As a non-law student, in your first, second or third year you can be involved in many different opportunities. Employers are not looking exclusively for students who come from a legal background of study. With limited legal knowledge you are still eligible to apply to most of the opportunities which are open to law students, this includes: open days, skills workshops, vacation schemes, brand/campus ambassador, insight schemes and many more.
Employers, not just in law but across other sectors such as finance or technology do not look for students with a certain degree, they pursue students who have employable skills and qualities; are passionate to learn and further their limited knowledge of law (or sectors to which they want to work within).
Qualifying as a Solicitor as a non-law student:
Under the new system of ‘Solicitors Qualifying Examination’ (SQE), it is no longer a requirement to complete the law conversion course known as the GDL. As of September 2021, upon completion of your undergraduate non-law degree, you must pass both stages of the SQE; have two years worth of qualifying work experience (this is where your training contract would come in), and pass the Solicitors Regulation Authority character test.
Important tips and advise to take away from this page, that will come of great use, in strengthening your application is:
- As a non law student, get involved with the Law Society, Commercial Awareness Society or Business Society at your university.
- Build and improve upon your commercial awareness, this is vital skill which trainees and vacation scheme applicants must be able to demonstrate. Refer to our page on ‘Commercial Awareness’ which can help you with improving this skill.
- Attend and participate in Virtual Open Days and Law Fairs. Legal Cheek is one of the best organisation for hosting many different types of open days with different types of firms, practice areas and trending legal issues.
- Engage, form friendships and network with students and trainees in the legal profession, this may help with broadening your technical knowledge of the legal profession.
- Offer to take up voluntary positions with your Local Citizens Advise Clinic and Pro Bono opportunities.
- And finally, register and attend our workshops which we host in collaboration with many City Law firms such as Dentons, Clyde and Co and many others.
First and Second Year non-law students:
As a first and second year non-law student you can be involved in the following opportunities and further details for these can be found on the ‘First Year Students’ page:
- Law Firm Open Days
- Campus Ambassador
- First Year Insight Scheme
- Firm Led Workshops
- Scholarship programmes
- Other
Second and Third year non-law students:
As a penultimate year or final year non-law student, whilst you may wish to participate in the opportunities mentioned above, this is also the time when most students wanting to secure a training contact at a commercial law firm, will apply for vacation schemes. This scheme is specifically reserved for second and third year students.
Vacation schemes are a period of work experience offered by law firms, ranging from two to four weeks, and in some cases paid. They are aimed at students wanting to experience the culture of a firm and the type of work they may undertake as a trainee. Many law firms will allow students to sit in more than one practice area during the scheme, exposure to different practice areas allows you, as a student to choose and see what area you may then want to specialize in as a qualified solicitor.
Further details on vacation schemes and the different types of law firms offering the schemes, can be found on the ‘Second/Third year students’ page.
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