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CAREERS IN L AW
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Winter vacation scheme places (non-law students)
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First-year opportunities (law students)
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Contents 04
Preface
06
The University of Bristol Law Club
19
27
30
06
President’s Welcome
07
UBLC Mooting
08
UBLC Debating
09
UBLC Commercial Awareness
10
UBLC Negotiation Competition
11
UBLC Diversity
12
UBLC Alumni Network
13
UBLC Sports
14
UBLC Social Calendar
Careers 19
Why First Year Matters
20
Examination Tips
21
Coursework Tips
22
UBLC & Bristol Bar Society
23
What Commercial Law Firms Look For
24
First Year Work Experience
25
Application Tips by Davis Polk
University Life 27
Student Budgeting
28
Study Spots
UBLC Committee Contact Details
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Preface Welcome to Bristol! I created this handbook with the aim of helping you settle into university life in Bristol and introduce you to the various aspects of studying Law you will be confronted with during your time here. You will find information on the Law Club and general student life within this guide. As you will realise while flicking through it, this handbook is sponsored by a variety of international commercial law firms, and it would not have been possible to create this guide without them. The major interest the University of Bristol Law Club received for sponsorship of The Fresher’s Handbook illustrates the change in commercial law recruitment tactics currently reshaping the way law firms hire graduates. University students are expected to enter the competitive legal environment earlier and more prepared than ever. Most Top 30 firms now offer a first-year specific scheme, workshop or open day and a place on one of them often results in connections to a firm which can ultimately lead to a training contract at the end of your degree. Many of you may feel that this talk of careers, recruitment and jobs in general is incredibly premature, and that is absolutely fine. The focus on immediately entering the legal profession (or any profession for that matter) after University, makes many people forget that not knowing what you want to do after your degree is not a problem. One aspect of going to University is that it sets out the options available to you and allows you to make an informed choice. While the University of Bristol Law Club does have a focus on commercial law careers, we also offer a diverse range of events and programmes which are generally applicable to many careers. Mooting (a mock trial), Debating and Negotiation competitions allow you to acquire transferable skills helping you be successful in whatever field you choose to go into. The Law Club isn’t all about careers though! Having just won the national award for the best social event, we organise an incredible number of socials over the year, with the highlights being the Winter and Spring Law Balls. Equally the UBLC sports teams are successful in the University’s intramural leagues every year. I hope your next few years at Bristol will be as amazing as my last few have been. All the best, Julian Goering Editor in Chief Fresher’s Handbook 2015/16 & Senior Master of the Moot UBLC Committee !4
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The University of Bristol Law Club President’s Welcome Hello new law students! Welcome to the first edition of the Fresher’s Handbook and to the start of an amazing few years here at Bristol. Following huge demand from students for further information, clarity and advice upon starting their law degree, myself and the UBLC Committee decided to produce this handbook over the summer holiday specifically for you. Having been in your position as a fresher last September, I can certainly relate to how overwhelming your first few weeks and months of university are. I remember hearing about all sorts of different opportunities, firm presentations and social events going on, all while trying to get my head around exactly what the ratio of particular cases is or questioning how I could possibly memorise so many case names. My advice to you all is to relax; however crazy your first few weeks may feel it will all begin to make sense and you will soon learn how best to study, organise your notes and memorise the plethora of cases you need. However, my second and most useful piece of advice is to get involved in as much as you can, embrace the opportunities available to you and make full use of them. Over the next term and rest of the year there will be such a huge array of events, programmes and competitions for you to attend and participate in. I can say with certainty that some of my best memories from last year were from the things that I got involved in outside of my degree – from mooting, to attending numerous law firm presentation evenings to being amazed by the winter and spring law balls. Not only will you gain some brilliant skills from getting involved in the activities that the UBLC runs, but you will make some amazing friends and meet some really great people. This handbook is a fantastic resource which contains contributions from a variety of students and sponsor law firms. A special mention must go to Julian Goering who is the lead author of this guide and took this project on amongst his summer of vacation schemes and interviews. I also thank the rest of the UBLC Committee and other students for their contributions which I hope all of you reading this will find useful. Finally, a huge thank you goes out to the many law firms who sponsored this handbook and provided content – they can be found throughout this guide and it really shows how much the firms care about being involved with you from the very start of your law degree. I hope you find this handbook useful and that you have a brilliant time here at Bristol! All the best, Sam Unsworth President UBLC Committee
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The University of Bristol Law Club Mooting Mooting is a great way to improve your public speaking and understanding of legal issues, boost your CV and to meet new people whilst in your first year. Don’t worry if right now you have no idea what mooting is – nobody really does before they come and try it out for themselves! Mooting is essentially a mock trial with competitors arguing on a point of law based on a hypothetical case. It involves quite a few formalities (some of the etiquette feels very strange at first) but once you get used to it, it becomes a lot less daunting and a lot more fun. Mooting is not just for those of you dreaming of a career at the bar (although it is great for this), the competition is sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills (a huge commercial law firm) and the skills that you acquire through taking part are incredibly desirable to any employer. Being involved with UBLC mooting brings with it some incredibly exciting opportunities such as being able to interact with barristers and solicitors in a casual setting over a free meal and this year the first year finalists were lucky enough to be judged by Lady Hale in the Supreme Court – an experience that they will never forget! Hopefully you are now all really excited for the competition and remember to keep your eyes peeled for launch night and sign ups! Lucy Bennett Mistress of the Moot UBLC Committee
Lucy works alongside Rosa Shand in organising the first and second year mooting competitions. Hannah Quinney is responsible for organising intervarsity mooting opportunities open to all years. Intervarsity team selections will take place sometime throughout first term.
