Law work experience: internships, mini-pupillages and mooting

To succeed in the competitive field of law you'll need some legal work experience under your belt. The good news is there are lots of ways to develop your skills and show your commitment to the sector. Learn more about law work experience from internships and pro bono work to court visits

Virtual law work experience

While nothing can replace in-person experience, virtual work experience widens access to a number of opportunities (think increased accessibility, more flexibility and lower cost).

Aiming to give participants a taste legal of careers, Clifford Chance, Clyde & Co, Kennedys, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Pinsent Masons, Weil Gotshal & Manges and White & Case all run virtual work experience programmes from internships and vacation schemes to insight days.

Free of charge and open to undergraduates and graduates of any discipline, programmes are self-paced to fit around you. You'll gain an insight into the fast-paced, cutting-edge projects lawyers and trainees work on, and gain valuable skills by undertaking true-to-life legal tasks.

Osborne Clarke also offers virtual workshops to students in years 10 to 13 focusing on employability skills and legal practice.

Vacation schemes

Providing an invaluable insight into the workings of a law firm and designed to help students improve their skills and legal knowledge, vacation schemes usually last a month.

During your placement you'll meet partners, associates, solicitors and trainees and will get the chance to work on live cases. Other opportunities include shadowing lawyers, observing them giving legal advice and sitting in on client meetings.

Competition for vacation scheme places is intense so apply as early as possible.

For more information, see law vacation schemes.

Search for law vacation schemes.

Mini-pupillages

These two-week work placements are essentially vacation schemes for barristers. They're targeted at second-year and final-year undergraduates, but first-year students aren't completely discounted. All aspiring barristers should aim to complete at least one mini-pupillage before graduating.

While they can help you to decide whether to become a barrister or solicitor, be warned: a mini-pupillage, and the competition to land one, is intense. You'll have a much greater chance if you're certain that the Bar is your preferred route and can convey this - plus knowledge of the chambers you're applying to and the areas of law you find most interesting - in your application, CV and cover letter.

Learn more about pupillage.

Law internships

Lasting anywhere between a month to a year, legal internships allow you to gain professional experience while developing the skills you'll need to become lawyer. You can fit opportunities around your studies, perhaps completing a shorter placement over the summer months, or slotting in a longer period after you graduate.

While you might find law firms offering law internships, the majority usually take place in the in-house legal departments of large organisations, such as:

Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)
eBay
EY
International Bar Association
JUSTICE
United Nations (UN).

You can also find internships with legal charities including Advocate, Bridging the Bar, The Death Penalty Project, as well as legal advice trusts.

Legal internships look great on your CV and will provide excellent real-life examples for you to use in training contract and pupillage applications or job interviews.

Insight days

Also known as workshops or open days, these in-demand events allow students to discover what a law firm does. Employers often use these experiences to screen candidates for vacation schemes and training contracts, so impressing is important. Similarly, they can help you to choose a law firm.

The day - or sometimes two days - involves shadowing, group exercises, a guided tour, and talks from firm partners, associates and the recruitment team. They commonly take place during the spring and summer, with firms usually hosting several throughout the year.

Most insight days are aimed at specific year groups - usually second-year or final-year undergraduates. However, larger law firms may run open days exclusively for first-year students.

Work shadowing

If you're planning to become a solicitor or barrister, doing some work shadowing at a law firm can be an invaluable experience. It allows you to gain an understanding of a lawyer's workload while building relationships with legal professionals.

Work shadowing isn't usually advertised, so speculative applications are advisable. Smaller law firms that don't run insight days are more likely to provide ad-hoc opportunities.

Campus ambassadors

A number of law firms recruit students to help them strengthen their presence on university campuses. Working alongside the firm you'll raise their profile and play a part in organising and co-ordinating events.

Positions such as these are usually paid per semester or academic year. Involvement in these types of activities look great on your CV, as they demonstrate your commitment to a particular firm as well as your ability to manage responsibility.

Firms that recruit campus ambassadors include:

Ashurst
Clyde & Co
CMS
Dentons
Hogan Lovells
Latham & Watkins
Linklaters.

Debates and mooting

The majority of universities offer debating and mooting competitions. A moot is a mock trial, usually based around a fictional case, where students assume the role of counsel and present legal arguments. It involves completing legal research and analysis, preparing written submissions, and delivering an oral presentation, testing a student's ability to construct and strongly express an argument.

Either an institution's law faculty or the student law society can arrange moots. National mooting competitions are also held.

Law societies

Student law societies offer members the opportunity to participate in numerous ventures to boost their legal credentials, such as moots, court visits and networking sessions with employers. Join yours as soon as possible, and sign up to The Law Society in your second year of undergraduate study.

