Meet Poppy: Studying LLM in Legal Practice at The University of Law

Hi everyone, my name is Poppy. I am currently studying the LLM in Legal Practice (SQE 1&2) course at the University of Law, and I am a future trainee for a law firm in Cambridge.

I began my further education with a degree in biological anthropology, before deciding that a legal career was what I really wanted to pursue. Since then, I have undertaken a law conversion course, and I am on my way to completing the academic side of my legal education this summer.

Securing a training contract is no easy task; and the route to getting one looks different for everyone.

For me, the process began in the third year of my undergraduate degree, which commenced in October 2022. I worked my way through countless application stages throughout the year, before attending a vacation scheme for my chosen firm in June 2023. Following this, I was successful and was awarded a training contract around the time of my graduation.

It was certainly the most challenging year of my degree. Balancing my final-year studies with such a strenuous application process was not for the faint-hearted! However, I am really pleased I persevered with my degree and the application process simultaneously. If I had been unsuccessful that year, the experience of an application cycle was invaluable, and if I had needed to complete more applications the next year, I would have felt really confident in the process. Don’t be scared to get started! The experience is always valuable, even if the outcome isn’t immediate success.

From there, my firm has supported me and guided me through both my law conversion course and the LLM Legal Practice (SQE 1&2) course.

Though this route does not always suit everyone’s needs and timings, I would certainly advocate to at least exploring the training contract route into qualification. In my particular circumstance, the certainty and support that a training contract has given me has allowed me to give my full attention and focus to my studies.

I decided to study at the University of Law because although there are various law school providers offering the course, this was the best fit for me as they are one of the only providers that have a campus here in Newcastle.

Also, I had previously completed the law conversion course at this campus, which I really enjoyed, so I decided to stay for another year.

My favourite learning experience so far has been Dispute Resolution. This encompasses quite a few of the black-letter law topics and integrates these theories into the practical application of real-life legal disputes.

It has been interesting to see how cases progress through the court system and to witness the law in action; trying to balance the needs of all the parties in the pursuit of justice. Practical topics like this bring the theoretical law a step closer to the day-to-day life of a working solicitor.

I decided to extend my learning in this topic area, and I am currently undertaking a key professional practice module in Advanced Dispute Resolution as part of my SQE Plus studies.

Starting as a trainee feels like the culmination of all five years of my further education. Every day in the library, every lesson and exam has all been with the purpose of one day putting it all into practice. So, I would say that is what I am most looking forward to – seeing it all in action!

The courses I have undertaken at the University of Law have been detailed and extensive; I couldn’t be more prepared to have a go at the real thing.

I don’t think there is any magic advice, at least not anything that directly worked for me. However, there are definitely some things that make the process less daunting.

Know what you’re getting yourself into: I know it sounds obvious, but when I first started the training contract process, I had no idea what the whole process looked like. If I had done proper research in October 2022, I would have worked out that the earliest I could possibly be a qualified solicitor would be 2027! It can be a really long process, depending on where you are starting from. At the very least, do the maths and know the steps (there are probably more than you think!)

Save and record everything: You might not want to be reminded of your answers in the immediate aftermath of a tricky interview or difficult assessment centre, but keeping a record of everything you do in an application cycle is invaluable when you have to repeat a similar process so many times. The last thing you need is to be giving the same answers to interview questions that you have already been told didn’t work out! It is also really easy to see how quickly your writing and interviewing style improves with practice – which is a great confidence boost.

Luck: It’s something that can often be forgotten about, but remembering that luck is a factor in the training contract process can be a really helpful way to lighten the load. Although it is true that having a variety of work experience, showing that you have great grades and putting a lot of work into your applications will help you succeed; training contract places are highly competitive, and I can only imagine that law firms often have far more amazing candidates than they have places to offer. It can be useful to remember that rejections can be an outcome when there is simply an overflow of great people, rather than that your application wasn’t good enough.

I think that leads me to two final pieces of advice: always ask for feedback and persevere – you might just need luck on your side.

I want to say good luck to anyone exploring a career in law. I have only been studying law for two years, but it has already introduced me to some of the most interesting topics, projects and people!

Finally: the new route to qualification is the SQE. This is a really unique exam format and not like anything I had done before; do check out the exam details well in advance to make sure you’re comfortable with what’s required.