TCPH: How to use it to find legal work experience

Gaining some legal work experience is a crucial milestone on the quest to a career in the legal profession, so here we demonstrate how your students can use The Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook (TCPH) to find and apply for work placement schemes – arguably the most valuable work experience opportunities out there for anyone aiming for a career as a solicitor.

Before you do any of the below using TCPH, note also that LawCareers.Net’s work placement deadlines list is a comprehensive source of all vacation scheme deadlines. Use it to find out when you need to apply.

1. IDENTIFY WHICH FIRMS RUN VACATION SCHEMES
   Head to p106 for a full list of firms offering work placement schemes. Those displayed in bold have provided detailed information about their schemes in their TCPH directory entries, but you should also use firms’ own websites and/or contact their graduate recruitment departments for more information.
2. START YOUR RESEARCH WITH FIRMS’ ‘INSIDER REPORTS’
   As a way to start researching the firms you may want to apply to, read the ‘Insider reports’ chapter (p67) for an insight into what different firms’ schemes are like, provided by people who have recently completed the schemes. Here you will get a sense of whether a firm’s scheme will throw you straight into doing real solicitor work, or whether the focus is more on mock exercises and presentations.
3. USE THE REGIONAL INDEX TO FIND OUT MORE
   Use the regional index (p205) to find out about firms’ practice areas, location, size and total number of partners – all of which you should have basic knowledge of before applying. Take some time to pore over this useful information.
4. USE THE DIRECTORY TO DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE
   At the heart of TCPH is a comprehensive directory of firms in the United Kingdom (p275); use it to learn more about those firms that caught your attention during your research. Some firms have provided expanded directories with more in-depth information, such as details of their vacation schemes and minimum academic requirements for applicants, so take all this in.

Armed with all the information you have gathered using the above, and LawCareers.Net’s work placement deadlines list, your students are ready to apply.

Good luck!