Monthly Mash Up: Wellbeing in the Legal Industry

Routes into Law: CILEx with Claire Campbell (Legal Executive - Employment)

Too many choices! So little time!

Gone are the days when there was one clear path into the legal profession. All you had to do was obtain a training contract with a law firm. Fast forward to the present day and there are now various routes into law, the SQE, CILEX, qualifying in house and apprenticeships to name but a few. However, despite this wealth of opportunities open to aspiring lawyers there remains a disproportionate amount of focus on the traditional training contract route.

With the support of some expert guest, You've Been Served explores alternative routes into law so that law students and graduates have all the information that they need to make sure that they take the right path for them. Up next, I am joined by Claire Campbell, Legal Executive - Employment, to share her thoughts about the CILEx route. 

If you have any questions about the CILEx route then Claire is the person to ask, so sit back, relax and let You've Been Served ask the questions for you.

Today's Co-Host
Introducing Claire Campbell, Legal Executive - Employment. See Claire's profile below:

• CILEx Level 6 Certificate in Law (Employment & Family)
• Experienced Legal Executive and Advocate
• Significant In House Experience

Connect with Claire on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
Like what you hear? Well, to find out more about the CILEx route, including the new qualifications, visit the CILEx Law School website.

Special Thanks To:

• Ishaan Jolly who has provided the superb voiceover for the You've Been Served Intro/Outro. Check out his gig on Fiverr. 

Routes into Law: The SQE with Mary Bonsor (Flex Legal, CEO and Co-Founder)

When did the world become so confusing?

Gone are the days when there was one clear path into the legal profession. All you had to do was obtain a training contract with a law firm (which is arguably easier said than done). Fast forward to the present day and there are now various routes into law, the SQE, CILEX, qualifying in house and apprenticeships to name but a few. However, despite this wealth of opportunities open to aspiring lawyers there remains a disproportionate amount of focus on the traditional training contract route.

With the support of some expert guest, You've Been Served explores alternative routes into law so that law students and graduates have all the information that they need to make sure that they take the right path for them. First up, I am joined by Mary Bonsor, CEO and Co-founder of Flex Legal, to share her thoughts about the SQE. 

Flex Legal has rapidly embraced the new SQE model and has done some fantastic work in this space by looking to support students with tools such as the QWE Online Journal and also facilitating students qualification via this route by finding quality placements through its online platform. If you think the SQE might be the route for you then this is not an episode you can't afford to miss.   

Today's Co-Host
Introducing Mary Bonsor, CEO and Co-founder of Flex Legal. See Mary's profile below:

• LPC at BPP Law School
• Training Contract at Winckworth Sherwood LLP
• CEO and Co-founder of Flex Legal
• Entrepreneur of that Year at the Women in Law Awards 2020

Connect with Mary on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
Like what you hear? Well, you have three simple steps to follow:
1. Find out more about the SQE on the SRA website.
2. Sign up to Flex Legal's SQE QWE Online Journal.
3. Apply to work through Flex Legal via its website.

Special Thanks To:

• Ishaan Jolly who has provided the superb voiceover for the You've Been Served Intro/Outro. Check out his gig on Fiverr. 

Meet My Mentors with Kim Abbott (General Counsel - Employment and Labour and My Previous Boss)

In my legal career to date, I have been very fortunate to have been supported and guided by some truly inspirational mentors. There is no doubt that without the help of these mentors, I would not be where I am today.

With that in mind, it would be terribly rude of me to keep these incredible mentors all to myself. As a podcast host I feel that it is my duty to pass on their wisdom to the masses so without any further ado meet my mentor Kim Abbott.

I worked within the same in house team as Kim for several years before being fortunate enough to complete one of my training contract seats with her in 2017. It was during this seat that I became aware of how accomplished Kim was as a supervisor and a mentor. Always composed, open minded and full of priceless pieces of advice which we can now share with you.

I have quite literally had to entice Kim out of retirement to appear on this podcast so it would only be proper to listen on. Also as an added bonus we do divulge a couple of amusing mistakes that I made as a trainee (yes, we all make them) so please join us and have a chuckle at my expense.

Today's Co-Host
Introducing Kim Abbott, now a retired solicitor with an abundance of experience working in the legal industry both in private practice and in house. See Kim's profile below:

• A degree in Classical Civilisations at the University of Warwick
• Studied Law at De Montfort University
• Trained in private practice working for large regional and national firms
• Worked in house as General Counsel - Employment and Labour

Connect with Kim on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
Make more of mentors! As a law student it is terrifying to approach a lawyer and ask them for advice or support. We have all been there. You ask yourself, why would they waste their time helping me? Well, the truth is that most lawyers, myself included, are flattered that they are being approached for advice. What is the worst that could happen? They say no. Then you just move on to the next one. Don't be afraid, reach out and find yourself a mentor today.

