Library Guides: Becoming a Lawyer: Becoming a lawyer

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Tom Ellen

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Based at: Law Library

Practising Law

The City Law School offers an extensive range of support for students at every stage of your legal training on their Law Careers page.

Pupillage

We have a selection of pupillage books at the library, which you can find by searching CityLibrary Search. Westlaw Edge UK also provides a useful Academic & Careers section within their Insights & Events tab.

The City Law School have some excellent career support resources available on their Career Advice page. Their Pupillage Advice Service provides advice, information and assistance, both to those looking for and those who have already obtained pupillage.

Here is a selection of useful websites:

5 Essex Court
Of particular use is their pupillage section, where they give a very clear outline of the selection process, what they are looking for, and what you can expect as a pupil at 5 Essex Court.
BSB Handbook
The BSB Handbook brings together all the BSB's regulations and guidance for barristers into one publication.
Chambers and Partners: UK Bar
Essential in determining what areas of work chambers do and how they are ranked. Remember, chambers with a marketing department are more likely to get their chambers ranked.
Chambers Student
Overviews of chambers with some helpful comments about the recruitment process.
Lawbore Careers Page
Useful guides to pupillage, interviewing and networking effectively.
Pupillage Gateway
The Pupillage Gateway is the online application system for pupillage.
The Bar Qualification Manual
The BQM contains information relating to training and qualifying as a barrister.
Pupillage and how to get it
Advice from pupils, juniors, career advisors , and senior barristers.
Middle Temple Pupillage Podcast
Each of the episodes is focused on a different aspect of the pupillage process, from creating your CV and joining an Inn, to acquiring advocacy experience and doing pro bono work; from how to approach mini-pupillages, to applications and interviews.
Radcliffe Chambers
Pupillage Q&A: What are your top tips for writing pupillage applications?
ICCA, ‘Success in Obtaining Pupillage’
Webinar. Effective pupillage applications and interviews from the Inns of Court College of Advocacy.

Useful Websites for aspiring barristers

The Bar Council
General information about the three main stages of training.
Current Awareness from Inner Temple
View Inner Temple Library's current awareness feed for the latest legal news.
The Kalisher Trust
Training, financial support, and help for young people wishing to pursue a career at the Criminal Bar. Also mentoring and advocacy skills.
Lawcareers.net
Pupillage search, pupillage deadlines, and latest news.
Chambers Student
Information on a career at the Bar, gaining pupillage, and reports on barristers' chambers.
The Legal 500 Bar
The UK’s most impressive barristers and chambers.

Inns of Court Libraries

The Inns of Court play a central role in the recruitment, training and professional life of barristers, holding the exclusive rights to call candidates to the bar of England and Wales. Their libraries include a wealth of resources not readily available elsewhere.

Every BVS student must be a member of one of the four Inns; admission costs approx. £100, and gives access to the Inn's library. See below for information on each Inn library:

Gray's Inn Library
Specialist Law Collections: Foreign Law, International Law, Northern Ireland, amongst others.
The Library is open to all students that are members of any of the four Inns of Court.
Discounted document supply for students.
Lincoln's Inn Library
Specialist Law Collections: Parliamentary Materials, Commonwealth, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, amongst others.
The Library is open to all members and student members of Lincoln's Inn only. However, they will admit student members of other Inns to use the Library for material not held by their own Inn; for reference purposes only.
Inner Temple Library
Specialist Law Collections: Commonwealth, Scotland, amongst others.
The Library is open to all students that are members of any of the four Inns of Court.
Middle Temple Library
Specialist Law Collections: EU & Member States, Ireland, United States, amongst others.
The Library is open to all students that are members of any of the four Inns of Court.

For more details of each of the Inn Libraries specialisations visit the Inn Libraries Specialisations section of their website.

Please check their websites for opening times.

Usually one of the four Inn Libraries will be open from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. on each Saturday during the legal terms. The Inner Temple Library Saturday Opening Hours page provides a Saturday opening timetable for the four Inn Libraries.

Applying for a Training Contract

We have a selection of books on training contracts at the library, which you can find by searching CityLibrary Search. Westlaw Edge UK also provides a useful Academics & Careers section within their Insights & Events tab.

The City Law School career support website has a lot of useful information about applying for a training contract. The Training Contracts Advisory Service provides guidance through the process of finding employment both within the legal profession, and in the public and commercial sectors of the economy. You can start using the service as soon as you accept your place on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at The City Law School.

Here are some other useful websites:

Chambers Student - getting a training contract
Guidance on finding a training contract, different types of solicitors, and applications and interviews.
Lawbore Careers
Has tips on how to secure a contract and contains useful interviews with previous students.
Lawcareers.net
Search for a training contract or find deadlines for applications.
Prospects
Search for the latest training contracts available.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Sets out the SRA requirements for trainee solicitors.

Useful Websites for aspiring solicitors

Chambers Student
Searchable database of law firms, and information on salaries, trainee retention, application criteria and more.
Find a Solicitor
Directory of solicitors and other legal professionals who are Law Society members. It can be searched geographically or by area of practice.
Lawbore Careers
Contains useful information about the LPC course and securing a training contract.
Lawcareers.net
This website provides useful information for aspiring solicitors.
Law Society - becoming a solicitor
Law Society guidance on becoming a solicitor, including information on qualifying as a solicitor, FAQs, and useful contacts.
Law Society Gazette
This is the weekly journal of the Law Society. We have print copies in the Library.
The Lex 100
Student guide to the UK's top law firms, including comparison data, information on practice areas, and guidance on applications.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates solicitors in England and Wales. Contains the SRA Handbook which sets out the standards and requirements expected.

The Law Society Library

The Law Society is the independent professional body for solicitors in England and Wales. Their website contains a lot of useful information, such as news, practice areas, support services and career advice.

The Law Society Library, located in the Law Society's Hall, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL, is available free of charge for LPC students to use. You must bring your City card (or a letter from your tutor) to prove you are currently enrolled on an LPC or a ‘top-up’ LLM course. Please check their website for opening times.

It has practitioner texts, law reports and journals. Complete runs of local, public & private acts. Hansard from 1804. House of Commons papers from 1801.