult but I found ok in the end. I know some people were accidentally logged out, if that happened you could log back in as far as I know and everything is saved (I had no experience of this so am not definite).

There is a clock in the corner the whole time counting down. Once you have finished it gives you the option to review and submit. Then you get a congratulations message which confirms the exam is submitted.

I found the format easy to use but it definitely was more tiring than a normal exam looking at a screen for so long with no break.

loucorkel1997

Can anyone say what topics they are doing for equity, constitutional or company law ? With the limited time left to finish notes I don’t want to waste time doing any more than necessary

jus_me

Law society emailed re: Thursday

CoconutHeadMia

did anybody else not get an email?

law1234567

CoconutHeadMia wrote: »

did anybody else not get an email?

i didn't! what was said in it?

Lealaw

CoconutHeadMia wrote: »

did anybody else not get an email?

Me either, nothing received from the law society..... Not surprised

maggie95

law1234567 wrote: »

i didn't! what was said in it?

Dear Candidate

Results of the November 2020 sitting of the FE-1 will be available on the Law Society’s website at 11.00am on Thursday 14 January 2021. Results will be posted to candidates as soon as possible.

To access your results online, please go to www.lawsociety.ie/fe1results - you will be asked to login with your username and password.

How to Login
If you have previously accessed your FE-1 results online, login with the same username and password. Your username is your Law Society ID Number which appears on all letters you have received from the FE-1 section - see below as a reminder.

If you have forgotten your password, go to www.lawsociety.ie/requestpassword and enter your username and surname. A new password will be sent straight away to your email address

If you are using the online results service for the first time, enter your username and password as follows:

Username: Your username is your Law Society ID Number which appears on all letters you have received from the FE-1 section. If you do not know your username, please email fe1section@lawsociety.ie with your full name, date of birth and your current postal address and we will email your ID number to you to.

Password: First time users will need to reset their password. All passwords must be a minimum of 10 characters.

Queries
If you have any issue logging in or accessing your results, please try clearing your browser cache and cookies. If this does not resolve your problem please contact webmaster@lawsociety.ie.

All other queries should be emailed to fe1section@lawsociety.ie and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Kind regards

FE1 Section

law1234567

maggie95 wrote: »

Dear Candidate

Results of the November 2020 sitting of the FE-1 will be available on the Law Society’s website at 11.00am on Thursday 14 January 2021. Results will be posted to candidates as soon as possible.

To access your results online, please go to www.lawsociety.ie/fe1results - you will be asked to login with your username and password.

How to Login
If you have previously accessed your FE-1 results online, login with the same username and password. Your username is your Law Society ID Number which appears on all letters you have received from the FE-1 section - see below as a reminder.

If you have forgotten your password, go to www.lawsociety.ie/requestpassword and enter your username and surname. A new password will be sent straight away to your email address

If you are using the online results service for the first time, enter your username and password as follows:

Username: Your username is your Law Society ID Number which appears on all letters you have received from the FE-1 section. If you do not know your username, please email fe1section@lawsociety.ie with your full name, date of birth and your current postal address and we will email your ID number to you to.

Password: First time users will need to reset their password. All passwords must be a minimum of 10 characters.

Queries
If you have any issue logging in or accessing your results, please try clearing your browser cache and cookies. If this does not resolve your problem please contact webmaster@lawsociety.ie.

All other queries should be emailed to fe1section@lawsociety.ie and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Kind regards

FE1 Section

thank you!!

phildub

law1234567 wrote: »

thank you!!

I did not get this

Hazel774

I got that email too but absolutely classic behaviour from the Law Society, firstly, to send it after close of business so we can't call or email if we have a query and, secondly, to only send it to some and not to others. I will never understand how they can't manage to simply click 'send all', they are a professional body and when they do manage to actually send an email they still don't even get that right!!

I could write a thesis on the incompetence of the LS at this point.

Hazel774

Hazel774 wrote: »

I got that email too but absolutely classic behaviour from the Law Society, firstly, to send it after close of business so we can't call or email if we have a query and, secondly, to only send it to some and not to others. I will never understand how they can't manage to simply click 'send all', they are a professional body and when they do manage to actually send an email they still don't even get that right!!

