Articles | From Student to Solicitor

Darlingtons Solicitors: What we look for in trainee solicitors

Posted by Sarah Ryan on May 08, 2013
job hunting, Law, Trainee Solicitor, Training Contract / No Comments

James Swede, Senior Partner at Darlingtons Solicitors.

Getting a training contract is tougher than it’s ever been before, and, having been there, seen it and done it, I empathise with those seeking a training contract.

Our starting point at Darlingtons (we are a 6 partner, 30 staff firm) is that good academic qualifications are now a given. Perhaps 20 years ago a firm of our size wouldn’t perhaps be able to be choosy on academic criteria but times have changed.

However, whilst academics are important, those that have not qualified from a top 10 University are far from excluded from successfully applying to our firm.

Academics are just one factor for us among many, which include :-

An outgoing, friendly and positive attitude. This really matters. Our trainees are very much client facing and a big selling point for our firm is the way in which our clients are treated. Teamwork within the firm is also vital.
A practical, problem solving and common sense approach – practicing law is different to learning what the law is. Increasingly, clients expect lawyers to understand business and other considerations which determine their attitude to law. We expect our trainees to demonstrate an ability to see the “bigger picture” when it comes to applying law
Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn and to accept constructive criticism. We all learn by making mistakes
An understanding that law has become very competitive. Many trainees, through their own experiences in applying for training contracts, with many having spent some time working as paralegals, now understand that law has radically changed. We expect our applicants to be able to show us that they are determined and understand the legal market. A good, but by no means the sole example of understanding the new legal marketplace is by demonstrating being active on social media and online generally and that marketing generally matters and all members of the firm are expected to contribute
An “X factor” – impossible to describe what this might be, but some kind of differentiator, whether in personality or approach, something which stands out from the crowd. Prospective trainees that can show something different are more likely to gain our attention.

Good luck and if you feel that you have what it takes to succeed at Darlingtons, get in touch.

Tags: law, Trainee solicitor, training contract

Accountants Outperform Solicitors in Social Media

Posted by Sarah Ryan on April 29, 2013
Social media / No Comments

According to Lawyer2B in an article published last week, accountants are outperforming solicitors on social media in terms of influence, outreach, brand presence, content and frequency of postings. You can read the whole article here.

What interests me is why law firms are failing to match their accountancy peers in terms of social media presence. Every firm knows about social media (or have at least heard of it). Many have some sort of social media presence but very few have implemented a successful social media strategy that maximises the potential benefits.

For a long time, professional service firms have mostly thought of social media as a secondary channel for marketing. In a number of firms, I’ve seen marketing departments ‘palming off’ the social media cause to junior and even temporary staff. Which tells me there’s still a feeling that social media isn’t considered important enough to warrant a proportional amount of time, money, or – importantly – expertise.

From my research, it seems that a lot of firms are forgetting the “social” element of social media. Here are my thoughts on why lawyers are failing at social media and what can be done to fix it!

