fe-1s, blackhall, solicitors.

almostagassi

does anyone know when the results for the april fe-1 exams will be out? i rang the Blackhall, and they gave me the official line of when they have been approved and finalised etc etc....ie they dont know.

i have heard that finding a solicitor to take you on as an apprentice, will be easy enough as long as your prepared to travel outside Dublin. But with the increasing amount of people coming off the conveyor belt, im not so sure. plus with 7.65 minumin wage req of the master to pay you while in blackhall, im overwhelmed with worry. any comments?

i think prospective students (2,000) to blackhall need a forum to discuss any news or ideas on what the steps to becoming a top solicitor earning 200,000 a year. it looks like a tough journey otherwise even more people will be pursuing it.

this is sounding like a radio discussion programme, but any other inconcise incoherent people trying to become a solicitor when like me they should be doing accountancy or engineering.

besty

i got blackhall to email me the costs associated with becoming a solicitor last week. there are so many costs - exams and whatnot. its gonna be a long haul. a blackhall place forum isnt a bad idea though - would probably be a bit too niche

mr.twist

hay just wondering does anyone have an idea of the average age people get all the fe-1s at? i hope to have them all after just turning 24 but cant help thinking thats 1 or two tears too old?? due to fact that market for solicitors is now saturated and is so hard to find an apprenticeship- younger canditates may have an edge? while im on the subject - just how hard is it to get an apprenticeship?

Top Cat

I've just started working in a job outside of dublin in a solicitors. I was hard enough to get in the door. you need to be persistent. What I've resorted to in the past is making an appointment with solicitors on an "employment Law" issue and simply asked for a job at the fictious appointment. It didn't get me anywhere but that's what lenghts I have gone to.

I'm more worried around the forthcoming FE-1 Exams. I've sat four in April contract, criminal, company and equity. I only got one. So I have to sit the four again in october. I have all the notes but no matter how much time I put in I can't seem to get the results. I've had this problem at college as well.

Mixing cases up that I memorised in a big problem. It's hard to remember which Chapters the cases related to particularly in company.

Comments welcomed!

fruitcake

hi guys, here is my two cents! The Black hall exams are undoubtedly very tough, but if you really put the effort in, you will pass them. I spent the best part of a year doing them and failed only one (Eu, got it the second time round, had a bit of a panic attack the first time!) so keep at them! Most people I know from my graduating class of 2004, are fairly set up now with various solicitors, ranging from traineeships with the big five to your average joe soap country solicitor, I think everyone will get something eventually if you are not too fussy. I myself am about to start my own apprenticeship in a few weeks in a place in cork city, I am going to be on **** money and they won't discharge any of my fees for the Blackhall but Im still glad to have one..so will put up with that for a while..In any case there is talk of higher authority grants coming into play for the professional courses from next year ..so if you are independant of your parents and on fairly crap money you may well qualify..also the fact that the course is going to be held in cork as well as expensive Dublin will be an added bonus for a cash strapped trainee like myself!! Oh and for the record I am 25, wont be fully qualified until Im 28, judging from the range of people sitting the Fe-1s, there doesn't seem to be any general age..so there you are..best of luck and try and stay positive about it all:)

Top Cat

Thanks for that Fruitcake, I appreciate the advice. Good luck with the Apprenticeship!

think tank

Hi Top Cat

I was in a similar situation when I sat the FE-1's the first time.

I did Griffith college and found it very good in terms of notes. But, I had trouble with my method of doing exams.

I did a 1/2 day intensive course after Griffith, in the westbury hotel which was focused only on improving how you actually perform in legal exams. They covered a lot of ways to improve results which you'd rarely think of(timing techniques, how to plan answers, memory techniques etc.) nd they don't waste time trudging through case law etc. It was definitely worth while. see www.premierexamtechniques.ie or .com (?)

The best of luck!

Romka37

hy,Does anyone know of any foreginers who passed FE 1 and got an apprenticeship? I am ukrainian and currentlu studing for FE 1.

walrusgumble

the law society did an article in its gazzette last year about a chap, from nigeria (cannot remember his name sorry) and his experience with trying to get apprenticeship and his minor ordeal with learning irish (he passed it with flying colours btw) (he had been fully qualified lawyer in nigeria)getting an apprenticeship can be hard generally, but he said that he in particular found it very difficult at first, as people didnt want to take a risk with him (sounds crazy, especially if he's qulaified and has more legal experience from another country, which, considering a vast numbers of immigrants in ireland are from nigeria would come in very handy in immigration law) anyway he was lucky that he had people in the law society who bent over backwards to help him and alias he finally got his place.

it is just a case of presisting, if you are the right man/women for a certain firm you will get it. and i guess take whatever help you can get, that is assuming you would ever need any help,

have any of ye tried to get experience in a solicitor' practice during summer holidays from college or after college? maybe as a legal executive so you can gain experience.(i am sure some of ye will appreciate that sometimes what ye learn in college goes out the window when ye start working in a firm. eg filling affidavits, notice of motions, book of documents etc

to the person from the ukraine, i would suggest/or point to in a certain way, to get a few months experience in a firm as a legal exec after fe1 if you dont get an apprentice straight away,and try look for a firm that deals with asylum / immigration matters. it might not be your cup of tea but experience is experience. i assume you may be able to speak a couple of languages eg russian etc (sorry if wrong). you may be an asset to such firms (have some edge over others) as interpreters are sometimes needed when dealing with clients from eastern europe (of course you will also gain great experience dealing with clients, doing applications, dealing with barristers (make your connections for the future). of course by all means continue searching for apprenticeship at the same time

I myself, work with plenty of people who did law here or in their countries from china, slovenia, romanina, and the ukraine.pay might be rubbish at the start but hey you need to fund your college/educaion so it beats working in say a supermarket (i am not saying anything bad about working there, i my self had to work in one to fund my college course)

hopefully then you can be exposed to other areas such as family, conveyance etc. you might be lucky to be offered an apprenticship then. of course that is no guarantee, because some small-medium firms may not be keen on taking apprentices becaue they are away doing the ppc but you never know. i hope this post may help and if not i appoligise.

i do assure you that today there are a couple of foreign lawyers practicing as barristers and solicitors (and this will continue), so dont worry abut your nationality, if you are.