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

i was interviewed for that very position this morning...all my fingers and toes r crossed...
 
I was just looking at your posts from '06'. Im now recently qualified and I have to say, I identify so much with what was said by SNB and Mallow!! I would advise against pursuing a career in law, but my advice its probably too late!!!

I have a brother doing Civil Eng and 2 sisters doing pharmacy. The wage difference is astronomical. I like the career well enough, but at the end of the day, you have to get paid. You have to live. Quite frankly it just wasnt worth it. I did apprenticeship in a rural firm, had to pay my own fees and was paid the Law Society recomended rate. Not the worst deal in the world, but was very far from the best. I have under three months left in job and i now have to try and find a job elsewhere. Given current economic climate I dont know whats going to happen. Two friends, one colleague, recently signed on for the dole. Bankers/property developers ****ed it all up. I hate to sound like a socialist but we really did get screwed by the establishment.

Tired, disillusioned, demoralised and for the first time in 2 and 1/2 years of work, HUNGOVER!!
 
Hey guys,

I was just wondering, what are interviews with the top 5 actually like?

Do they test your legal knowledge??

Would reading the gazette be of any value??

I'd really appreciate if someone who has done an interview with any of the big five could give me a few pointers...just wondering what they involve and what I should be doing!

Elaine
 
Hi Elaine,

I worked for a top 5 firm for a few years and I can tell you that if you were not educated at Trinity or UCD then your chances of an apprenticeship verged on negligible.

Bets of Luck,

Bren.
 
Hey Elaine I had interviews with some of the big 5 last year, they were pretty informal and they asked no legal type questions.

They were more interested in the company I had worked for previously and what I thought made it so successful.

Most of the interview is based on the information you provide in the application form, you're expected to elaborate on that. You should be able to say why you have chosen a career as a solicitor and why corporate law in particular. They might ask if you have any idea what practice area you want to go into. You should be aware of any deals the firm has been involved in.

At the end they ask a few current affairs questions. For eg. I was asked what I thought about the American elections and other people were asked something about whatever political scandal was going on in Ireland at the time.

I did the Carr Communications interview preparation course beforehand and I would definitly recommend it. The more prepared you are for the interviews the more confident you'll appear and that is a huge advantage.

That said I think you should still keep up to date with whatever is happening in the legal world. I've heard that some of the medium sized firms do ask very specific legal questions so if you are going for interviews with them you will more than likely be tested on your legal knowledge.

Best of luck!
 
I would like to reiterate what the above poster said. It's very important to be aware of whats happening in the world so read the Irish Times for a few days before the interview if you dont already do so. Also, I didnt know of this when I did the interviews as I was just a young thing up from the country, but I would say grooming is very important. And no, I dont mean just your usual looking smart for an interview. Go get a manicure and your hair blow dried that day. And borrow some pearls. I am not joking, btw!
 
Just Wondering if it would be better to be honest and say you have no previous legal work experience in your cv or would it be better to skip over it and try to find skills from other jobs however inappropriate they might seem
 
Just put down what you have done and highlight the skills you do have. Dont state that you have no legal experience - that will be obvious from the cv. dont lie in the interview if they ask if you have any legal experience. I had none when I went for my apprenticeship, but loads of skills picked up in other lines of work
 
Hey,

Just wondering - apart from the top ten that are all requiring application forms to be filled in, etc. what's the time frame for the rest of the firms? Are people "Spamming" them in November or when? This is perhaps my second year in a row doing this and I just can't even remember what I did last year (either way, it didn't work!!).

Thanks
 
Just to FYI people - Arthur Cox sent out their group interview letters on Wednesday - has anyone heard from the other firms? I think the Beauchamps website was down for the last two days - they'd an application to download off it I think.
 
A lot of the big law companies are making swingeing cutbacks. Letting staff go, axeing annual bonuses, etc.
 
europhile said:
A lot of the big law companies are making swingeing cutbacks. Letting staff go, axeing annual bonuses, etc.
Click to expand...

yeh o'donnell sweeney let ppl go, now their traineeship application deadline has been pushed back, i'd say they'll not be taking many, if any, now.

lk shields also told their existing trainees they could continue on no pay or go seek to continue their trainieeship elsewhere, so guessing they're not gonna be taking anyone.....

oh my god, what have i gotten myself into here
 
yeh but lk shields is surprising, larry shields was head of the law society i think, he would be very much trainee and education orientated...

i timed finishing my fe1's to perfection didn't i...

typical
 
Does anyone know of any good interview preparation books that would help in apprenticeship interviews? I know it's about selling yourself but any help would be appreciated - thanks (all I see out there are for manager interviews, etc).
 
Anyone know what the Arthur Cox group interviews are like? What questions are being asked? Is it best to try answer all the questions?
 
europhile said:
It's all about maximising profits.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid its much more a question of minimising losses currently. Work has quite simply dried up. No work means no income. Bills still have to be paid. Result: cut your costs.

mf
 
McCann Fitz sent out their PFO's yesterday via e-mail - got mine...wonderful! Did the Arthur Cox group interview... soo hard! Everyone talked so much I forgot what the question was a few times... again, wonderful! Seriously looking into changing careers if I don't get a "good" app'ship at this stage - anyone else thinking of this route or am I being dramatic?! Working as a paralegal in a top 4 firm, all fe1's passed, got a few extra bits and pieces on my CV but... not much good to me if I don't get a app'ship.
 
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