Making excuses: Saying “oh I tried it for a couple of weeks but we didn’t get any clients from it”. You can’t be that naive. Social media is not purely there to gain new clients. It is there to drive traffic to your website, build up your brand and engagement with your audience and create connections with other referrers and business connections. It is also a great tool for carrying out market research and keeping your finger on the pulse. Bottom line is, if you aren’t on social media, you are going to be left behind!
Not showing enough personality: The majority of accounts set up by law firms that I have seen have their firm’s logo as their avatar, a generic piece of information about their firm on their profile page and only send updates about legislation, new cases or information about their firm. Show a bit of your personality! Get solicitors to take it in turns by tweeting on different days and introducing themselves (e.g. “Hi it’s David here, the firm’s family lawyer. What’s everyone up to this weekend?” or “Lisa from Private Client has just completed the London Marathon in record time!”). For me, I believe keeping it personal is best and that means using your own face as your avatar and using your name. Also this is SOCIAL media, and sharing a bit of your personality will make it easier for people to follow you and engage with you since they feel like they know who they are talking to after seeing your face and name. People trust people and showing your personality is the quickest way to get followers to trust you.
Not interacting with followers: Statuses/tweets that finish with a question are 15% more likely to get a response than those without. So try to finish at least some of your tweets/statuses off with a question that just begs to be answered. Show an interest in your followers and respond to their tweets – I guarantee it will pay off!
Not following relevant people: I know how people long to have a huge following, but you have to resist the urge to follow anyone and everyone - you need to focus on following/connecting with targeted people in your niche. If you’re an employment lawyer then follow or find users working or writing about employment law. It makes no sense for you to follow people that aren’t even interested in the law.. right?
Inconsistency: The best way to get results from your efforts on social media is to be there and be active. I recommend a status update at least every day, but preferably every couple of hours during the day. Ideally, send a few messages in morning then a few in afternoon and then a few at night. That way you get in front of the most people throughout the day. You don’t want to be a spammer, but you need to show activity and people will connect with you faster if they see your active daily.
Being boring! Not many social media users want to know about the latest piece of legislation or history of your firm. Too many law firms just fill their social media feed with posts like this. Try instead thinking about what effect that particular piece of legislation will have on your readers. E.g. “Fathers now gain improved rights to contact with their children following new Act”. Users do not even need to know the name of the Act, just what it means for them.
Not being helpful: Do you want to know the best way to build a community on Twitter and drive traffic to your website? Be helpful. Fix Problems. Helping people with a problem they have will get you a follower for life. When you help people, you automatically make yourself the “expert” in that area (or at least the expert to them). How about hosting an “ask a solicitor” question time once a week where you encourage followers to tweet or post their legal questions. You can answer the questions in a follow-up blog if longer answers are required.
Scheduling tweets/posts without following up: Imagine this from your followers’ point of view. They read an interesting tweet sent by your firm (that has been pre-scheduled) and respond with a comment or by asking a question. You fail to go back to twitter to follow-up and don’t see their comment/question (and therefore don’t respond). You have a follower who feels ignored, or worse, has an unanswered question. You have missed an opportunity to interact and damage your brand.
Firms are too scared of the risks: Social media can open a firm up to possible risks including PR and HR issues. While these risks are very real, it’s essential not to let them inhibit progress. The key is to develop a sound social media policy that identifies the risks and mitigates them. (Confused about social media policies? Check out Canopy Law’s useful article here.)

Social media is here to stay. To get the right social media strategy in place, each firm should identify which platforms suit their sector and then listen into the relevant conversations that are happening across those platforms. This will generate insight that can be used as a starting point for engagement strategies.

My advice to firms is that social media isn’t a quick fix – it’s a long term process requiring a well thought-out strategy. It takes persistence, time, confidence, tweaking and a positive attitude. It’s about having realistic expectations. You are not going to get results overnight. As long as you get into it with the expectation that it will take some time to develop strong relationships, you’ll be fine. And if you’re going to do social media, do it well, and do it with a can-do attitude.

If you have any questions about social media for solicitors, or you need help in getting started or keeping your profiles up to date, please do get in touch!

Tags: marketing, social media, solicitors

Accutrainee: Delivering a truly unique training contract

Posted by Sarah Ryan on April 11, 2013
job hunting, Law, Networking, Trainee Solicitor, Training Contract, training contract applications / No Comments

As a graduate, you only have to pick up any legal publication to notice that training contracts are hard to come by and that competition is stronger than ever. As firms look to reduce their costs, many have reduced training contract numbers and considered sending trainee level work to offshore jurisdictions which is just set to make matters worse for law graduates. These are just a couple of reasons why Accutrainee was created.

So who are Accutrainee?

We offer a new, flexible, efficient way for firms and in-house legal teams to source their trainee solicitor needs. Accutrainee is an SRA authorised training establishment which employs trainee solicitors under an SRA approved training contract. We then send trainees on secondments to law firms and in-house legal departments in accordance with their specific requirements and needs. We take all the responsibility for trainees to ensure SRA training regulations are met or exceeded at all times. A trainee will only be employed when a full training contract has been secured for them so there is no risk of a trainee being left “part-qualified”.

What are the benefits of being an Accutrainee?