You can further distinguish yourself to employers by standing for election to a committee position. If successful you'll be the point of contact for many law firms - and can encourage them to host events at your university.

Pro bono work

The most notable volunteering venture in law is pro bono work - the delivery of free legal advice to those who don't qualify for legal aid and would otherwise be unable to afford representation.

Pro bono work allows students to develop the practical legal skills required for a successful law career, while contributing to those in need.

Studying law can be quite theoretical. However, engaging in pro bono projects gives you the opportunity to put legal theory into practice. You get the chance to:

add value to your CV, as well as training contracts and pupillage applications
build links to professionals, firms and advice agencies
develop legal skills such as interviewing clients and drafting letters of legal advice
explore practice in new areas of law
gain practical experience by recognising and researching legal queries for real clients
make a valuable contribution to your local area.

You can find pro bono opportunities at:

Public legal education and Streetlaw - Law schools often make links with local community groups, schools, prisons etc. to find out what areas of law they would find useful to know more about. Students then research the topic, identify the relevant law and prepare interactive workshops, which they deliver to the group or class.
External placements - Students and universities can partner with advice agencies such as Citizens Advice or their local law centre to arrange pro bono partnerships.
Law school legal advice clinics - Run by the university, these are a fantastic opportunity for students to get real-life experience working on client cases under the supervision of qualified lawyers.
Miscarriage of justice and the Innocence Project - A growing number of universities around the UK are taking on criminal cases to help victims of alleged miscarriages of justice.
The Free Representation Unit (FRU) - Gives students the opportunity to acquire advocacy experience. FRU volunteers help with case preparation and advocacy in tribunal cases under the supervision of caseworkers.

Law fairs

These events provide a fantastic opportunity for face-to-face conversations with numerous law firms, barristers' chambers and course providers. They take place at universities nationwide, with many events also including a programme of talks, presentations and CV workshops.

Most fairs are open to all, but some universities may restrict entry to their own students.

For more information, search law and legal studies events.

Court visits

Witnessing the court in action is one of the most important experiences that aspiring solicitors and barristers can enjoy. Sitting in on genuine cases allows you to see professionals in action, provides an invaluable insight into the justice system, and helps you to decide which law career is right for you.

You can find scheduled cases on the Crown or county court's website, or by contacting its staff.

Marshalling

This involves shadowing a judge for up to a week.

You may find marshalling opportunities by contacting your Inn of Court - which offers formal schemes - or your local Crown or county court. Apply by sending the judge a CV and cover letter, explaining why you want to marshal them.

Aside from sitting on cases, you may also be able to lunch with the judge and their colleagues.

Essay writing competitions

With this type of work experience you don't get to see the inside of a firm, shadow a lawyer or work on an active case, but by taking part in law essay writing competitions you're demonstrating to recruiters your passion for law, as well as your research and writing skills. If you win a prize, it's another relevant achievement you can list on your CV.

Every year One Essex Court runs the Times Law Award, an essay competition open to all students registered at a UK higher education institution, pupil barristers and trainee solicitors. With more than £10,000 of prizes on offer to six finalists, essays must be no longer than 1,000 words.

The Law Reform Essay Competition is an annual competition run by the Bar Council and requires entrants to submit a 3,000 word essay making the case for a reform to English, Welsh or European law. Those undertaking the academic or vocational stages of training for the Bar, seeking or completing pupillage, as well as those transferring to the Bar are all eligible for entry. The winner receives £4,000 and has their essay published on Counsel magazine’s website. The runner up receives £2,500, with other notable essays receiving between £1,500 and £500.

Run by the National Accident Helpline, the Future Legal Minds Award requires entrants to submit a 1,200 word essay in response to a set question. You must be 18 or over and studying for a legal qualification at a UK educational institution to enter. Winners receive £1,500 and a mentoring session with an experienced lawyer.

Extra-curricular activities

Part-time jobs - Juggling university with a part-time job demonstrates good time management.
Student journalism - Many legal blogs, journals and websites are happy to hear law students' opinions and experiences. Alternatively, contributing to your student newspaper can develop your communication skills and ability to form an argument, not to mention your knowledge of current affairs and commercial awareness.
Student politics - Many law graduates work in government. Getting involved in student politics allows you to develop important transferable skills such as leadership and organisation. Find out more about standing for student election.
Student societies and sports teams - Playing an active role in a student society or sports club shows off your ability to work as part of a team, as well as illustrates to employers your hobbies and interests outside the field of law. While your dedication to law is important law firms also like to know they’re hiring well-rounded candidates. Learn more about the importance of extra-curricular activities.

Law work experience