I could write a thesis on the incompetence of the LS at this point.

Maybe you could submit it it Phillip Lee for the piece of writing required with traineeship application

DavidX90

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Maybe you could submit it it Phillip Lee for the piece of writing required with traineeship application

Don't even get me started on that...

Along with being asked to provide my Leaving Cert grades from 2011, I felt like a 14 year old being asked for a piece of writing I'm proud of.

Completely irrelevant in the corporate world. Safe to say I won't be applying to that firm.

Lallers96

DavidX90 wrote: »

Don't even get me started on that...

Along with being asked to provide my Leaving Cert grades from 2011, I felt like a 14 year old being asked for a piece of writing I'm proud of.

Completely irrelevant in the corporate world. Safe to say I won't be applying to that firm.

A&L Goodbody ask for your LC results, even for a 1 month internship

Corplawtrainee

Lallers96 wrote: »

A&L Goodbody ask for your LC results, even for a 1 month internship

Junior Cert results as well for most of the big firms from my experience.

caius97

I was interviewed on Friday for a TC and they asked me about my 11+ results - an exam I sat when I was 11 lol. So yeah, I think being asked your Leaving Cert is pretty common!

Lovestolisten

I didn’t get an email about the results?

Why did some receive an email and others didn’t?

In saying that I don’t get an email about the online exam link until the MORNING of the exams in November.

I’m sick of emailing the Law Society

Fe1new4

Speaking of training contracts, did anyone apply for the TC with Michael J Staines & Co that was advertised before Christmas and hear anything back? Really hoping to go into criminal law and curios if anyone else has heard anything

Fedone

On training contracts also, anyone else taking part in the assessment centre and interview for SMBC aviation capital tomorrow? Any ideas what to expect?

FE1Nov20

Fe1new4 wrote: »

Speaking of training contracts, did anyone apply for the TC with Michael J Staines & Co that was advertised before Christmas and hear anything back? Really hoping to go into criminal law and curios if anyone else has heard anything

I applied to Michael Staines too! Haven't heard anything back though! Do most firms usually wait until after the closing date to contact applicants or should you expect to hear beforehand

lawgrad49

Hi guys, as there has been a bit of talk above re TC's, would anyone give a rough overview of when different firms open up their TC applications? and why?

I know the big firms have their milkrounds in the Autumn but why would firms like Philip Lee etc be interviewing now? Is it for those who will have all 8 FE1's completed and can start PPC1 this September so they can do their first seat before?

From what I gather a good few people are getting TC Offers 2 years in advance on the back of internships, but that won't be for me as I am 4/5 years graduated and work full time, so can't see myself leaving that for an internship. So wondering when should one start actively searching? I have a few FE1's under the belt and trying to get an idea of when to start actively applying for TC's.

DavidX90

lawgrad49 wrote: »

Hi guys, as there has been a bit of talk above re TC's, would anyone give a rough overview of when different firms open up their TC applications? and why?

I know the big firms have their milkrounds in the Autumn but why would firms like Philip Lee etc be interviewing now? Is it for those who will have all 8 FE1's completed and can start PPC1 this September so they can do their first seat before?

From what I gather a good few people are getting TC Offers 2 years in advance on the back of internships, but that won't be for me as I am 4/5 years graduated and work full time, so can't see myself leaving that for an internship. So wondering when should one start actively searching? I have a few FE1's under the belt and trying to get an idea of when to start actively applying for TC's.

I am in a similar boat to you. In my late 20s and have a well paid in-house position so I certainly won't be leaving for an internship.

Controversial but the reality is that many of these firms are looking for cheap labour from recent graduates with little to no experience. They will hire those people 9 - 12 months before the traineeship even starts to milk them as much as possible.

This may offend some people here but it is the truth. (Foolishly) many of these firms are unwilling to pay suitable salaries to those with experience and will prefer instead to hire inexperienced graduates for a cheap price.

Either way, it seems that the best time to start searching is as far in advance as possible. I wish I paid more heed to that myself.

lawgrad49

DavidX90 wrote: »

I am in a similar boat to you. In my late 20s and have a well paid in-house position so I certainly won't be leaving for an internship.