Special Thanks To:

• Ishaan Jolly who has provided the superb voiceover for the You've Been Served Intro/Outro. Check out his gig on Fiverr. 

Meet My Mentors with Paul McConnell (Senior Lecturer and Head of Careers & Employability at University of Birmingham Law School)

In my legal career to date, I have been very fortunate to have been supported and guided by some truly inspirational mentors. There is no doubt that without the help of these mentors, I would not be where I am today.

With that in mind, it would be terribly rude of me to keep these incredible mentors all to myself. As a podcast host I feel that it is my duty to pass on their wisdom to the masses so without any further ado meet my mentor Paul McConnell. 

Paul and I first met when I was completing my LPC at the University of Law in Birmingham. Completely by chance Paul was allocated as my tutor for the year. At that time I did not have a training contract and had very limited legal work experience; however, with Paul's guidance I was able to obtain my first legal role as an Intellectual Property Paralegal.

However, my story is only one of many. Paul has inspired and supported 100s of law students and graduates to realise their goals in the legal industry. If you are a law student or law graduate this is one You've Been Served episode that you cannot afford to miss.

Today's Co-Host
Introducing Paul McConnell, Senior Lecturer and Head of Careers and Employability at University of Birmingham Law School. See Paul's profile below:

• LLB Law with French Law and Language at the University of Leicester
• Completed a training contract at Squire Patton Boggs
• Operations Manager and LPC Programme Lead at The University of Law, Birmingham.
• Director of Student Recruitment and Lecturer at Leicester Law School
• Senior Lecturer and Head of Global Engagement at University of Birmingham Law School.

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
Make more of mentors! As a law student it is terrifying to approach a lawyer and ask them for advice or support. We have all been there. You ask yourself, why would they waste their time helping me? Well, the truth is that most lawyers, myself included, are flattered that they are being approached for advice. What is the worst that could happen? They say no. Then you just move on to the next one. Don't be afraid, reach out and find yourself a mentor today.

Special Thanks To:

• Ishaan Jolly who has provided the superb voiceover for the You've Been Served Intro/Outro. Check out his gig on Fiverr. 

Mentor Month: Everybody Needs a Mentor with Donna McGrath (The Lawyers' Coach)

• Do I need a legal mentor?
• What does a legal mentor do?
• How do I go about finding one?

When I first set out on my legal journey, I was adamant that I was going to do it all on my own. I didn't need to ask for help because doing so would be seen as a sign of weakness. Oh, how wrong was I!

It became rapidly apparent to me that I wasn't going to get anywhere in the legal industry unless I surrounded myself with the right support network, including some fantastic mentors. Great mentoring provides you with such a competitive edge when progressing through your legal career be it completing your LLB, applying for training contracts or moving roles. A mentor has been there, done that and got the t-shirt. They can tell you how to avoid common pitfalls, how to get the most out of any scenario and ultimately how to reach your desired outcome. A mentor is an absolute must for any law student or graduate looking to progress in the legal industry.

Not convinced? Well, listen on and let You've Been Served and Donna McGrath (The Lawyers' Coach) explain why everyone needs a mentor!

Today's Co-Host
Introducing The Lawyers' Coach for In House Lawyers, Donna Mcgrath. See Donna's profile below:

• Training Contract at Redrow Homes.
• Private Practice Experience as a Engineering and Constructions Solicitor at Eversheds.
• Extensive In House Experience at Organisations such as Severn Trent, Rolls-Royce and National Grid.
• Set up The Lawyers' Coach for In House Lawyers in 2019.

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn
Call Donna on 07414438077
E-mail [email protected] 

Act now! Make a difference!
The legal industry is a hard, long road if you choose to travel it alone, so what are you waiting for? Everyone needs a mentor, you included. There are plenty of opportunities out there so ask your family, friends, colleagues and ask whether they would spare you 30mins of there time to discuss their experiences with you. Alternatively, if there is no one in your network that can support then reach out on LinkedIn or contact Donna, details above.

Special Thanks To:

• Ishaan Jolly who has provided the superb voiceover for the You've Been Served Intro/Outro. Check out his gig on Fiverr.