The first benefit is the most obvious one, entry into the legal profession as a qualified solicitor. Accutrainee provides an alternative route to qualification; in some cases, we give those law firms and in house legal teams who haven’t previously been able to take on a trainee an opportunity to do so. We look at candidates as a whole and take into account all of an applicant’s qualities and attributes and set no restrictions on who can apply. Although, do not be fooled into thinking that this could be an easier route in to the profession as we still have a very rigorous selection process and will only recruit exceptional candidates.

The Accutrainee training contract could give you the opportunity to work at one or more organisations. This will give you better insight in determining the type and culture of organisation which best suits you. We work closely with you and our clients to get the match right so before you sign up to a Training Contract, you will know exactly what you’re getting yourself into! You will have greater opportunity to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers compared to the traditional one or two day interview process as secondments could last anything between 3-24 months.

Accutrainee takes training and development very seriously. During your training contract you will receive continuous support and guidance from the Accutrainee team along with access to a dedicated trainee portfolio which will continuously be monitored against SRA training requirements.

And finally we should mention networking. Accutrainees are encouraged to build relationships with one another as they will go on to qualify into a wide range of different law firms and in-house legal departments, giving our trainees an opportunity to develop a network of contacts within a diverse range of organisations.

What type of candidates is Accutrainee looking for?

We search for graduates whom we believe will match our clients’ requirements, expectations and criteria. Above all, we are looking for exceptional candidates who can demonstrate a high standard of academic achievement at A-level (or equivalent) and degree level. We use the same stringent criteria used by many law firms and in-house legal teams in sourcing trainee solicitors. However, we will not be put off by some of the more typical rigid reasons why a candidate has been unsuccessful in the past. We work very hard to determine whether you have the right skills set, attitude and personality we are looking for.

The main point to remember is that Accutrainee offers a unique and alternative route to gaining a training contract with enhanced mentoring and guidance along the way. Possibly one of the reasons why we have just been nominated for one of the Lawcareers.net “Best Trainer” awards!

Solicitors Salaries: Unpaid Overtime

Posted by Sarah Ryan on March 07, 2013
Salary, Work-life Balance / No Comments

A report out from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) showed that up to 49.6% of legal professionals are staying at the office late and doing unpaid overtime. The average overtime worked was 9.7 hours per week. The only professions working harder than this were educators and financial institution managers.

The TUC went on to say that the average solicitors salary worked out at a rate of £27.60 per hour, which means that legal workers lose an average of £13,921.44 per year.

The key question here is whether these extra hours are a result of huge workloads that have been mismanaged by their employers, or a sense of expectancy (i.e. it would be frowned upon to leave the office at 5.30pm).

The problem is that a good work-life balance keeps employees happy, well-rested and better solicitors. This last point may seem like a strange comment, but I really think that solicitors that leave the office on time and get a good weekend perform better at their job – not only because they have more energy, but also because pursuing other interests outside of work enables them to better engage with their clients.

So, if you feel like you are living at the office, talk to your managing partner or supervisor and see if there are ways to reduce your workload. Can some work be delegated to junior members of staff or outsourced? If you really can’t get away from the office on time, at least take a proper lunch break and get out of the office for 30 minutes to clear your head, and try to switch off from the office on the weekends. Remote logins and smartphones make it all too easy to keep connected to work 24/7 but try to avoid these on your downtime if at all possible. You may even be able to make better use of your commuting time by listening to audio books or doing some legal research. One word of warning though: don’t do what one solicitor on the train home did the other day and read client files on the train in plain sight – it might be a slight breach of confidentiality if fellow commuters can clearly read it over your shoulder!

What are your thoughts on the TUC report? Is unpaid overtime part of the package when you work in the legal industry? Or are law firms exploiting their employees by not paying for these extra hours? Is it the heavy workloads or expectations causing this trend? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Tags: Solicitor salary, solicitors salaries, unpaid overtime, work-life balance

Interview with Sheena Munraknah of Osborne Morris & Morgan

Posted by Sarah Ryan on February 15, 2013
Interview, job hunting, Law, Qualification / 1 Comment

Sheena was admitted as a Solicitor in 2009 and joined Osborne Morris & Morgan in December 2011. She is a specialist Family lawyer, having worked exclusively in this field since 2007. Her hobbies include travelling, fine dining, reading and watching films.

