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. 

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. 

• 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 donna@thelawyerscoach.com 

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. 

63% of solicitors admit to experiencing stress on a daily basis
95% of solicitors have some negative stress in their jobs
17% of solicitors say that they consider this stress to be "extreme."

With the legal industry being so demanding it is crucial that we place a greater focus on individual and collective wellbeing. However, as we all know that is a lot easier said than done.

This week on the You've Been Served Podcast I am joined by Hannah Clifford, Solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, and Molly McKenna, co-host of the Virtually Legal Podcast, LPC graduate and future trainee, to explain what wellbeing means to them and strategies they utilise to achieve balance in both their work and life.

Today's Co-Host
I am joined by Hannah Clifford and Molly McKenna to share their experiences of wellbeing issues and initiatives from both a work and student perspective respectively. See a summary of their experiences below:

Hannah Clifford

• Accelerated LLB and LLM at University of Law - Birmingham
• Training contract at Irwin Mitchell
• Currently International Serious Injury and Public Health Solicitor at Irwin Mitchell

Connect with Hannah on LinkedIn

Molly McKenna

• LLB at the University of Birmingham
• LPC Graduate
• Co-Founder of the Virtually Legal Podcast
• Future trainee at Squire Patton Boggs

Connect with Molly on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
We need to keep up the wellbeing conversation! If you are struggling with your wellbeing and need support, then what are you waiting for? Reach out now! Speak to your colleagues, manager or friends. Help is out there, but it is up to you to ask for it.

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. 

There is life after law and the You've Been Served podcast will prove it!

It is no secret that there are just not enough legal roles to go around. The supply of high quality law graduates more than exceeds the supply of training roles so instead of wallowing in your own self-pity, go and see what else is out there.

In the You've Been Served's Life After Law series, I am joined by three inspirational people who have left the world of case law and time recording behind them to pursue their dreams. Last but by no means least, I am joined by Ellen Graemer, Head of People at Gymshark. Ellen had done the hard bit, she had qualified as a solicitor and had established herself as a well respected employment lawyer. So what made her leave all of that behind? Well, there is only one way to find out - tune in now.

Today's Co-Host
Introducing the courageous Ellen Graemer who took the bold step out of the legal profession to pursue her dream career in the people (HR) industry. Follow Ellen's journey below:

• Degree in English and French Laws with French at the University of Liverpool
• LPC at BPP Law School
• Completed her training contract in August 2014
• Worked her way up the ranks in private practice as an employment solicitor
• Joined Gymshark in 2019 as a People Partner
• Promoted to Head of People for Product and Brand Functions at Gymshark in March 2021 - This is a seriously exciting area that looks after everything from the creation of Gymshark's apparel collections to the creative artwork you see in our campaigns. In this position Ellen leads the partnering team for these functions in evolving and implementing the People strategy. This involves overseeing all people activities from employee engagement to change management and supporting stakeholders and employees throughout. In a business that is experiencing rapid growth like Gymshark this requires agility and a disruptive approach to HR.

Connect with Ellen on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
Ellen has shown great courage to step out of her well established legal career to pursue a role which brings her greater excitement and fulfilment. The best way to know if a change of scenery is good for you is to research it, understand it and even better experience it. You can't do this alone, you will need to use your network. So what are you waiting for? Start building one! A great way to get started is through a monthly mastermind of like minded peers. You can meet once a month to discuss ongoing issues and work together to devise solutions. Go on...what have you got to lose.

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. 

There is life after law and the You've Been Served podcast will prove it!

It is no secret that there are just not enough legal roles to go around. The supply of high quality law graduates more than exceeds the supply of training roles so instead of wallowing in your own self-pity, go and see what else is out there.

In the You've Been Served's Life After Law series, I am joined by three inspirational people who have left the world of case law and time recording behind them to pursue their dreams. Second up, I am joined by Kat Hindmarsh, Assistant Company Secretary at Taylor Wimpey PLC.

Having graduated during a global recession, Kat took the initiative and carved her own path, having gained experience working in many industries along the way, before finding her way back to law. How did she do it? Tune in to find out more.

Today's Co-Host
Introducing the innovative Kat Hindmarsh who has utilised her legal training to great effect in a range of industries before finding her way back to the law. Take a sneak peak at her journey to date: 

• Degree in law at the University of Hull
• Master of Law (LLM): International Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation at the University of Warwick
• Currently Assistant Company Secretary at Taylor Wimpey PLC and part-time LPC student at the University of Law.

Connect with Kat on LinkedIn

Act now! Make a difference!
Kat is proof that if you leave the legal path there is always a route back for those that want it. Now we have proof of this safety net, go and explore what other opportunities are out there. How about instead of making an application for yet another training contract this weekend make a wildcard application for a marketing or PR job. What is the worst that could happen?

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.