To LPC or not to LPC? That is the question. After graduating without a training contract lined up I was faced with a decision. To keep on searching for a training contract, or to take a plunge and make use of a postgraduate loan to self-fund the LPC? Self-funding was a decision that I thought extremely carefully about, particularly considering the financial commitment and risks involved. Here’s some reasons why self-funding the LPC or SQE might be right for you…
You want to be a solicitor. You know that. Your family knows that. Maybe, even your dog knows that. But does a recruiter know that? Someone who is prepared to take the self-funding route shows a real commitment to starting their law career. This is something you can share in your applications and during interviews to show your passion for law.
The LPC is geared up to preparing you for life as a solicitor through a mixture of academic and practical tests. During the recruitment process, law firms will be assessing not only your legal knowledge, but also the soft skills that you work on during the course. The development of these same skills will help you to be prepared for life as a trainee.
Studying the LPC will give you access to a careers service which is inevitably geared up to helping you get a job in law. The careers team will understand the application process and be able to guide you. Better still, they will understand firms that are suited to you and be able to help you navigate their application processes.
Whilst studying the LPC, the practical focus will help to develop your commercial awareness as it will highlight some of the issues lawyers face. Beyond this, if you undertake an MSc or LLM you will have the opportunity to delve deeper into some specific challenges/trends affecting the legal market. This exposure to and discussion of such issues can be an invaluable asset when the topic arises during interview.
Building a strong network is crucial at all stages of a legal career. Many students on the LPC already have training contracts and so can offer a helpful perspective and useful insight into both the process and their firm.
For those of you considering self-funding your postgraduate legal studies, Michemores is a great place to apply as we offer a reimbursement scheme.
