CAREERS IN LAW – INFORMATION RESOURCES Student careers sites and directories www.lawcareers.net Careers advice, solicitor and barrister listings, vacancies, events and news + sign up for weekly e-bulletin LC.N Weekly www.targetjobs.co.uk Careers Intelligence section – careers information, solicitor and barrister listings, courses, application and interview advice www.prospects.ac.uk/law Careers advice, sector information and employer listings www.milkround.com Legal Zone – details of placements, training contracts, job hunting advice and useful links www.chambersandpartners.com/cha Information on larger solicitors firms (including reviews by trainees), barristers mbersstudent chambers, vocational law courses, career options and sector news. www.lex100.com Student Guide to the top 100 law firms – firm profiles, application advice www.lawyer2b.com Student and trainee website – careers information and legal news www.allaboutlaw.co.uk Legal information for students, including blogs from legal professionals www.lexisnexis.co.uk/lawcampus Career resources section – links to training information, sector news and jobs websites Course applications www.lawcabs.ac.uk Central Applications Board for CPE/GDL and LPC courses www.barprofessionaltraining.org.uk Online application system for Bar Professional Training Course Solicitors www.lawsociety.org.uk The Law Society website www.sra.org.uk Solicitors Regulation Authority (includes careers section) www.juniorlawyers.lawsociety.org.uk Website of the Junior Lawyers Division – includes information for students and training/recruitment information www.lapg.co.uk Legal Aid Practitioners Group – news, information, directory of legal aid firms and occasional vacancy advertising Barristers www.barcouncil.org.uk Main web site for the Bar Council – see section “Qualifying as a Barrister and Training” www.pupillages.com Lists all pupillage vacancies in England & Wales, including Pupillage Portal vacancies (previously known as OLPAS - Online Pupillage Application System) www.lincolnsinn.org.uk Websites of the Inns of Court including information for students: events, www.innertemple.org.uk scholarships and visits. Students can join one of the Inns at any time but must be a member of an Inn prior to commencing the BVC course www.middletemple.org.uk www.graysinn.org.uk
Other legal bodies www.ilex.org.uk Institute of Legal Executives – includes training and careers information www.instituteofparalegals.org Institute of Paralegals – includes careers and job information
Online law directories www.solicitors-online.com Law Society’s Directory of Firms, searchable by location and area of practice. Useful if making speculative applications (e.g. to smaller firms) – click on “more search options” and check the training contract box, NB does not mean that firms listed have a vacancy currently but indicates that they are authorised to take on trainees www.legalhub.co.uk Contains the Bar Council Directory listing chambers and individual barristers www.chambersandpartners.com Solicitors and barristers listings with reviews for UK plus some international locations www.legal500.com UK and international law firm listings
Diversity related websites www.deaflawyers.org.uk Set up by a group of deaf solicitors, barristers and law students to share information and raise awareness www.chancesevents.com Part of the Targetchances group, includes event for ethnic minority students interested in the legal profession www.onlinebld.com Black Lawyers’ Network – includes careers information and networking events for students
Pro bono www.lawworks.org.uk Solicitors Pro Bono Group - information for students interested in carrying out pro bono work www.legalternatives.co.uk Database of pro bono opportunities and internships
Other law related websites www.hrla.org.uk Human Rights Lawyers Association – annual bursaries for human rights related work experience, as well as vacancy advertising www.venables.co.uk A signpost site for legal resources in the UK and Ireland including information for students www.dca.gov.uk Government Department for Constitutional Affairs – legal profession regulation and policy
Take away careers directories Usually available from the Careers Centre in the Autumn Term
Targetjobs Law Work Experience Information on legal careers, solicitors and barristers listings, job hunting tips Prospects Law As above Get Law As above Target Courses Conversion & A supplement to Target Law - details of training requirements and course Vocational Law providers for CPE, LPC and BPTC Pupillages Handbook Barristers chambers listings with pupillages and mini-pupillages (available online at www.pupillages.com). Chambers Student – The General guide to legal careers, solicitors and barristers listings, review of the top student’s guide to becoming a 100 firms of solicitors and information on their specialist areas. Includes lawyer. trainees’ own views of their firm. The Training Contract & Pupillage In association with the Trainee Solicitors’ Group – directory of training contracts, Handbook firm profiles, areas of law, barristers, careers advice. The Lex 100 Student Guide to the top UK law firms Journals and magazines * Available in the Careers Centre
Gazette* The Law Society’s magazine (for reference) www.lawgazette.co.uk
The Lawyer* Legal news (for reference) www.thelawyer.com Lawyer2B* Student supplement to The Lawyer (take www.lawyer2b.com away) Legal Week Legal news www.legalweek.com Counsel Journal of the Bar Council (news items but www.barcouncil.org.uk not magazine available online) The Barrister Legal news www.barristermagazine.com Times Law Supplement* Weekly (Tuesday) with regular Student Law www.timesonline.co.uk/law supplements
. There are also some reference books relating to careers in the legal sector available in the Careers Centre
. In addition to vacancy listings in the sources on this handout, please also use the vacancy database on www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers
. . Please note we do not hold stocks of firms’ recruitment brochures – please see firms’ websites for details of their recruitment programmes
. Terminology: CPE (common professional examination, also known as GDLS), LPC (Legal Practice Course), BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course)