How to Gain Legal Experience

A law degree gives you the legal knowledge you need to start a career, but studying law is very different from actually working in the legal profession. It can be difficult to know what life is really like in a law firm, barristers' chambers or an in-house legal team until you have spent some time in one.

Gaining legal experience gives you the chance to see how legal work is done in practice. It can also help you work out which areas of law interest you, develop skills that employers look for and make your CV stronger. There are many ways to gain experience, and not all of them require you to have previous legal work experience.

Internship

An internship is a temporary period of work experience with an organisation. In the legal sector, this could mean working at a law firm, barristers' chambers, in-house legal department, government department, charity or court.

Internships vary considerably in length. Some may last only a few days, while others can continue for several weeks or months. The work you do will depend on the organisation and your level of experience. You might carry out legal research, sit in on client meetings, help prepare documents, review files or assist with general administrative work.

One of the main benefits of an internship is that it gives you a chance to experience a legal workplace for yourself. You can see what lawyers actually do during the working day and get a better idea of whether a particular area of law suits you.

An internship can also add useful experience to your CV. However, being able to explain what you actually did is usually more valuable than simply listing the organisation. When discussing an internship with an employer, focus on what you learned, the skills you developed and what the experience taught you about a legal career.

Placement

A placement is a longer period of practical work experience that is connected to your studies. It may be arranged through your university or found independently.

Some universities allow law students to spend a semester or an entire academic year working in a law firm, legal department, government organisation, court, charity or law clinic. Because placements can last much longer than internships, they may give you the opportunity to take on more responsibility and become more familiar with the organisation.

Placements are particularly useful because they allow you to connect what you learn at university with actual legal work. For example, a student studying property law might spend a placement in a conveyancing department and see how property transactions are handled from start to finish.

You can also develop important workplace skills, including communication, organisation, teamwork, client interaction and professional conduct. These skills are difficult to develop fully through academic study alone.

Depending on the qualification route you are following, some types of placement experience may also count towards the practical experience requirements for professional qualification. The rules can vary, so it is worth checking the requirements that apply to your particular route before relying on a placement for this purpose.

Vacation Scheme

A vacation scheme is a structured period of work experience offered by many law firms during university holidays. They are particularly important for students who are interested in qualifying as solicitors.

A scheme may last from around a week to several weeks. Participants may spend time in different departments, complete legal tasks, attend meetings, meet lawyers and take part in training sessions.

Vacation schemes are different from ordinary work experience because they are often closely linked to recruitment. Many firms use them to identify candidates for future training contracts. Performing well during a vacation scheme can therefore lead to an offer for a future role.

This means a vacation scheme should be treated as both a learning opportunity and a chance to demonstrate your suitability for the firm. You may be assessed on your communication, teamwork, commercial awareness, problem-solving and ability to approach legal tasks.

Competition can be particularly strong at large commercial law firms. Check application deadlines carefully and give yourself plenty of time to research the firm and prepare your application.

Mini-Pupillage

A mini-pupillage is a short period of work experience for people considering a career as a barrister. It normally takes place within a set of barristers' chambers.

During a mini-pupillage, you may shadow a barrister, attend court hearings, sit in on conferences with clients or instructing solicitors, read case papers or discuss the preparation of a case. The experience can vary considerably depending on the chambers and the type of work it does.

For someone considering the Bar, a mini-pupillage can be one of the best ways to understand what the job is actually like. You can see how barristers prepare cases, advise clients and present arguments in practice rather than relying solely on what you have learned at university.

Mini-pupillage can also be useful when applying for pupillage because it gives you the opportunity to demonstrate a genuine interest in advocacy and the work of a particular area of the Bar.

Places can be competitive, especially at well-known chambers. It is therefore worth applying to a range of chambers and checking each one carefully for its eligibility requirements, application process and deadlines.

Pro Bono Work

Pro bono work involves providing legal work or legal-related assistance without charging the person receiving the help. The term comes from the Latin phrase pro bono publico, meaning "for the public good".

