Legal apprenticeship: any tips on trying to find a trainee solicitor job

I think you should keep trying. Apprenticeships are always hard to come by but even more so these days. However you never know what is happening internally in a legal office. I got my apprenticeship because of a partnership break-up.
Don't just send in CV's without putting any thought into it. Do a bit of research on the areas the firm practices in and try and incorporate that into your covering letter.
Its also worth considering applying for jobs as legal secretary/executive. They will know what your up to and that your really looking for an apprenticeship but some offices will take you on with the condition that you work a year before going to PPC1. They get cheap labour and you get a well earned apprenticeship.

Cheers thanks - I have the law directory on standby so I always try to send it to the managing partner or at least for his attention. As for knowing that the firm does, it's pretty hard as i'm emailing firms who have only one or two solicitors in them so I can only assume it's criminal, civil, conveyancing, etc. I've worked as a paralegal in Criminal law for a good while and now i'm doing legal sec for an even longer while in one of the top firms but it's so hard to get a paralegal job when there's fe1's on a CV. Half tempted to pack it all in as i've worked so hard to get a commercial firm and that hasn't happened and now I can't get any firm whatsoever and the thoughts of 2009 is bad enough but having to explain why I didn't get an apprenticeship for neither 2007 nor 2008 is absolutely daunting! Could've gone in for 2007 but thought i'd take the year out and work on the CV and as for 2008 - the competition is so hard coupled with the fact that I probably come across very uptight and serious in interviews as i'm so stressed over it all! Of course thinking of what to do other than law is also stressful! So i'd love to be able to find an apprenticeship and just keep at it but there's only so much spamming that can be done!

Should I mention in my cover letter that i'd be more than willing to pay for Blackhall and for myself while i'm there?

Should I even say that i'd wait until 2009 if I could work as a legal exec in their office? OR am I giving them too many ultimatums as such?? As you can see - i've no idea what to do!!!!

Also - i don't care at this stage where I do my app'ship - so i'm not even being fussy any more!!!

Unless you get into one of the bigger firms you will more than likely have to cover the fees for Blackhall yourself as smaller offices don't usually pay these for you so i wouldn't bother mentioning it at this stage.
Most firms have websites now so worth having a look at that before sending the CV. Google the firm name and you should be able to find the website.
Your not the only one out there who hasn't got an apprenticeship straight away so i don't think this will be held against you. At least you are showing that you are still trying and gaining relevant experience.

Cheers for the advice re fees - didn't know whether i'd be covering obvious ground or not.

As for websites - some firms don't even have e-mails (as per the Law Soc website and the Directory) so it's pretty hard to figure it out but I do try to mention something firm specific when I can.

As for not being the only one - who hasn't gotten an app'ship - I know, it's just frustrating and somewhat cringe-worthy when i've had all my exams since Dec 2006! And I see people without even having passed all their fe1's securing app'ships. I just think at this stage i've gone wrong somewhere along the line either with the way i've gone about things or perhaps i'm not seen as "solicitor" material in interviews - rather not conducive to my chosen career!!

Have you heard of people getting app'ships at this time of year or later right before B'hall? I guess i'm thinking of my own friends and they all had theirs organised practically in college!

Thanks again for writing back !

I am from the country so i am more familar with country practices and hiring trainees is a all year round thing there is no set time for taking someone on unlike the bigger firms in Dublin. I am an optimist so i would say keep trying.
There are a few different legal websites like [broken link removed] and www.legal.ie that might have more info about practices that the directory or law society website.

ah - I see what you mean! I'm from the country too! Just up here as it's next to near possible to get any legal experience at home - right so - moral of the story so is to keep trying!

Thanks a mill!

Hi,

I've a new question: hopefully still in line with this thread.

Which would be a good idea to do AITI exams so as to bump up my CV and make it more attractive to law firms so as to get an apprenticeship?? Or would they be a complete turn off for small firms ? I've realised that i'm not going into blackhall this year (again) and need to have something to explain to potential interviewers why i'm not there - can't blame the credit crunch for everything!! Thanks.

Irishlawgirl, it sounds like you gave up after all, or have you had any luck since in finding an apprenticeship?

send cvs to all top twenty law firms in September- they pay fees.

Trafford: Give up?! I wish I could - I've invested too much time and money to get only this far plus the fact that I actually law for the subject that it is and not other motivating factors which come with the career. I'm just bored senseless doing my job as i've reached a point where i'm no longer learning anything new and i'm worried about interviews next year-in that firms will ask what have done since having my fe1's passed in Dec 06!

Sooo i've just gotten the ICSA Co-Sec books to study and will do those exams in Nov (well at least one out the four) but now i'm worried that i'll have no co-sec experience that it mightn't mean a thing that i've gotten the exams but have no experience.

I am withered!!!!

As for Job Hunt - my advice would be send cv's to all top twenty - and then every other single firm out there!!!

Slight change of subject. I have heard that in N.Ireland many law grads who have got a place at the Institute of Prof Legal Studies cannot get a training contract and therefore cannot take up their place at the Institute. It is apparently due to the economic slow-down and the fact that solicitors just do not want to take on more staff.

