Links with the profession
We work very closely with law firms, chambers, government bodies and alternative legal employers to ensure you have access to employers throughout your programme. We offer the following initiatives to give you access to the legal profession and help you get a training contract or pupillage:
- Vacancies database
- Employer presentations
- Access to practice scheme
- Annual Law Fair
- Alternative Fair
- Diversity Access Scheme in partnership with Addleshaw Goddard
- Diversity Access Scheme in partnership with Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
- Diversity Access Scheme in partnership with Olswang
Vacancies database
Our careers service maintains a vacancy database with a large range of legal vacancies including posts advertised exclusively to BPP students.
We also have a recruitment service used by many local and national firms to recruit trainees directly into training contract vacancies.
Employer Presentations
Throughout the academic year, a series of presentations are made by law firms, chambers and alternative legal employers. Talks are run at BPP at dates and times that fit in with your studies and work commitments. Employers who have recently presented and given careers advice are:
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Access to Practice scheme
BPP Careers Service runs a very successful 'Access to Practice' scheme aimed at students with limited access to the legal profession. If you are accepted on the scheme you will be matched with a practitioner from one of the volunteer organisations below. The lawyer, known as a 'Practice Advisor', assists the student from November to July (for a minimum of five hours during this time) with any careers related queries they may have such as CV, application form and interview advice. Practice advisors provide:
- a point of contact with the legal profession
- insight into life as a solicitor in practice
- increased confidence in making applications and attending interviews
- excellent networking opportunities
Current firms involved in the scheme include:
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Annual Law Fair
Each year, the Careers Services in Leeds, London (Holborn & Waterloo) and Manchester hold an annual law fair. The law fair is an excellent opportunity for employers to represent themselves and for you to network with training contract providers. All students who join BPP without a training contract are encouraged to attend the fairs. The names of the employers who have attended our fairs include:
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Alternatives Fair
Whilst the majority of students studying the GDL, LPC or BVC are looking to secure a training contract or pupillage, we know that some may be interested in alternatives to this traditional route. Each year we run an 'Alternatives & Paralegal' fair. Below are a list of some of the organisations that we currently work with:
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Diversity Access Scheme in partnership with Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard in partnership with BPP Law School launched a Diversity Access Scheme in 2007 offering places on its summer placement scheme to students from BPP Law School without training contracts who come from unconventional educational backgrounds. It aims to fast track students onto the Addleshaw Goddard vacation scheme who might otherwise be excluded because of the nature of their education.
The scheme is targeted at students who, for example, do not have A-levels or have lower A-level grades than would normally be required but nonetheless have demonstrated their academic ability at university by obtaining a 2:1 degree classification or above.
The successful applicants will receive support and training from Addleshaw Goddard and BPP Law School to help them to prepare for their placement and to assist them to perform to the best of their ability whilst on the placement scheme.
Diversity Access Scheme in partnership with Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
This scheme ran for the first time in 2009 and offers successful GDL students places at one of Reynolds Porter Chamberlain's summer open days, a fantastic opportunity to get access to this leading law firm. Based on the success of the pilot, this opportunity has now been extended to a Summer Scheme placement for GDL students who do meet the normal minimum entry requirements at either 'A' level or university degree stage. Given the nature of the diversity scheme, applicants need to demonstrate and evidence any obstacles they overcame which might have affected their academic results, as well as commitment to a career in a commercial legal practice and a genuine interest in the firm.
Diversity Access Scheme in partnership with Olswang
BPP Law School is pleased to announce a new diversity initiative with Olswang LLP. The initiative will offer up to two places on the firm's Summer Work Placement Scheme and will target current GDL and LPC students from BPP Law School who do not meet the standard minimum entry requirements at the A-Level stage due to either extreme mitigating circumstances or an unconventional education background, but have achieved either a strong 2.1 or a First (or equivalent international qualification) in their undergraduate degree.
Whilst on their placement at Olswang, successful students will be guaranteed an interview and assessments for a training contract which, alongside their performance on the Summer Scheme, will determine whether they are offered a training contract.
The Scheme is open to current, full time and part time students at BPP Law School (London, Leeds & Manchester) on the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course.
If your organisation is interested in becoming a careers service partner for any of our programmes that we run, please contact the National Head of the Careers Service, Michelle Daly, by emailing lawcareers@bpp.com