1. Who/what inspired you to be a solicitor?

When I was a teenager I attended a local solicitors firm with my parents, who were at that time arranging for their Wills to be amended. I recall being impressed at the fact that the solicitor knew so much about her field and also that she was able to quickly and proficiently answer my parents’ questions. I liked the advisory element of the job and that was a major factor in my decision to study law.

2. What academic route did you take to qualify as a solicitor? Would you do it differently if you had your time again?

I did a three year law degree followed by the Legal Practice Course. I spent a few years gaining legal experience before starting my training contract and qualifying. If I had my time again, I would be tempted to study a non-law degree as I never realised that it was possible to qualify without going down the “traditional” route of the law degree.

3. What things do you wish you had known before starting your legal career?

That it can very difficult to obtain a training contract even after studying the LPC and that the value of previous legal experience should never be overlooked.

4. What are the best and worst things about working in family law?

The best thing is obtaining a good result for the client and the personal satisfaction that follows – this can be achieving a fair financial settlement so that you know your client will be able to live following a separation, to securing their interest in the family home or obtaining access to their children. The worst thing is hearing the sometimes very sad circumstances that have lead that client to take legal advice; whether it be how their relationship has broken down, to domestic violence issues.

5. Are you still happy with the area of law that you qualified into? Would you change your specialism given the chance?

I love working in family law as the variety in the type of work that I do is huge. I would not choose to go into any other area.

6. What is the most valuable thing that you have learnt that can’t be found in a law textbook?

How to relate to a client. People skills are not frequently taught, but a successful family lawyer will be able to communicate effectively with their client and understand their needs, as well as be able to handle the legal aspects.

7. What does a typical day look like for you?

After dealing with any urgent matters in the first instance, my day is comprised of seeing clients, drafting agreements, analysing financial disclosure, putting together settlement offers and also ensuring that all files are up to date.

8. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Obtaining a Leave to Remove Order for a mother who wanted to move with her child to Kyrgyzstan, when the father was fiercely opposed to this. The case was extremely complex and necessitated a selection of experts and research generally, so we were really pleased to have obtained the Order when the outcome was initially quite bleak.

9. Describe your law firm in three words.

Modern, dynamic, dedicated.

10. What do you believe are the key motivators and qualities required in order to succeed and enjoy a career in law?

I think no matter which area you choose to practice in, you have to have a genuine interest and passion for it, as not only will you enjoy the work more, but will probably do a better job for your client!

11. Do you have any advice for students looking to start a career in law?

Get as much legal work experience as possible as the market is extremely competitive and you need to make yourself stand out. It will also give you a feel for the law and help you decide whether or not it really is for you.

Tags: interview, job hunting, qualification, solicitor

Guest Post: Planning for a Baby While in Law School

Posted by Sarah Ryan on February 12, 2013
Law, Student, Work-life Balance / 1 Comment

Many students start law school after they have already had professional work for a few years. As a result, many students are already married, or are older and are already considering starting a family by the time they start law school. Some students decide that they don’t want to wait (or can’t wait) until law school is over to start trying to have a baby. Some also decide that it would be better trying to care for a young child while juggling the demands of law school, rather than trying to do it while juggling the demands of a new career, which could require 80-hour work weeks that leave little to no time for family.

If you are planning to welcome a new baby while you are in law school, here are a few tips for juggling the responsibilities of both:

Ensure Your Partner Has More Availability

If you are planning to have a child, make sure that your partner has more availability to help share childcare responsibilities. It would be ideal if your partner was a stay-at-home parent in order to be the primary caretaker and person in charge of your household responsibilities. However, if this is not possible, then it would be best if your partner did not have an equally demanding job. Otherwise, the two of you will be stretched far beyond your limits.

