Some employability tips for law students

I joke (often) that my inbox is a law student's dream. An awful lot of emails from HR directors at large law firms. I also speak to law students quite a bit or graduates looking for a traineeship.

Lasts night I spoke at Addleshaw Goddard's event: Scotland Lacks Diversity; Myth or Reality. It was heartening to see so many law students at an event in-person and getting to speak to practitioners.

I promised a couple of law students I spoke to that I would pass on some hints and tips. I've done that but, perhaps, it is worth sharing those more widely in case they are of interest to others.

Tip 1: Show curiosity and become knowledgeable

This has been a running theme of hiring managers. An attribute they look for is curiosity. The law degree is assumed, but are you interested beyond that. Can you evidence that you are interested in particular practice areas? Clients? Sectors? How can you demonstrate that if asked? Law is a people business... are you interested in the clients you'll serve.

Now, as a law student, you might think... how can I show that? You've got enough plates spinning. Some quick ideas.

• Sign up to Scottish Legal News.
• Read Legal Cheek, Legal Futures, and the Journal websites. These things will help enormously with general legal market knowledge.
• Follow interesting lawyers on Twitter. There are loads out there who give amazing stuff in-depth. Scottish law (particularly Scottish law twitter and LinkedIn) is a village – it is easy to learn a lot.
• There’s great free content on Hey Legal and Crafty Counsel.
• The Hamlyn Lectures are a great resource (the Pannick and Burrows ones in particular)
• As is John Sturrock KC’s SoundCloud.

Tip 2: Turn up

My team are bored of West Wing references... but "decisions are made by the people who turn up". And, similarly, turning up matters. There are lots of ways law students and graduates can meet lawyers.

• Loads of organisations (firms, in-house teams, legal associations etc) put on free/cheap events that students could go to. Go! You’ll learn stuff and meet people/make connections. You’ll learn about these in Scottish Legal News, LinkedIn and Twitter.
• If a big firm puts on an information evening, Go! It is a great chance to make an impression. Do your research in advance. Go and speak to people. Ask for their card. Connect on LinkedIn afterwards.
• If you pull out of an event for the love of God email in advance. Otherwise your name is left out on a little name badge and everyone sees you didn’t turn up.
• There are too many organisations to name…SYLA, TANQ, SYLA, TANQ, Scottish Society of Computers and Law, advocates’ stables, Trauma Aware Lawyers, GBA, EBA, Royal Faculty of Procurators, WS Society (many have a student rate). I am sure students would be welcome at their events. There are dozens of such organisations and countless opportunities to learn. A few weeks ago the University of Edinburgh put on a three-day long Festival of Legal Possibilities with a frankly jaw-dropping list of speakers. Last night there was an SYLA online event and an Addleshaw Goddard in-person event... these things are open. Turn up (if you can... I know people have lectures, family, work).

Tip 3: Research

• If going to a big firm event or going to a law fair, do some research.
• There is little worse than going to a law fair and a student turning to you and asking: "what does your firm do?", "do you offer traineeships?" etc. Plan out before the law fair who is going. Think about the areas of law you are interested in. Map your interests to those firms. Want to do litigation? Great! Don’t go to a corporate boutique and say "I want a career in litigation". Showing a little bit of knowledge when chatting to the people on the stand (usually HR people or trainees) can get you an in.
• Read the firm websites… what cases or transactions are they talking about? What are they ranked in? Etc. Show an interest. One major recruiter said "sometimes it is clear in interviews that people don’t know what we do."
• Here’s a blog from my colleague Olivia Moore on how to get the most out of a law fair.
• I think Ryan McCuaig's YouTube channel has great content.
• Nadia Cook's site is good too, as is the Legable website.

Tip 4: Get experience

• Nobody believes me but I speak to HR directors on a daily basis and I promise you this is a recurring theme. Students massively under-estimate their non-legal work experience and massively over-estimate their legal work experience. If you work in a shop, supermarket, bar or café don’t be ashamed of that. Be proud of it. It shows you are busy, can time-manage and know how to deal with people.
• Volunteering experience is important to for similar reasons. Volunteering for a charity consistently over time is more valuable than a short blast here or there.
• For ethnic minority students: organisations like SEMLA and Black Professionals Scotland do great careers events and on occasion bespoke work experience. Get involved on social media and go to their events. For LGBT+ lawyers there is the Glass Network. For disabled lawyers there is Disabling Barriers and each of these is hugely welcoming to allies.
• I’ve written some blogs on employability over the years. Some of these are now pretty dated but much of it holds true, even if the examples are old. 
  For job-hunting new lawyers, not being civil is criminal
  What makes a good trainee solicitor (according to employers)?
  Law students: Making the most of your online presence
  What is 'commercial awareness'? And why should you be are of it?
  The elusive criminal defence traineeship – how to make a good case for yourself
  Training yourself for a legal traineeship
  Law students and summer placements: a quick summary
  Dealing with mistakes as a trainee solicitor
  Why law students should be thinking tech
  How to ace competency-based interviews
  Legal traineeships and the perils of tunnel vision

Tip 5: Upskill

• If you can get involved with things that add to your skillset. This doesn’t have to be president of the student law society but debating clubs, mooting clubs, finance clubs etc might help.
• Get involved like things like Street Law with the Law Society of Scotland or the free legal advice or law clinics at your university. These things help you develop really important skills and help on a CV. Winner, winner...

Tip 6: Get a mentor

• There is a career mentoring scheme run by the Law Society of Scotland.We can't always serve everyone... but it is there. Lots of other organisations run mentoring networks.