Building a career in law at Lodders

Lizzie Curnock and Olivia Beeton joined law firm Lodders having both converted to law through the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (formerly the GDL).

Whilst they hadn’t always been set on law careers, Lizzie and Olivia have both found their fit in the profession and are soon to qualify as Solicitors at Lodders following successful completion of their training.

“Law had been at the back of my mind since undertaking work experience in the field during my GCSEs and A-Levels, but I hadn’t pursued it,” Lizzie explains.

“However, I was working in sports regulation in horseracing, rugby and cricket, which subsequently led to a sports law placement at the British Horseracing Authority. Here, I had the opportunity to assist with governance, disciplinary hearings, and company law. I really enjoyed this work and the barristers I was working with encouraged me to take it further by applying for the law conversion course.”

Olivia also discovered law after pursuing an alternative career pathway. She says: “I graduated from my undergraduate degree in 2014, in which I read Social Anthropology, and I then completed an LLM in International Human Rights Law in 2016. My original dream was to join the civil service, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

“It was a conversation at my brother’s kitchen table that led me here. He is a Chartered Surveyor and was speaking about the property lawyers he dealt with (who were in fact lawyers at Lodders) and I thought that a career in law would really play to my strengths. From that point, I was set on following the steps to becoming a lawyer.”

Why Lodders?

Lodders’ broad, specialist expertise spans agricultural law and landed estates, private client work, dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, commercial property and real estate, construction, employment law, charity law, residential conveyancing, and family law. Trainees can gain an in-depth understanding of the areas of law that most interest them.

Career advice

“My advice would be to get as much work experience as possible and look for Paralegal roles,” says Lizzie. “My year as a Paralegal was a great foundation for my training and the team ensured that my role was adapted, and I continued to grow.”

Olivia says: “Go for it. Don’t give up. The average age of qualification is 29, and you are never too old. Make the most of your differences and your life experience as they will be an asset to your legal career.”

Trainee solicitor vacancies at Lodders

Lodders currently has opportunities for four trainee solicitors working across the Lodders offices and client teams.

Starting on Monday, 2nd September, the training contract is a mix of qualifying work experience across four different seats, one of which will be in litigation. Alongside this, trainees will study for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) parts 1 and 2 through the University of Law.

Lodders is accepting applications until 11:59pm on 12th July 2024. For more information, and details on how to apply, visit: www.lodders.co.uk/vacancies/traineesolicitor/