Schedule Everything

Caring for a baby is a big responsibility, and law school can be very demanding on its own. Juggling both of them at the same time is going to be tough, to say the least. Scheduling everything can help you to manage it better. Schedule your classes, your study time, your family time — everything. Not only will you make better use of your time that way, but you’ll also identify any issues where you need help right away.

Get Help

Even with the best-laid plans, you may not be able to handle it all by yourself. Enlist the help of family and friends with the baby, house work, or any other tasks. Ask someone to babysit when you need a day to hunker down and focus on your studies. If you can afford it, hire someone to come clean the house or do the shopping — anything to take a few tasks off your plate.

Plan Internships Close to Home

Internships and externships are important to building your resume and improving your chances of getting a job right after graduation. However, traveling can put a big strain on your family, especially when you welcome a new baby. Limit your search to opportunities that are close to home and won’t require you to spend a night away from home.

Take a Semester Off if Needed

Even if you are doing a great job with your schedule and get a lot of help, you may still find that you are struggling to manage it all. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to take a semester off. Taking time off won’t hurt your career opportunities, but if you stay in school and continue to struggle and get terrible grades, that could hurt your opportunities.

Welcoming a new baby while you’re in law school isn’t going to be easy, but if the time is right for you and your family, you can make it work. Follow these tips for managing the responsibilities of both and you’ll manage to graduate all while nurturing your young family.

Chloe Trogden is a writer and manager for <ahref=”http://www.helpdesksoftware.org/”>Helpdesksoftware.org. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, swimming and playing her guitar.

Tags: family, law, student, work-life balance

@Lawisnowblonde Hits The Road

Posted by Sarah Ryan on February 10, 2013
job hunting, Law, Student, Success, Training Contract, training contract applications / No Comments

I know that I have already done one blog post today, but I just had to do a quick post about a law student that I have just discovered on twitter. Her name is Lyndsey Jefferson and her username is @lawisnowblonde.

Lyndsey is taking destiny into her own hands and starting a week long road trip to meet with law firms and lawyers to promote herself and seek a training contract. Her aim is to see as many lawyers as she can between Wick and Wigtown. She will be blogging/tweeting her progress and you can follow her on her website here: http://lawisnowblonde.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/i-would-drive-500-miles/

I will be following her progress closely and am sure that she will find success. She is showing real initiative and taking control. I am so impressed with her plan and can’t wait to see how it goes.

If you are a solicitor or partner between Wick and Wigtown, I would definitely get in touch with Lyndsey and set up a meeting before one of your competitors snaps her up!

For all my law student readers, here is an example of how to stand out from the crowd and impress employers!

Tags: job hunting, law, networking, student, training contract

Top 10 Tips for Using Social Media in Your Training Contract Search

Posted by Sarah Ryan on February 10, 2013
job hunting, Law, Networking, Social media, Training Contract, training contract applications / 1 Comment

A new survey released by Jobvite, a company that provides applicant tracking software, shows that 92% of employers are using or planning to use social networks for recruiting this year. This survey was taken by over 1,000 companies (source). Whilst I think this figure would not be as high for legal recruiters (as I’m not sure that all solicitors quite understand the importance of social media), it is clear that social media is becoming more and more important in the search for that elusive training contract.

Here are my top ten tips on how to use social media to complement your training contract search:

1. Make your profile “employer-friendly”.

Check your profiles on all social media site and make sure that you are happy with the content. If there is something there that you would not want an employer to see, delete it! If you really don’t want to remove the content, you can make your profile private to prevent future employers from seeing it. The downside of this is that you can’t use social media to promote yourself and it makes it clear to potential employers that you have something to hide.

Whilst on the subject, double-check the photos that you are tagged in or have shared on your social media profiles. Remove any that show you in a bad light (such as drunken party photos).

2. Your profile picture.

Choose a professional photo, preferably of you in a smart outfit or suit. Ideally, it will be a headshot where you are smiling and standing in front of a plain background.

