Reading Time: 2 minutesWe have had a query this week from a Year 13 student awaiting A level grades – can poor A Level Results affect any chances of a legal career? The quick and honest answer, and something perhaps relevant to qualified solicitors with many years PQE even, and an answer you will rarely hear from HR…
Reading Time: 4 minutesCV Review for a Paralegal – as usual personal data removed. Feedback at the bottom of the CV. Reviewee has consented to this review being published. On these reviews please ignore the layout – this is due to our cut and paste operation! ——————————————————————– CANDIDATE NAME Address: Email: Telephone (Mob): Telephone (Home): EDUCATION September 2018…
Reading Time: 3 minutesExtracting yourself from the business We are involved in the buying and selling of solicitors’ firms and accountancy practices across the UK and further afield. Sellers can be anybody from a sole practitioner through to a very large partnership or company, but the usual aim of owners selling up is to get out of the…
Reading Time: 2 minutesToday is the day when the LAA have issued a whole new load of contract awards after recent tenders by law firms across the UK. So far we have had telephone calls from law firms asking about Family Law Supervisors and Mental Health Law Supervisors. Any more? I can’t remember if Housing or Immigration are…
Reading Time: 3 minutesAsk a Recruitment Consultant – questions this month on our chat bot Questions sent to us via our Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Q: I am currently studying to become a solicitor…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteYes. This could be the shortest article I have ever written! Here is what to write.. 1. Make sure you cc in any agent you are working through so they know what has been said.. The firm may think you are trying to circumnavigate their involvement.. 2. Thank the interviewer for their time and say…
Reading Time: 2 minutesMinutes from HMRC’s latest IR35 forum indicate that similar reform could hit the private sector soon. This could be a worry to a good number of law firms who regularly use locums. Our own thoughts on it are that provided the contractual position is clear and the locum is a senior lawyer who is able…
Reading Time: 3 minutesI write this article from a personal perspective and it is an expression of opinion only. I often get asked by candidates if they think firms discriminate against them and this article is about our experiences of behaviour that is both overt and implied. Discrimination against Law Firms Law firms often think that as recruiters…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteQuestions sent to us via our Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Q: I am a New Zealand qualified solicitor looking for paralegal opportunities with an immediate start. Can you assist? A: No…
Reading Time: 2 minutesOut of 5 job interviews arranged for paralegals and junior fee earners, we estimate that 1 candidate will not turn up. For solicitors and legal executives we think the figure is closer to 1 in 20. Why? Here are our top reasons. 1. It is much easier to apply for a job than it is…
Reading Time: 2 minutesWe have recently introduced a candidate to an employer where a restrictive covenant was used which must surely fall foul of rather a lot of employment regulations! The role is a fairly junior fee earner position and not senior management or director level. The restrictive covenant was actually called a “non-compete clause” and included the…
Reading Time: 2 minutesQ: I wonder if you have any advice or comment on the following. a sole practitioner has been asked by a lender panel to give details of a locum who the principal would have on call if the worst happened and the firm was left without a solicitor at short notice. Do you have any…
Reading Time: 2 minutesA recent law graduate has asked an extremely pertinent question regarding future career plans: “In your professional opinion, how much do sole practitioners (on the high street working in family/conveyancing) tend to make annually? Also more generally, would you say, despite the over supply of law graduates and the SRA’s soon to be new route…
Reading Time: 2 minutesAsk a Recruitment Consultant – questions this month on our chat bot Questions sent to us via our Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Q: I graduated from university with a 1st class…
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Legal Profession, Flexible Hours and Working from Home Many years ago, when I started out in law, flexible hours were something women benefited from when they had given birth and returned to work for a few years. Otherwise hours were strictly 9am to 5pm with an hour for lunch. These days however law firms…
Reading Time: 2 minutesDangling the carrot of a partnership when being offered a job or at an annual review is either because: 1. The firm genuinely like you, are genuinely nice and genuinely see a long term future for you at the practice. Partnership is a good way of cementing your relationship and committing you to the business…
Reading Time: 2 minutesAsk a Recruitment Consultant – questions this month on our chat bot Questions sent to us via our new Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Hello – can you find me a job?…
Reading Time: 2 minutes1. Review your CV. If an agent has sent it, ask them for a copy. We amend CVs nearly every time we send one out – mainly to remove any waffly bits or to present them in a better light. Get a copy, read it carefully. Remind yourself of anything you may have written 10…
Reading Time: 2 minutesHourly Rates of Pay for Locum Solicitors and Legal Executives Although conveyancing rates increased over the last four weeks, we will now see a drop in hourly rates as we get closer to Christmas. September tends to remain fairly high as demand has traditionally still been strong. £35 per hour in Conveyancing is still the…
Reading Time: 2 minutesAsk a Recruitment Consultant – questions this month on our chat bot Questions sent to us via our new Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Our New Chatbot Hi. My Australian degree has…
Reading Time: 2 minutesThinking of Retraining in Wills & Probate after years out of the profession and coming from a Commercial background. Is it possible? We have recently received a request for advice from a solicitor coming from a Legal 500 commercial background and after over 10 years out now seeking to return to the profession but not…
Reading Time: 2 minutesAsk a Recruitment Consultant – questions this month on our chat bot Questions sent to us via our new Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Do you think it is still worth becoming…
Reading Time: 3 minutesCandidate Shortages in Wills & Probate and Conveyancing – myths and legends As I write this brief article, I can reflect that I could probably have written the same article in any year between 2011 and 2017. In fact if you are reading this in 20 years’ time, and Donald Trump hasn’t ended the world…
Reading Time: 3 minutesAsk a Recruitment Consultant – questions this month on our chat bot Questions sent to us via our new Chat service online, together with general career questions emailed across. We do our best to answer all queries, sometimes after a fairly lengthy delay if we are busy! Why is there a shortage of private client…
Reading Time: 3 minutesEtiquette Guide for Locums Occasionally we get queries from law firms and locums as to what constitutes good practice by a locum when on assignment. Here are our answers to recent queries: Should locums take phone calls during the day from their own clients? No definitely not. Why would they? They are paid by the…
Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you have a third class law degree, is it the end of your career? Hi, I am writing to seek some advice with regards to my current career situation. I have achieved 3 A-Levels at BBC. I have completed my LLB Law degree but achieved a third due to unforeseen and unfortunate personal and…
Reading Time: 3 minutesCV Review for a Newcastle University Law Graduate Name, address, mobile (with international prefix) and email address Linked In website link Nationality: British The first thing to point out is the reference to an international prefix for the mobile. Does this mean you are based overseas or looking overseas? In either event are you…
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhat is a QBE lawyer? The term QBE comes from the financial sector and is increasingly applied to lawyers as well. A number of conveyancers are QBE and so are in house Counsel. It is rare for anyone to practice in law without at least an LLB or LLM, but they do exist, particularly in…
Reading Time: 4 minutesShould I Stay or Should I Go? In April every year we are regularly contacted by newly qualified and 1 year PQE (post-qualification experience) solicitors who ask the following questions: 1. Should I stay with my training law firm for at least 2 years when I qualify? 2. How much should I get paid? 3.…
Reading Time: 2 minutesHourly Rates of Pay for Locum Solicitors and Legal Executives – March 2017 We have noticed a change in locum rates for conveyancing and I suspect this is a general adjustment in the market. Although locum hourly rate payment vary widely according to the demand, length of assignment, level of experience and advance notice available,…