Has anyone else been made aware of this?

It is almost impossible now to get apprenticeships in any Legal firm due to the unprecedented numbers coming out of Blackhall and the economic slowdown the legal profession is almost as hard hit as the construction industry!

Hi,

Can someone tell me where to find a list of top ten firms please on the internet.

Hi

It seems to be the same people who found it very difficult to get an apprenticeship pre-Blackhall that are now also finding it very difficult to get a job and keep that job as qualified Solicitors.

Some of my friends recently QUALIFIED TO BECOME UNEMPLOYED. Essentially as an apprentice you do not cost a whole pile to employ however, once you qualify you become an easy target for the chop.

This industry is not all bad but at the moment if I was starting out again i'd be looking elsewhere. There is simply a colossal over supply at the moment and initiatives such as PIAB, PRTB and other redress boards are all designed to reduce the number of lawyers required.

Not to depress anyone further, but I think a lot of trainees and law grads have a completely unrealistic view of the work involved. Frankly, it's a slog.

If you work in GP a lot of the work is repetitive and unrewarding. Conveyancing fees are at rock bottom, barely covering costs levels, which means you have a full day of hard slog, every day, and you are not producing anything spectacular. Maintaining good relationships with clients is hard work, as new clients will be suspicious of everything you do/suggest until you win their trust. This is very disheartening.

Litigation and commercial work are more interesting, but there isn't a whole lot of it around. Commercial clients expect instant turnaround, and 24 hour a day, 7 day a week availability.

There are good days of course, when you win a case, or settle something very well. Or when you feel that your intervention made a difference for someone. Or when you come up with a great new idea, or notice a trap in documentation that someone else missed.

Ultimately though, it is a high pressure job, involving a lot of grunt work.

So! You still want it? Ok. To get a traineeship you need to be useful. You may think you're cheap labour but you're not. Unless you have a particular skill, you are an extra body in the office, and you are much less help than an average secretary.

What would I look for in a trainee?
(i) First of all, decent results. The big practices will expect at least a 2.1 and I could live with a 2.2 but the rest of the CV would have to be very good.
(ii) Relevant work experience & great references from that experience. Get work experience in a solicitors office if you can. Work for free if that's what it takes. Leave your ego at the door. Be prepared to do anything that comes your way in the office and be prepared to do it well! Use your brain! Never take the easy way out and always think ahead for every eventuality.
(iii) Balanced personality. I want someone clever that clients will warm to. Someone who has a social life.
(iv) Perfect presentation of cv. I don't want a generic cover letter on crappy paper with an equally lazy cv.

That's it! Good luck everyone!

Kate.

I apologise, in advance, for the rant which follows...

I just wish to add that finding that relevant wrk experience is becoming increasingly more difficult. I have all 8 exams since April, tried my level best to get a traineeship to get into Blackhall this Oct but failed to do so as by that stage most firms had taken on their apprentice if they were going to take one on. (I did, however, get plenty of encouragement to come back to them for next year, which I will)

I was, at that same time, trying to secure a job which would add to my legal experience on the off-chance that I would not secure an apprenticeship on time. In this however, I have also failed thus far. In my experience, the competition for legal assistant and legal administrator jobs is fierce. Hundreds of applicants, I always seem to get shortlisted but still, far too many interviewed for what is normally one admin position. The interview almost always involves a lengthy discussion about the sheer volume of applicants, and their astonishment at the calibre of same, and their fears for all the trainees coming on-line. Its shocking, and generally a v disheartening experience.

I get to give the apprenticeship search a proper run this year, if it doesn't work out i don't know what i'm gonna do...

Can't believe it's September and i'm waiting AGAIN... (i've had fe1's since Dec 06) and have been working in a top law firm since and i'm withered!! Anyway, putting the question out there - when is the best time to send out the CV's? And to whom? Should it be to the managing partner of firms if they've no HR. I've just done every route so far and nothing stood out to me nor I to them so I'm just going to start from scratch.. before I leave law altogher!

Irishlawyergirl, you're in one of the top firms and that hasn't opened doors, i thought working there would at least help?!

all the big firms seem to close applications end of october or end of first wk in november. so its certainly time to get working on that.

i'm gonna send all my CV's out soon enough to be honest, november certainly seems to be the time. this is my first time going for it, only got my exams in april, odds were stacked against me for getting into blackhall 08 at that stage...god i better get one cos i'm bored silly!

Can I ask, is everyone out there who is looking for an apprenticeship 100% sure that being a solicitor is the right job for them long term? I am in my second year looking, I have alot of legal experience because the more experience you have the more you get, like a rollover effect. I'm confident that I will get something this year but I am worried because alot of the time I have doubts that the lifestyle, the long hours, the stress, the long training period will suit me. I'm 28 and feel I am too old to go into something that I am unsure of, however I don't have many other realistic options.
Can anyone tell me, is it normal to have doubts in such a competitive industry?
Or can anyone who is already a solicitor give me some plus points to the job?
Friends who have qualified do nothing but moan and don't sell it very well!

There's an ad up on the law society website for a trainee solicitor in a dublin firm. Hope someone here gets it, best of luck!