FAQ

The LawCareersNetLIVE careers conferences are for talented students (law and non-law) who want to learn more about how to build a fulfilling career as a solicitor. The events are timed to maximise the benefit to students intending to apply for 2023 vacation schemes and training contracts.

The programme is a mix of panel discussions, workshops and networking. Specifically, it offers:

• advice on crafting excellent applications, shining at interview and forging a successful career;
• exposure to, and insight from, some of the UK’s – and world’s – most experienced recruiters and lawyers;
• networking opportunities with those same recruiters and lawyers, and fellow delegates; and
• participation in interactive firm-led workshops, which drill down into what it’s like to work in a particular practice area.

While no two firms are identical, the sponsor firms at LawCareersNetLIVE share a number of characteristics, including that they:

• have numerous offices in the UK and, often, in locations around the world;
• will offer a comprehensive range of commercial/corporate practice areas, but each is also likely to have its own strong suit and may be the acknowledged experts in their field;
• will often be involved with multi-jurisdictional matters for UK and international clients, as well as UK businesses and individuals; and
• are likely to offer secondment opportunities, both overseas and within their clients.

Very little! All are inspiring one-day student conferences made up of panel discussions, workshops and networking that look at the economics of law firms and the life of lawyers working in the UK legal profession.

The programme is identical at all events, with the only difference being that the virtual event will be split over two afternoons (instead of one day).

While the sponsor firms at each are different in some respects, many of their clients, practice areas and quality of work will be the same. And rest assured that all events offer high-quality, targeted advice, delivered by experts in the field.

On the LawCareersNetLIVE application form you will be able to enter your first, second and third choice of desired location. Please choose the events that suit you best in terms of the timetable and sponsor firms. We will do our best to give everyone their preferred LawCareersNetLIVE location but due to high demand, this might not always be possible.

Applications open in June 2022 and close on 27 October 2022, but we encourage you to apply before the deadline as offers will be made on a rolling basis.

LawCareersNetLIVE is best suited to those who have yet to start, or have recently started, making applications for training contracts. If you are a first or second-year law undergraduate or you are in the early stages of converting to law (or thinking about it) then this is a great event for you. Applications from law graduates and LPC students will also be considered.

Applicants should have a good academic record: a minimum of 2.1 and AAB at A level. If you do not meet these academic standards, mitigating circumstances will be taken into account. Each of the conferences is open to a maximum of 150 -180 students.

In short, we are looking for the same things that most law firms are looking for – excellent academics, good work experience, an understanding of the importance of commerciality and self-knowledge when it comes to the reasons why you will make a successful lawyer. For a detailed breakdown of these elements and more, read this LCN Says blog post, which is crammed with information and tips.

Attendance at the 2021 conferences does not preclude you from this year’s LawCareersNetLIVE events; however, new applications will be given priority. If you were unsuccessful in your 2021 application, but you have gone on since to improve your application or work experience, please feel free to apply again.

The delegate fee for LawCareersNetLIVE London and Manchester is £29. This fee is subsidised heavily by our sponsor firms and covers, among other things, refreshments on the day.

The delegate fee for LawCareersNetLIVE Virtual is £10. As spaces are limited, this is to secure your place.

Successful applicants will be asked to pay the delegate fee using our secure online payment system. This only becomes due after you have been notified that you have been offered a place. Once paid, the delegate fee cannot be refunded and the place is non-transferable.

Find out more about how we can support delegates from a low socio-economic background with the FAQ below.

We will send you an email letting you know if you have secured a delegate place. At that point, we will give you clear instructions on how to accept your place, pay and select your two preferred workshops.

At LawCareers.Net we aspire to demonstrate and promote a diverse and inclusive legal profession that reflects the society it represents, and have put together a set of guidelines in terms of our commitment to diversity at our events.

We ask our sponsor firms to consider these diversity guidelines when putting forward speakers and selecting workshop leaders and others who will represent the firm at the event. We encourage speakers not fulfilling any of our diversity criteria to instead promote someone who does to appear in their place.

We blind screen applications with two of the LawCareers.Net team assessing each application. We review all applications regardless of academic result or university attended.

This year we are working with several diversity organisations to promote our LawCareersNetLIVE events to students from underrepresented backgrounds and will be offering a number of free places across our events to delegates from these organisations.

For more on how we are supporting those who might not be able to afford the delegate fee, see below.

We are delighted to offer a number of free places across our LawCareersNetLIVE events to delegates from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those who might not be able to afford the delegate fee. This year we will be working with several diversity organisations in order to do this.

If you are not a member of one of these organisations and think that this applies to you, then drop us an email at [email protected] after you have submitted your application. If you are successful in securing a place, we will be in touch regarding booking onto the event for free.

In much the same way as you would prepare for a law fair or firm event, you need to do some advance research on the firms that will be in attendance. Look at their own websites, their details on LawCareers.Net, the legal press to get a sense of the types of firm they are, the type of law they focus on, the industries they represent and so on. Have a couple of good questions to ask the firm representatives you meet during networking breaks. Spend more time on those firms whose workshops you are attending and build in at least a bit of time to look at the practice area to be covered.

Finally make sure that you know exactly where you’re going on the day (11 Portland Street in Manchester and County Hall in London) and build in time for travel delays.

We will be sending out further information to successful applicants on how to make the most of the virtual event.

Definitely! Firms recognise LawCareersNetLIVE as a well-known, prestigious event. The fact that you have been selected from among hundreds of others to attend, based on your impressive grades, experience and stand-out application form, reflects well on you. You can also use it to talk about experience you have had interacting with firms and even to flatter a sponsor firm when you come to apply to them direct!