Controversial but the reality is that many of these firms are looking for cheap labour from recent graduates with little to no experience. They will hire those people 9 - 12 months before the traineeship even starts to milk them as much as possible.

This may offend some people here but it is the truth. (Foolishly) many of these firms are unwilling to pay suitable salaries to those with experience and will prefer instead to hire inexperienced graduates for a cheap price.

Either way, it seems that the best time to start searching is as far in advance as possible. I wish I paid more heed to that myself.

Yeah I get where you are coming from. Some good points I never thought of.

Out of curiosity have you secured a TC yet? Just wondering how many firms, outside of the Big 5, will give people TC's a year or two in advance? As I've only passed a few and aim to have 5/6 completed by end of this year- in no major rush as I wouldn't be eligible for PPC1 til Sept 2022.

DavidX90

lawgrad49 wrote: »

Yeah I get where you are coming from. Some good points I never thought of.

Out of curiosity have you secured a TC yet? Just wondering how many firms, outside of the Big 5, will give people TC's a year or two in advance? As I've only passed a few and aim to have 5/6 completed by end of this year- in no major rush as I wouldn't be eligible for PPC1 til Sept 2022.

I haven't yet.

Applied to a good few firms at the end of 2020 but no word yet from most. Hoping to start PPC this coming September but I am not going to stress myself about it. COVID has majorly affected the hiring process for most law firms so traineeships are the least of their worries right now.

Corplawtrainee

DavidX90 wrote: »

I am in a similar boat to you. In my late 20s and have a well paid in-house position so I certainly won't be leaving for an internship.

Controversial but the reality is that many of these firms are looking for cheap labour from recent graduates with little to no experience. They will hire those people 9 - 12 months before the traineeship even starts to milk them as much as possible.

This may offend some people here but it is the truth. (Foolishly) many of these firms are unwilling to pay suitable salaries to those with experience and will prefer instead to hire inexperienced graduates for a cheap price.

Either way, it seems that the best time to start searching is as far in advance as possible. I wish I paid more heed to that myself.

Hmm I see where you coming from, but I think the main motivation is to hire grads with the potential to become good lawyers once they finish training and start practising. I don't think that you neccesarily need a huge wealth of experience if the purpose of a TC is to build skills and experience in the first place. Although, experence would definitely help you to hit the ground running. I think a trainee solicitor is a pretty fixed role, so I'm not sure why firm's would vary salaries depending on experience.

I also disagree on the fact firms hire trainees solely for cheap labour. Yes, you're the cheapest resource to bill out to clients, but if firms go to the effort of training you for 2.5 years and in some cases pay for blackhall, they would hopefully have some desire to keep you post-qual and see you rise within the firm, beyond just cheap labour in the short-term. Like it could be up to a 100k investment to take on a trainee.

Although, this is just my biased outlook as a newly minted "inexeperienced graduate" .

neon123

Does anyone have any experiences dealing with small/medium firms in terms of a TC. I've been out of college a few years with a mortgage so not really in a position to quit my job to get an unpaid internship. I'm hoping to finish my last FE-1s in March and would like to just get on with starting a TC and not have to wait until 2023/24. Is it the case that the smaller firms are more flexible in terms of providing a TC and starting at the next available PPC1?

FE1Rookies

Can anyone advise what topics they are covering for equity and company law? It would be great to dismiss topics as time is running out and so difficult to concentrate without results! Thanks

neon123

neon123 wrote: »

Does anyone have any experiences dealing with small/medium firms in terms of a TC. I've been out of college a few years with a mortgage so not really in a position to quit my job to get an unpaid internship. I'm hoping to finish my last FE-1s in March and would like to just get on with starting a TC and not have to wait until 2023/24. Is it the case that the smaller firms are more flexible in terms of providing a TC and starting at the next available PPC1?

I haven’t had any success securing a TC yet so I could be wrong but as far as I know smaller firms would hire closer to the start date but would be less likely to pay your blackhall fees!

neon123

Deleted User wrote: »

I haven’t had any success securing a TC yet so I could be wrong but as far as I know smaller firms would hire closer to the start date but would be less likely to pay your blackhall fees!

