Outside class
Building up your extracurricular activities is just one of the ways you can sort yourself from the “chaff” in the eyes of recruiters, so this week we look at some of the opportunities available and how to go about it. And if you haven’t got time to pop down to court to see some of the UK’s top legal minds in action we give you a rundown of where we are up to in 2012’s top disputes.
We also have a survival guide for networking events, a focus on insurance & reinsurance law, a blog post from the winner of Eversheds’ international innovation competition on his Hong Kong work experience, a profile of Shoosmiths associate and legal executive Vicky Loughnane, and a question from someone wondering whether paralegal work can be secured without the LPC - there are some interesting responses.
In News, retention rates continue to come in - this time from Simmons & Simmons, Addleshaw Goddard and Hogan Lovells, Meanwhile, Accutrainee has secured its first recruit Kennedys has welcomed their first group of legal apprentices , and the SRA has adopted a wait and see approach to the problems faced by international students at London Metropolitan University.
Extracurricular particulars
How extracurricular activities can benefit your skill set and your CV.
In court
Russian oligarchs, price-fixing, TV trademarks and insider dealing are keeping the courts busy in a post-crunch litigation boom. Katy Dowell provides an update on 2012’s top disputes.
Survival Guide - Networking events
That precious little bit of face-to-face time with a law firm is crucial to getting yourself noticed, and a successful networking event could do more that put a face to your name, but also a personality.
Blog: Hong Kong bound
Shane Hughes, law graduate and winner of Eversheds international innovation competition found that his one-week work experience in Hong Kong has made him determined to complete at least part of any training contract abroad.
Practice area focus - Insurance & Reinsurance
A diverse and fast-paced industry steeped in history with a seemingly alien terminology has a lot to offer by way of legal work. But the insurance industry is also very sociable, so strong communication skills and a real interest in networking and business development are extremely useful.
60-second interview
Shoosmiths associate and legal executive Vicky Loughnane charts her legal career and advises students not to listen to prejudices.
Ask Lawyer 2B - Paralegal roles - just LLB or also LPC?
Do I need the LPC to get a paralegal role? I have just finished my LLB, but I haven’t managed to get a training contract. I plan to spend the next year looking for paralegal positions whilst continuing to apply for TCs. I can’t really afford to self fund the LPC and hopefully paralegal work will make my applications stronger. However, while many people say firms prefer LLB graduates, many of the paralegal ads I have seen ask for the LPC? What do you think? (2 responses)
