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. 

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. 

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.