Yeah perhaps that is the case, I have enough saved up to cover my own fees as I don't really want to hang around for the milk-rounds in the Autumn for a chance I might get something in 2024 or later. I'm in my late twenties so just want to get on with things at this stage!

KCSLAW

Hi guys, hope you're all doing well. I was wondering which out of all the subjects are the most manageable/predictable? I have Property and Criminal done and have just decided I may as well get another 2 out of the way in March but I've left it a bit late to start studying so I need to be smart with the subjects I choose. Thanks

DavidX90

KCSLAW wrote: »

Hi guys, hope you're all doing well. I was wondering which out of all the subjects are the most manageable/predictable? I have Property and Criminal done and have just decided I may as well get another 2 out of the way in March but I've left it a bit late to start studying so I need to be smart with the subjects I choose. Thanks

This question seems to be asked here about twice a day...

Probably best to check out the polls on the FE1_Exams Reddit page. You'll be able to tell from that which exams are considered easiest/hardest.

phildub

DavidX90 wrote: »

I am in a similar boat to you. In my late 20s and have a well paid in-house position so I certainly won't be leaving for an internship.

Controversial but the reality is that many of these firms are looking for cheap labour from recent graduates with little to no experience. They will hire those people 9 - 12 months before the traineeship even starts to milk them as much as possible.

This may offend some people here but it is the truth. (Foolishly) many of these firms are unwilling to pay suitable salaries to those with experience and will prefer instead to hire inexperienced graduates for a cheap price.

Either way, it seems that the best time to start searching is as far in advance as possible. I wish I paid more heed to that myself.

I'm in my 30s with an llm just left my life in New York to come back and do the fe1s, I have a wealth of life experience but none in a law firm so I am on a minimum wage internship which has been a shock to the system but I am learning so much and gaining invaluable experience that will look better on a TC application than no experience. If you are starting a new career you will have to face the reality that you need to start at the bottom. I am in a small firm and I am confident that they will offer me a TC when I have my fe1s completed because I have been trained by them and I have spent the past 5 months demonstrating to them how good I am.

phildub

KCSLAW wrote: »

Hi guys, hope you're all doing well. I was wondering which out of all the subjects are the most manageable/predictable? I have Property and Criminal done and have just decided I may as well get another 2 out of the way in March but I've left it a bit late to start studying so I need to be smart with the subjects I choose. Thanks

Is maybe go with company and eu as they are very predictable papers. Eu is quite large but you can cut a lot. I found it very manageable and then it gets one of the big ones out of the way.

channing90

FE1Nov20 wrote: »

I applied to Michael Staines too! Haven't heard anything back though! Do most firms usually wait until after the closing date to contact applicants or should you expect to hear beforehand

I also applied and have heard nothing back. NO some firms have people interviewed before the closing date for applications has gone by. Its so frustrating at the moment trying to get legal work.

SalteeBiscuits

neon123 wrote: »

Yeah perhaps that is the case, I have enough saved up to cover my own fees as I don't really want to hang around for the milk-rounds in the Autumn for a chance I might get something in 2024 or later. I'm in my late twenties so just want to get on with things at this stage!

Just FYI when I interviewed for my TC in the Milkrounds back in 2018 with one of the Big 5 they were looking for some to start in 2021 (like myself) and others to start immediately (for those who had FE-1s etc.) to fill up the incoming set of trainees.

Might have changed now, and I have heard there has been a shift towards hiring more from internships, but it might be worth applying and making it clear in the interview that your want to start sooner rather than later!

neon123

SalteeBiscuits wrote: »

Just FYI when I interviewed for my TC in the Milkrounds back in 2018 with one of the Big 5 they were looking for some to start in 2021 (like myself) and others to start immediately (for those who had FE-1s etc.) to fill up the incoming set of trainees.

Might have changed now, and I have heard there has been a shift towards hiring more from internships, but it might be worth applying and making it clear in the interview that your want to start sooner rather than later!

Ok good to know! The trend towards internships is getting a bit frustrating though, I get that we have to start at the bottom but it's obviously easier for people who are in/just finished college and living at home to jump to an unpaid job. Not really a viable option for people in full time jobs with financial obligations. At this point I'd be happy to get a TC that pays minimum wage whereby I can at least keep a roof over my head. I'm probably being very naive though and will learn the hard truth once I start looking properly after March.