3. Show your expertise.

Use your social media to show your knowledge of the law and the area that you want to specialise in. There are a few ways of doing this:

(a) Via blog posts;

(b) Answering questions as an expert on LinkedIn;

(d) Using YouTube videos

4. Interact with relevant people.

In every social media site, there are ways of finding and interacting with relevant people, such as law firms, qualified solicitors/barristers, lecturers and legal bloggers. In twitter, I would add these people to a list so that you can find them quickly and easily when you want to read their updates and join conversations. Join conversations, share information that interests you and don’t be afraid to ask questions! It shows your passion for the law. Networking is key to a successful law career.

5. Research.

You can use social media to help you research law firms in readiness for applications and interviews. On LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, you are able to follow/like solicitors and read their updates, giving you the most up-to-date information about the firm.

6. Display your CV.

You can use LinkedIn to display your CV to potential employers. I would include a link to your LinkedIn CV on your other profiles to help draw traffic to it. You could also get creative and produce a video CV on YouTube and/or an infographic of your CV and experience. This will help you to stand out from the crowd.

7. Join Groups.

On LinkedIn and Facebook, you can find relevant groups for solicitors. This will help you to get involved in discussions, show your expertise and raise your profile.

8. Show your personality.

Law firms like to know that potential trainees have a life outside of the office. This has a two-fold impact: (a) it helps you to retain a good work-life balance so that you don’t get stressed, and (b) it helps you to interact with clients. Show off your hobbies (with the exception of anything offensive, or heavy partying!). In particular, highlight any team-working activities and charity work.

9. Job Searches.

On LinkedIn, there is a designated job search facility that you can follow and keep an eye on for relevant positions. In twitter, you can follow certain hashtags to keep an eye out for opportunities. Most social media sites have their own version of this that you can use.

10. Bring it all together!

Make sure that all of your profiles are consistent to help you establish your brand. You should think of yourself like a salesperson and you are the product! Does your message stay the same throughout all of the sites? Include links to all of your profiles on your email signature. I see emails from job seekers almost daily and I can tell you that most don’t do this! I would also include links to your profiles on your website and business cards.

One final note

I am not sure that law firms quite understand the importance of social media yet, although it has improved over the past few years. As such, I would not rely solely on social media to find a training contract. Use it to supplement your applications and to help raise your profile in the right circles.

What other tips do you have for using social media to help with your training contract search? Please share in the comments section below!

Tags: law, social media, student, training contract

SMART Goals Not New Years’ Resolutions

Posted by Sarah Ryan on January 01, 2013
Goals, Success / 1 Comment

“A dream without a plan is just a wish.” – Larry Elder

For the past two years (since reading The Guide), I have not set New Years’ Resolutions on 1^st January. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, I believe there is a stigma about New Years’ Resolutions that people stick to them for a month and then give up. This sets you up to fail before you’ve even begun. Secondly, I plan and review my goals and progress throughout the year, so there really is no need to focus on it on 1^st January specifically.

Goals are absolutely fundamental to making progress and achieving success in life. Without a definite vision of where you want to be (with a clear plan for getting there), it is easy to get distracted or put progress off for another day. Success is achieved by having a plan and taking small, consistent actions every day towards your goals. You wouldn’t head off on a long journey to a new destination without a map or sat nav, and if you did you would find yourself lost or taking twice as long to get there. Why delay your progress by working without a map?

There are some excellent books on goal setting out there – I recommend, in particular, The Guide by William Holden and Goals by Zig Ziglar, but there are lots more listed in my reading list. In short, the goals that you set should always be SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and timely). You should also write your goals in the present tense so that you can picture yourself as having already achieved them and spend some time every day visualising your success. The importance of this is explained more in The Guide.

Once you have set your goals, you should try and do at least one thing every day to progress them. Personally, I write my goals out in my diary every day and write my actions next to them. If I haven’t done anything that day, I write NOTHING in big red letters. This helps me to flick through my diary on a weekly basis and see which goals I am neglecting so that I can improve! Then at the end of every month, I review my goals and see whether I am on track or not.

In my opinion, goal setting is a continual process and should be a habit exercised regularly, not just on 1^st January. This ensures that you are always heading towards achieving your dreams.

How do you make sure that you stay focused on your goals? Please share your tips in my comments section below!

Tags: Goals, success