Law students can often get involved in pro bono projects through their university, a charity, a law firm or another organisation. Depending on the project and your level of experience, you might carry out legal research, help prepare documents, provide legal information, assist with case administration or take part in supervised client interviews.

Pro bono work can give you a useful insight into the practical side of law while also showing you the importance of access to justice. You may work with people facing problems that have a significant impact on their lives, which can provide a very different experience from studying legal principles in a classroom.

It is also a good way to develop skills such as legal research, communication, client interviewing, problem-solving and teamwork. For students who have not yet secured formal legal work experience, pro bono work can be a particularly useful addition to a CV.

When talking about the experience in an application, focus on what you actually did and what you learned rather than simply naming the organisation you volunteered for.

Law Clinic

A law clinic allows students to gain practical experience by helping with genuine legal problems under appropriate supervision. Law clinics are often run by universities, although other legal organisations may operate them as well.

Clinics can cover areas such as housing, employment, family law, immigration, consumer disputes and welfare benefits. Depending on the clinic and your level of experience, you might help interview clients, identify legal issues, carry out research, prepare documents or provide general legal information under supervision.

The main benefit of a law clinic is that it gives you direct experience of applying legal knowledge to real situations. You may encounter facts that are much more complicated than the scenarios used in textbooks or lectures, and you have to think about how the law applies to an actual person's circumstances.

Law clinics can also help you develop client communication, legal research, legal writing, problem-solving and professional conduct. This makes them useful experience for students considering careers as solicitors, barristers or other legal professionals.

Mock Trial

A mock trial is a simulated court case in which participants take on roles such as advocates, witnesses, defendants, claimants, jurors or judges. It is designed to recreate some of the procedures involved in an actual trial.

Mock trials differ from mooting because they cover more than legal argument. Participants may have to make opening and closing submissions, examine and cross-examine witnesses, deal with evidence and follow courtroom procedures.

Taking part can help develop advocacy, public speaking, questioning, evidence-handling and confidence in a courtroom setting. It can also give students a better understanding of how litigation works in practice.

Mock trials are particularly useful for students considering the Bar or a career as a litigator, but the skills can benefit anyone who wants to become more confident when presenting arguments or responding to questions under pressure.

Universities, law societies and legal organisations often organise mock trials and competitions, providing students with an opportunity to practise these skills in a relatively supportive environment.

Mooting

Mooting is a form of simulated legal advocacy in which students present arguments based on a legal problem before a judge or panel. It is one of the most popular ways for law students to develop their legal reasoning and advocacy skills.

In a typical moot, you will be given a legal problem and asked to prepare arguments for one side. You then present those arguments and answer questions from the judge.

Good mooting involves much more than being confident when speaking. You need to research the relevant law, understand the authorities, identify the strongest arguments and be ready to respond when the judge challenges your position.

As a result, mooting develops skills in legal research, analysis, advocacy, oral communication and persuasion. It also teaches you to think quickly and adapt your argument when you are asked a difficult question.

Although mooting is particularly useful for students interested in becoming barristers, the skills are valuable in many legal careers. Solicitors and other legal professionals also need to explain arguments clearly, respond to questions and present information convincingly.

Mooting competitions are organised by university law societies, the Inns of Court and other legal organisations. Some take place within a university, while others involve students and teams from different universities across the country.

Making the Most of Legal Experience

The quality of your legal experience is not simply measured by the name of the organisation on your CV. What matters is what you actually did and what you can say about the experience afterwards.

Try to think about the skills you developed, the legal issues you encountered, what surprised you and whether the experience changed your view of a particular career or practice area. These are the kinds of points you can later use in applications and interviews.

You should also avoid waiting for the "perfect" opportunity. A vacation scheme at a major law firm can be valuable, but so can volunteering at a law clinic, taking part in a university moot or spending time with a smaller local practice. Different experiences give you different insights.

The more opportunities you can take part in, the easier it becomes to make informed decisions about your career. Legal experience is not only about making your CV look stronger. It is also about finding out what type of legal work you actually enjoy and where you want your career to go.