How to build up legal office experience?
Discussion
Bit of background - since completing a HND in Business Management 3 years ago, I re-considered what profession / career I wanted to enter. After looking at further study options (OU) - PPE, Psychology, Law - and discussing things through with my dad and talking a family friend who is a retired solicitor, I decided that I would like to develop in Law. Further delving in to the subject and (distance-learning) qualification options, I'm looking at Conveyancing as the area that I would like to specialise in. I have read some background in to the procedures and forms of Conveyancing.
To build up general office experience, for the past year I have volunteered as an office assistant in a local special school - the opportunity to do so arose through someone I know who works at the school.
However, I have no legal office experience whatsoever and realise the need to build it up. But I'm worried that, due to having no Law degree or legal qualifications, any speculative letters I write will be rejected.
I am completely stuck.
Sensible replies heartily appreciated.
To build up general office experience, for the past year I have volunteered as an office assistant in a local special school - the opportunity to do so arose through someone I know who works at the school.
However, I have no legal office experience whatsoever and realise the need to build it up. But I'm worried that, due to having no Law degree or legal qualifications, any speculative letters I write will be rejected.
I am completely stuck.
Sensible replies heartily appreciated.
Conveyancing is enormously dull and repetitive. If you fancy a legal career, why not try something a bit more interesting?
Large law firms hire lots of paralegals, but they mostly do dogsbody work - photocopying massive document bundles at 4AM.
There used to be low paid but occasionally interesting work for criminal law firms doing what was called outdoor clerking, which involved sitting behind counsel at court and so on, but I don't know if that happens anymore now that the legal aid system is run on a budget of £3.50.
Large law firms hire lots of paralegals, but they mostly do dogsbody work - photocopying massive document bundles at 4AM.
There used to be low paid but occasionally interesting work for criminal law firms doing what was called outdoor clerking, which involved sitting behind counsel at court and so on, but I don't know if that happens anymore now that the legal aid system is run on a budget of £3.50.
I've worked in a couple of larger law firms.
One guy started in the post room. Realised what he wanted to do, studied law and several years later became a Partner in said firm.
Another Guy started in Post room and moved into IT.
Receptionist moved into paralegal. Another into Marketing.
You get the picture. Get the admin job and if your face fits you get to hear about all the new opportunitys.
One guy started in the post room. Realised what he wanted to do, studied law and several years later became a Partner in said firm.
Another Guy started in Post room and moved into IT.
Receptionist moved into paralegal. Another into Marketing.
You get the picture. Get the admin job and if your face fits you get to hear about all the new opportunitys.
Outdoor clerking is a good start. I did that straight from school; as Breadvan says, you get to spend a lot of time at court, probably in civil cases now as there is no spare money in criminal work(although you do get to spend a lot of time staring at barrister's bums...in some cases that can be VERY nice, sometimes less so 
)
You also get to go to court & issue papers,etc, and then maybe get your own cases,or get involved as the assistant in a case, doing the donkey work but also getting to see more complex stuff. Or in my case, day 3 out of school:Boss-"Here's a file, go & oppose an application to set aside" Me-
)
And if thats what you fancy(probably not conveyancing, it is deathly dull and a lot of it is done remotely by specialists in bulk, never actually seeing a client) go to get a law degree or via the Chartered Legal Executive route
)You also get to go to court & issue papers,etc, and then maybe get your own cases,or get involved as the assistant in a case, doing the donkey work but also getting to see more complex stuff. Or in my case, day 3 out of school:Boss-"Here's a file, go & oppose an application to set aside" Me-
)And if thats what you fancy(probably not conveyancing, it is deathly dull and a lot of it is done remotely by specialists in bulk, never actually seeing a client) go to get a law degree or via the Chartered Legal Executive route
Breadvan72 said:
There used to be low paid but occasionally interesting work for criminal law firms doing what was called outdoor clerking, which involved sitting behind counsel at court and so on, but I don't know if that happens anymore now that the legal aid system is run on a budget of £3.50.
kowalski655 said:
Outdoor clerking is a good start. I did that straight from school; as Breadvan says, you get to spend a lot of time at court, probably in civil cases now as there is no spare money in criminal work(although you do get to spend a lot of time staring at barrister's bums...in some cases that can be VERY nice, sometimes less so )
I'll look in to outdoor clerking - sounds interesting!)kowalski655 said:
And if thats what you fancy(probably not conveyancing, it is deathly dull and a lot of it is done remotely by specialists in bulk, never actually seeing a client) go to get a law degree or via the Chartered Legal Executive route
I've looked at a couple of firms local-ish to me and they seem to 'call-centre' tower-block type firms (one even having a large "to let" hoarding on the corner of their building) - rather unappealing. I'll have a look at the CILEX route too.Sir Bagalot said:
I've worked in a couple of larger law firms.
One guy started in the post room. Realised what he wanted to do, studied law and several years later became a Partner in said firm.
Another Guy started in Post room and moved into IT.
Receptionist moved into paralegal. Another into Marketing.
You get the picture. Get the admin job and if your face fits you get to hear about all the new opportunitys.
Brilliant - thank you thank you thank you. One guy started in the post room. Realised what he wanted to do, studied law and several years later became a Partner in said firm.
Another Guy started in Post room and moved into IT.
Receptionist moved into paralegal. Another into Marketing.
You get the picture. Get the admin job and if your face fits you get to hear about all the new opportunitys.
Prepare for a frustrating and possibly demoralising experience if you get the job, as the Magistrates' Courts system (like the rest of the CJS) is desperately under funded and creaks and groans along. The shouty PH Daily Mail idiots complain about the system a lot, but aren't prepared to shell out any tax to pay for a better one. The same shouty PH idiots despise all public sector workers, assuming them all to be lazy and venal, even though most of them are just honest working stiffs trying to get through the day same as the rest of us, and quite a few are hard working people with a sense of public service.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 5th April 07:18
Did you have a look at the part-time distance learning undergraduate courses available? For example you can study for an LLB Honours degree with University of Essex Online, and get a qualifying law degree recognised by the legal regulatory bodies governing solicitors and barristers. It'll take you about 4 years, during which time you can choose which field to specialise in.
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