Students
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE IS
ALL IT TAKES
There are certain things you need to be a lawyer. You’ve got to be determined, hard-working, switched on to the world around you. At PRIMED for Law, we know these are traits anyone can have. They can’t be bought. They don’t come from private school education, or your parents’ finances.
They’re part of who you are, and the person you want to be. So if you want to work in law, you can come from any background, culture or social group. If you’ve got the right attitude, you can become a great lawyer. It all starts here, with PRIMED for Law.
STUDENTS
SEARCH FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
Alternatively you can register for our Virtual Legal Work Experience Programme.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A LAWYER?
Before you go looking for legal work experience, you might want to know more about what it means to be a lawyer. Here are the three main roles in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
01. Solicitors
The experience you’ll find with most of our firms is the kind of work you’d do as a solicitor. It’s typically all about working with businesses to provide legal advice. If a client wants to build a skyscraper or copyright a piece of technology or open shops in a new country, they’ll come to you as a solicitor.
02. In-house counsel
Most solicitors work for a law firm, but if you’re in-house counsel, you’ll do the same work for just one company. It might be a bank, a search engine, a TV company – all kinds of businesses have in-house teams. Instead of working with lots of different clients, you’ll work only for your company, specialising in their industry.
03. Barristers
If you’re thinking of lawyers in terms of making an argument in court, those are usually barristers. They’ll generally only get involved once a case has to go to court, and they’ll be hired by solicitors to represent their client.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM A CAREER IN LAW?
If you enjoy your work experience and want to take it further, you might pursue a career as a solicitor or a barrister. If you end up with a firm like those who make up PRIMED for Law, then you’ll start as a trainee solicitor for two years, then work your way up to associate. Then, for those ready to be challenged at the highest level, you could even aim for partner. At every stage in your development, you’ll become a more senior lawyer, known in your field. You might even become a judge one day.
School age. You must be in one of:
- Year 9 to Year 13 (England & Wales)
- S2 to S6 (Scotland)
- Year 10 – 14 (Northern Ireland)
- 4th Year to 6th Year (Republic of Ireland)
At a state school
You must be attending, and have always attended, a
state-funded, non-fee-paying school/college.
You must also meet one or more
of the following
- You have been, or are currently, in local authority care.
- You are currently in receipt of, or have previously received, free school meals, Pupil Premium, Education Maintenance Allowance and/or 16 to 19 Bursary.
- You are, or have been, a full-time or part-time carer.
- You came to the UK as a refugee or asylum seeker.
- The occupation of your main household earner is categorised as a routine or manual occupation. A summary of this can be found here.
- You are attending a state school or college with:
a) below average A-Level or Higher point score and/or
b) low rate of progression to higher education
(PRIMED for Law Work Experience School Eligibility Criteria). - You grew up in a household where no parent or guardian attended University.
Note: young people who meet the local authority care criterion do not need to
meet any other criterion.
These criteria are not exhaustive and may be amended over time.
The application process will vary depending on where you are applying, and you’ll find out how to apply on the profile of each of our members. That said, there are some tips we can give you, no matter where you go:
Be yourself
Our member law firms and in-house legal teams aren’t expecting you to have any legal experience – they are looking for enthusiasm and ambition to succeed.
Check the finer details
As much as you can, double-check your application for spelling and grammar. If that’s not your strong suit, ask a parent, a teacher, a sibling – anyone who can be a second pair of eyes.
Read any instructions carefully
Chances are, you will be asked some pretty straightforward questions – but it never hurts to make sure you’ve checked. Did you answer the right question? Is there anything you’ve missed?
Conversations over Coffee
“Never count yourself out….you’ve got every right, as every other young person to enter these law firms and to reach the top.”
Watch Karishma’s Story
“Take all of the opportunities PRIME gives you, because there’s a lot.”
Watch O’Neill’s Story
“My parents weren’t lawyers or bankers. I didn’t really have any corporate exposure.”
Watch Josh’s Story
“Being a lawyer always felt very distant. There certainly is a world where I wouldn’t have gone to University, but I was lucky to be given an insight by PRIME.”
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
Since PRIMED for Law launched in 2011, more than 19,000 students have accessed quality work experience with law firms and in-house teams across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
