For "normal" legal jobs, as distinct for student-oriented openings, see also the Jobs page.

The Law as a Career

Law Careers Net is a comprehensive online resource for future lawyers which has now been running for 10 years. The site offers full details of how to go about joining the legal profession. It features over 1,250 employers and legal educators in three (firms, barristers, course providers) comprehensive directories as well as the most comprehensive editorial, news and features information available anywhere to candidates. There is a newsletter called LC.N Weekly which goes to over 15,000 readers every Tuesday and the site as a whole is visited over 3 million times per year.

LawBritannia offers careers advice to non UK nationals interested in studying and practising law in the UK. Working with a network of advisers and contacts in many top 100 firms the site aims to give international students (non UK students and lawyers) straight forward answers to their questions about studying and practicing law in the UK. There are free downloads to explain the steps international students need to take to become a lawyer in the UK. They also offer a variety of services and publications to help students research firms and find the best "match" to their experience.

studentatlaw.co.uk is "an introductory guide to qualifying as a solicitor for non-law students". It is designed to give people an insight into what it takes to pursue a career as a solicitor and what the options available to those from a non-law background are. It is written by someone developing a career in law himself and who is describing his experiences of trying to qualify as a solicitor. The site describes the many different routes available to qualifying as a solicitor as well as giving details of the GDL (Graduate Diploma In Law also often known as "the law conversion course"), the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and training contracts. There is also a section designed for people wishing to become dual qualified both as a solicitor in the UK, and as an attorney in the US.

Careers sites for students already studying law

The Trainee Solicitors Group has approximately 38,000 members and represents PGDL, LPC and CPE students, all trainee solicitors, paralegals up to two years post-completion of the LPC and newly-qualified solicitors up to one year post-qualification. Membership is free and automatic upon enrolment as a student member of the Law Society. The newly launched site contains information on the TSG, the 45 local groups, officers, awards and events.

Lawyer2B.com is a new student and trainee website and journal from the Lawyer. It provides information on careers in the law and how to secure a training contract or pupillage. There are news stories selected from the Lawyer's main coverage and various features. There is also a video of LPC students at the College of Law talking about their experiences (not all good).

Trainee Solicitor is a forum for trainee solicitors and wannabee trainees to discuss issues surrounding qualifying as a solicitor and training contracts. There are around 630 registered users so far.

Pupillages.com is a site from the Bar Council which provides access to all pupillage vacancies in England and Wales. It includes information from chambers offering pupillages as well as handy hints on identifying the right chambers for you. It also houses OLPAS, the online pupillage application system, which allows applications for pupillage to take place online, backed by the Bar Council. Students can apply one or two years ahead and can apply for up to 12 chambers per season. There is lots of information about the process of obtaining pupillage on the site.

Association of Law Costs Draftsmen was founded in 1977 with the object of promoting the status and interests of the profession of law costs draftsmen generally and the maintenance of the highest professional standards. The main aim is to promote and foster a proper appreciation of the contribution made by law costs draftsmen within the legal profession. The usual method of entry to the profession is via a Solicitors office where a general legal knowledge can first be obtained. Many law costs draftsmen are self employed but rarely employ untrained assistants. Membership of the Association is open to men and women over the age of 18 who are employed as law costs draftsmen. Entry is as a student member irrespective of experience. Students should be employed by a Fellow or Associate or in the employ of a firm of Solicitors, a government, local authority or other legal department, but each application is considered on its merits. A student will be expected to follow a course of study, which will depend on the experience already gained in the profession, and sit the Association's written examination within 4 years.

ELIXIR (European Lawyers' Information eXchange & Internet Resource) is a project based at The University of Birmingham Law School. This includes material provided by Dr Julian Lonbay on the different legal systems in all the EU countries, including training requirements, and an introduction to the EC Law on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications in EU countries. Information on notaries and bailiffs is now also included.

Chambers and Partners Law Student Website, with extensive information on finding training contracts and the sort of firms to contact.

ILEX Paralegal Training is a business division of The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) and provides a comprehensive and flexible range of vocational legal training for non-lawyers. The courses have been developed with vocational principles very much in mind and will result in qualifications awarded by ILEX which recognise the underpinning knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today's legal and business environments.

gti - UK & Irish Graduate careers. They have a substantial section on pupillages and mini pupillages and they also have general information on legal careers and placements.

ten-percent.co.uk is a Legal Recruitment company for general practice & legal aid firms, local authorities and charities. It is run by a practising solicitor from Leicester and the site offers a free CV service and preparation service for lawyers, law students and support staff. They also provide free careers advice to students. The site displays a database list of candidates for firms to view as well as solicitor vacancies for potential candidates. Fees are 10% of the first year's salary and the firm donates 10% of the profits to charity. A new service is a section called Job Creation Scheme which offers a database of LPC, CPE and LLB graduates looking for positions which offer legal experience for either little or no pay and gives firms the opportunity to view potential employees before taking them on full time.

Training Contract Winners is a booklet by which helps students make strong applications for training contracts. It is written by Mark Boardman and Zara Harrington, future trainee solicitors at City firms in London and Leona Tan, reading Law at the University of Cambridge.

For "normal" legal jobs, as distinct for student-oriented openings, see also the Jobs page.