[AB]

Sorry this is a bit off topic for a bouldering forum but thought with the wealth of knowledge on this site someone is bound to know! Does anyone know anywhere where I can get a couple of days law work experience around the Sheffield area? I am currently a 2nd year undergraduate in philosophy and i'm trying to decide whether to commit to a law conversion course. Basically, I want to know what a career in Law is really like, eg how much climbing I could get away with!

[Dolly]

Most of the solicitors I know work long hours - just seems to be the way its done.
Barristers less so - and of course you have the ability to "choose" when you work.
For solicitors work experience then it depends on what area of law you're interested in. There's a world of difference between a commercial lawyer dealing with IP and contractual issues and someone dealing with family/conveyancing for example.

[tommytwotone]

I used to work for Irwin Mitchell (though in an IT capacity, not the legal side)-  they're a big firm, central Sheffield and 5 mins walk from The Foundry...might be worth giving them a shout?

[lagerstarfish]

Howells deal with most of the cases that I get involved with - public order/crim defence connected with subs misuse

big firm with plenty of interesting cases in magistrates and crown courts

worth a go

[tomtom]

I know two people who have done law conversion courses.

1. (sister in law) Just qualified - works very long hours (longer while qualifying) and works for a ethical firm that picks up alot of asylum/legal aid cases etc..
2. Friend, who is now (12 years on) a partner in a major international law firm specialising in shipping law. He lives and works in Singapore, I dread to think how much money he earns, but he allegedly once spent 10k on a pen.

[lagerstarfish]

some of my most entertaining viewing in the courts has been watching Danny Simpson from Howells (this might have a lot to do with some of the indefensible cases I have seen him defending) - give him a call to see if he'll let you watch

[SamT]

2 best mates from school are commercial lawyers - One worked for Irwin Mitchell for a long time and now works  at HLW law in town - I can ask him.

The other is now a big cheese in BT having worked for A&O for a long time in London.

They have both pretty much given over their 20s and 30s to their career, late nights in the office every week seemed to be the norm. the big firms want your soul (and some).  Of course now they are on very high salaries and probably work less than they used to - but still more than your average 9 to 5.

Not really a career I'd think of if you are wanting lots of free time to bod of climbing every time the sun shines.

Fire service??

Good pay though so you can get 2 weeks really fancy holiday a year.

[AB]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking of commercial law at the moment but need to get a better feel for each area. Thanks for the suggestions, Irwin Mitchell sounds perfect and would be good to try and get some courtroom experience with Howells so i'll get emailing. Does anybody know what the hours are like for working in a small local practice?
SamT- would you mind emailing your friend? Even just having coffee would be great. 

[kingholmesy]

I work for DLA Piper, albeit in the Manchester office.  We have a Sheffield office and one of the lasses I know there is a climber.

DLA and most of the other big firms have formal summer vacation schemes which you can take part in.  I would really recommend these schemes as they give you a good insight into life as a lawyer.  However, you have to go through an application process to get a place and I am not sure when the cut-off date is for this year.

For what it's worth, I am a former Politics and Philosophy student and did a conversion course after deciding a career in academia wasn't for me.  I really enjoy my job (I'm a litigator) and the pay's relatively good.  On the flip side I work quite long hours (9 - 7 normally). While this is fine for getting to the wall after work in the winter, I do miss out on mid-week cragging in the summer, unlike a couple of my friends who are teachers and seem to be able to finish early.

[tlr]

Fwiw, of all the people that I qualified with only one is still working as a lawye, the rest have changed careers. She earns great money but works huge hours, and frequently works all weekend, often cancelling nights out and weekends away at the last minute due to work.

I really don't think it's a job that is easy to combine with any serious hobby, but as has been said already, there are lots of different types of lawyers and law firms. Choose wisely.

[AB]

Again thanks for the replies, I think need to now try and just get my head down with work experience and see if the any areas of law which make me sufficiently psyched to sacrifice climbing time too! I think if you are working 9-7 and sometimes weekends then the motivation can only come from the work itself and not soley from the financial rewards. Kingholmesy- had at the look at the DLA piper scheme and it looks really good but unfortunately the cut off date was November so one to apply for next year- it also one which doesnt require that you are already studying law. On a personal level have you found that when you became a lawyer (starting with your training contract) did your performance in climbing drop?

[kingholmesy]

I think if you are working 9-7 and sometimes weekends then the motivation can only come from the work itself and not soley from the financial rewards.

This is definitely true.  The money helps, but I couldn't do it if I didn't find my job interesting.  Thankfully I very rarely have to come into work at the weekends.

Kingholmesy- had at the look at the DLA piper scheme and it looks really good but unfortunately the cut off date was November so one to apply for next year- it also one which doesnt require that you are already studying law.

About 50% of trainees at DLA come via the conversion course route having done another degree first. I don't think that you will be at a disadvantage as a non-law graduate, so long as you can justify at interview why you now want to pursue a career in law and can sell the applicability of the reasoning skills etc that you have developed through your studies.

On a personal level have you found that when you became a lawyer (starting with your training contract) did your performance in climbing drop?

I hadn't been climbing that long before starting work as a solicitor, so my climbing performance has improved to its current (mediocore!) level since then.  As it is I manage to combine training three evenings a week and climbing all day on Saturdays with working in the week and spending Sundays with my wife.  As such I don't feel that work holds me back from training too much.  However, what the job does lack is the flexibility to get outdoors mid-week if the sun is shining.

[AB]

Cheers for the advice kingholmsey, looks like as things are there is no obvious reason why I should stop looking for a career in law. The good news is I've got a couple of days work experience this summer in two different firms (and hopefully get some more if all goes well) so by the cut off date for the conversion course (november) I should be able to make an informed decision. Thanks again