Does anybody know anything about becoming a Lawyer?

Yes i know loads of people hate them :D

I've tried asking my mom and sister about it, but the only reply i ever get is 'Oh but you need to go to uni for that'
And i know they don't think i could do it by the way they say it :-(

Anyway i'm higher academicly (sp?) [i would spell the clever word wrong wouldn't i :rolleyes: ] than most people in my year at school i've been told - so i'm sure i could get into uni (I don't seem that dumb for a 15 year old do i?!)

Just wondering if anyone knows the 'training' etc!

Thanks in advance! Beth x x x x x

Beth, The world is out there for the taking!  You can do anything in life if you set your mind to it!  I think that there is more than one way of qualifying as a Lawyer, so go and see your Careers Teacher in school and go for it!

Hi Beth,

Good for you for having such a great ambition.  Of course you can do it :D  I know someone who is well on his way to becoming a Solicitor (what we call Lawyers up here in Scotland) and here's what he has done. He went to University for four years and finished up with a degree in Law.  Then, to go on and work in a Solicitor's office, he has to do a further year on a Post Graduate course which is called something like the Certificate of Practice, although don't quote me on that as I'm not sure of its exact name.  Once he has this further qualification he then does 2 years traineeship with a Solicitor's Practice and after that he is fully qualified to practice as a Solicitor.

If you want to further advance and become an Advocate (which is the Scottish equivalent of a Barrister) there will be even more training on top of the above :)  I imagine the process is very similar in England, but Olidilocks is right, your Careers Teacher is the best person to guide you on all the options available to you.

Good luck!!

Lesley

Beth, contact that Connexions Advisor!!!!!  She/he will be able to tell you all you need to know, point you in the right directions and get you all the help you need!

You do need to go to uni to be a lawyer, but that shouldn't stop you.  Remember there's nothing written down to say you need to go to uni at 18; I didn't start my degree until I was nearly 40!   You might be able to find a way into law another way before you work your way up.  Once again, (boring I know), you really do need help from Connexions.

The bottom line is that you can do anything you want to do and believe you can do.

Hi - I'm currently studying law (hopefully on my way to becoming a lawyer!)  There are a couple of ways you can do it also depending if you want to go down the route to becoming a solicitor or barrister. Straight law course then professional training (LPC or BVC) When applying for better uni's for law, you now you will have to sit an amplitude test (LNAT) -which will play a major part in your application.   You can go to uni and do a non-law degree and following completion do a conversion course also at the uni (which a lot of law firms now prefer supposedly giving a more rounded individual - and all the normal waffle)   Or you can also do a non-law degree (as in a proper one - not a fancy one like media studies!) then go to a college of Law and do your conversion ( the college of Law will teach you more of the subject that you need to practice, where as the uni teach you a very academic style....  Then for solicitor do a LPC (Legal Practice Course) or do the BVC (Bar vocational Course) for barrister.  You can do the LPC lots of places but the BVC is limited and competition for both is stiff.  For the BVC you have to become a member of a court of inn.
One thing to bear in mind though, your choice of uni will play a major part in the success of your further personal development - if you have the grades make sure you go to a red brick!  As many firms now - no-longer look at degrees from certain uni's.
Also your now 15 - you also need to start adding as much to your ucas application as possible.  Starting writing letters to local barrister chambers for mini-pupillages and shadowing placements with local solicitors.  Also consider millennium volunteers or something similar such as Duke of Edinburgh. 
In regards to Connexions - personally I wouldn't bother.  Just put a search into Google and a mass of information will come regarding the route to becoming a lawyer - also check out your local library or speak to your careers advisor at school (although they may be as useful as connexions).  It is also a good idea to well inform your teachers - somewhere along the line -  one will know a lawyer - who can be talked into giving a shadowing placement - as it is very much who you know (which I'm finding out now trying to find a mini-pupillage for a week in the summer - Hint hint if anyone can help?!)
But above all if you want to go for it then do it! - Set your mind to it and get your Ucas application set above the rest! 

Beth,

If you really want it, then go for it :) the main thing about UNI or any other path to your destination is to be prepared to work, you need application and motivation.  If you've got that then anything is possible :D :D :D  Good Luck :)

Ha ha Nic, do you mean an APTITUDE test??? Surely amplitude measures volume!? LOL

As nic says there are 2 ways to go, have confidence, you can ACHIEVE ANYTHING you want to! :D :D :D

BTW I did a Law degree and found it VERY VERY boring!! LOL Then I did a Psychology degree and found it much more interesting!!

Haha ye newfiedreams i did mean aptitude - hehe was very hungover opps!:rolleyes:

Nic, I think studying Law gives you the RIGHT to get hung over!!! LOL :D :D :D

You seem a very articulate young lady who is also very switched on so I think any career like a Lawyer or any professional type of job will be a good direction for you to go ;)

Thankyou all :D !

I have a meeting at connections in a week or so, Still don't know how to go about it all though! Have no idea what to say :rolleyes:

Hi Beth,

It's horible wondering what you're going to say at an appointment, isn't it :)  What I do if I'm worried about saying the wrong thing or forgetting something important I want to ask is to sit down and think about what I want to get from the meeting eg, what I want to have talked about and/or found out by the end of it.  Then I write down the important things or questions I want to ask.  That way I've got notes to give me confidence and to make sure I find out everything I want to know :)  You might find doing something the same would help you?  If you feel worried about having notes, just say to the person seeing you that you have made notes and they won't mind you referring to them at all :)

Plus, the people at Connexions will be used to people being a bit unsure and will help you along with things.

Good luck!

Lesley

Hi Beth, are you going to see a Connexions Personal Advisor (PA) in Tamworth?  Who are you going to see?  If it is Tamworth, I know a couple of PA's from there.  Let me know who it is, but everyone in Connexions is really helpful and I rarely deal with a PA who doesn' t have a good understanding of young people like yourself.  If you are allocated someone then you can contact them whenever you like to ask questions so you will feel well supported, and you should have regular meeting with them too.

Good luck
Jacky

Lots of luck to you Beth, it's good to have some ambition :)

Lindsay
x

Hello Beth

I am a Lawyer. You could always do ILEX exams which would take you about 3-5 years and you would be a qualified legal executive.

You can do it the way I did - i.e. go to Uni for 3 years, then do 1 year LPC at Law College then do 2 years training contract.

Alot of people in practice now qualify as they are working. Get a job as a legal assistant or paralegal, then you can get the firm to advise & assist you with your exams.

Feel free to email me if you need any advice.

Go for it.

We need more dog lovers in the profession!

ooooo cool thanks everyone! Yeah Jackie it's the one in Tamworth! I'm not sure if i can really say people's names on here so will Pm it to you :D !

In England ( more so than Scotland ) part qualified people practice is a few different areas. Conveyancing , executry work. Some family law areas. They work and then try and do their professional exams supported by a law firm.

There are a few ways, you can go down the straight to Uni route and do a LLB in Law , then you have to do a couple of years training and then your professional exams , these are done whilst doing your training. They can do it over a couple of years like this.

Scotland is a bit stricter and it involves about 7 years.

I personally think to practice law you have to be reasonably smart but you must  have to have plenty common sense.

If you can get on the LLB course. You will need your highers though without a doubt.

Here is the law society's website. The ILEX detials are on here also

<a class='url' href='http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/becomingasolicitor.law'>http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/becomingasolicitor.law</a>