SalteeBiscuits

neon123 wrote: »

Ok good to know! The trend towards internships is getting a bit frustrating though, I get that we have to start at the bottom but it's obviously easier for people who are in/just finished college and living at home to jump to an unpaid job. Not really a viable option for people in full time jobs with financial obligations. At this point I'd be happy to get a TC that pays minimum wage whereby I can at least keep a roof over my head. I'm probably being very naive though and will learn the hard truth once I start looking properly after March.

Just another FYI the internships with the Big 5 are paid internships, but they're only for a couple months, and obviously the pay isn't fantastic but there definitely is some money involved

maggie95

Dear Candidate

We had an issue with our website this morning and apologise if you had any difficulty logging on. This issue has now been resolved.

I attach for your information a guide to logging on to our website. Please note that all candidates (including first time candidates) should log on as existing users.

If you have any difficulty logging on please email Webmaster@LawSociety.ie. Please send all other queries (including requests for your ID Number/Username) to fe1section@lawosciety.ie.

We have included in the guide information about adding the Law Society as a trusted website. This step should not be necessary for the majority of candidates but may be required if you are accessing your results from a computer/network with high security settings.

Kind regards

Paula Sheedy

EmmaO94

That random email from the Law Soc just gave me a heart attack

phildub

neon123 wrote: »

Ok good to know! The trend towards internships is getting a bit frustrating though, I get that we have to start at the bottom but it's obviously easier for people who are in/just finished college and living at home to jump to an unpaid job. Not really a viable option for people in full time jobs with financial obligations. At this point I'd be happy to get a TC that pays minimum wage whereby I can at least keep a roof over my head. I'm probably being very naive though and will learn the hard truth once I start looking properly after March.

Internships aren't necessarily free, I beleive there is something on the law society website about that. You won't get more than minimum wage i would say but a training contract in a small firm is going to start off low enough regardless so it might be something that you have to get used to if this is really what you want to do

SalteeBiscuits

Bit off topic, but does anyone know do firms pay you during PPC1 and PPC2? And if they do, is it a reduced wage?

Was trying to find a PPC1 Thread to ask this in, but couldn't find one

Corplawtrainee

SalteeBiscuits wrote: »

Just another FYI the internships with the Big 5 are paid internships, but they're only for a couple months, and obviously the pay isn't fantastic but there definitely is some money involved

Some of them also pay for your accomadation and full pay, which is pretty decent of them.

Corplawtrainee

SalteeBiscuits wrote: »

Bit off topic, but does anyone know do firms pay you during PPC1 and PPC2? And if they do, is it a reduced wage?

Was trying to find a PPC1 Thread to ask this in, but couldn't find one

The big 5 pay full salary as far as I know, not sure aboutothers tbh

maggie95

SalteeBiscuits wrote: »

Bit off topic, but does anyone know do firms pay you during PPC1 and PPC2? And if they do, is it a reduced wage?

Was trying to find a PPC1 Thread to ask this in, but couldn't find one

Just depends on the firm. Big firms will pay you a full wage and pay your Blackhall fees.
I'm unsure about small - medium firms though. I think it's definitely minimum wage but perhaps your fees won't be paid? Again, depends on firm.

Don't think there's much public information out there though unfortunately as firms tend to be pretty silent on their pay!

EmmaO94

SalteeBiscuits wrote: »

Bit off topic, but does anyone know do firms pay you during PPC1 and PPC2? And if they do, is it a reduced wage?

Was trying to find a PPC1 Thread to ask this in, but couldn't find one

My firm-to-be is top 10 and pays full wage throughout both PPC 1 &2.

Reya10

SalteeBiscuits wrote: »

Bit off topic, but does anyone know do firms pay you during PPC1 and PPC2? And if they do, is it a reduced wage?

Was trying to find a PPC1 Thread to ask this in, but couldn't find one

They are required to pay at least minimum wage.

Lots of info on this here:

https://www.lawsociety.ie/globalassets/documents/education/trainees/mintraineesalaries.pdf