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The University of Bristol Law Club Debating The year of debating at Bristol kicks off with the annual Hunt Cup Competition. This is a fantastic competition to get involved in where competitors have the opportunity to debate on a wide array of contentious topics, not limited to law but questioning many wider societal issues. A handbook will be provided to guide you along the way in your first debate. The competition takes a comparatively informal approach where no prior debating experience is needed. Based over 5 rounds with 64 competitors at the start the competition will allow you to enhance and improve upon essential skills such as communication, public speaking and presentation. Furthermore you can practice teamwork, persuasion and the ability to argue a point when under pressure whilst showcasing your research through your own individual style. The Hunt Cup is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow law students and is a wonderful way to spend a Thursday evening with drinks both provided before and after. Furthermore given its named after Lord Hunt of Wirral and sponsored by the international firm, Bristol based DAC Beachcroft, means that involvement in this competition exposes you to the great networking opportunity with their lawyers and allows for an interesting variation on your CV. Look out for information about the Hunt Cup Launch Night which will be taking place in October and intervarsity auditions, in the meantime enjoy fresher’s week and feel free to email me any questions about the Hunt Cup or debating in general! Nicole Brendel Chair of the Debate UBLC Committee
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The University of Bristol Law Club Commercial Awareness Welcome all first year students! While I’m sure you are currently being overwhelmed with the various opportunities, projects and activities the UBLC has to offer this year, budding commercial lawyers please take note. The Commercial Awareness Programme (CAP) works alongside the Careers section of the UBLC in assisting those students who wish to pursue a career as a solicitor specialising in commercial law. Typically, the students involved in the scheme express a serious interest in securing a training contract, vacation scheme or some other placement at a commercial law firm practising in the City of London. Indeed, whilst in your first few weeks of university you certainly cannot be expected to have your mind focused on what you might like to do after university. What CAP can provide however is an excellent introduction to those first year students who feel they might be interested in pursuing such a career path. So what is CAP? The programme has 50 participants from 1st year to postgraduate and consists of weekly evening session lasting one hour. During this time presentations will be given by ‘The Captains’ (4 students with great experience in the commercial world) and myself. The sessions will discuss current affairs, business news, legal news and the role of law firms within a wider commercial setting; often with a focus on what participants can do to further their prospects of making successful applications to law firms. Furthermore, the CAP is able to boast 4 new sponsors to this year’s programme including two ‘magic circle’ law firms, as well as two US law firms. As part of the sponsorship arrangement, all four firms have created an open day at their offices in London (travel expenses included) tailored specifically for participants of the UBLC CAP. This represents a truly excellent insight and opportunity for any first year interested in pursuing such a career. Accompanying this, two firms will also conduct sessions in Bristol focused around interview and other employability skills. So if the above sounds interesting to you, please keep your eyes peeled for the official application poster with further details about the programme and what you need to do to apply. Best of luck with your first few weeks at Bristol! George Weston Director of the Commercial Awareness Programme 2015/16
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The University of Bristol Law Club Negotiation For the first time ever, the UBLC will be running a Negotiation Competition following the huge demand from students and the common use of negotiation exercises in interviews, open days and vacation schemes by law firms. It will give you the chance to build excellent skills which you will use not only at law firms, but in all walks of life - negotiation is a fantastic skill to have! The competition has been kindly sponsored by 'Magic Circle' firm Allen & Overy who have worked with us over the summer to develop this competition and write the cases you will be negotiating over. The competition will be open to 32 students from any year group, though those with an interest of going into commercial law will be given priority. You will negotiate in pairs against another pair of students over a commercial issue that has been written by Allen & Overy in order to get the best solution for your client. The students who are able to score highest overall according to the various marking points will progress through to the final 16, and so on until we have the finalists. We are hoping to work alongside A&O to host the final of this competition at their London Office along with a great prize to fully congratulate those who do well. The main aims and learning objectives of this competition are to give students an idea of how to successfully negotiate. It is such an important skill and one which is tested by many firms throughout their application process, even in your first year, so we really want to equip students with the knowledge on how to do well in these situations. Also, to teach you that negotiation is about compromising and being flexible, not about being stubborn, competitive or trying to be Harvey Specter! Further, to give you a realistic idea of the kind of issues that lawyers work on for their clients and the challenges that are faced on the job. There are many other opportunities for you to also get involved in so if you don't think negotiation is for you this year, then don't worry, you can always get involved in your second year! It's a great skill to have nonetheless and something you should certainly participate in if you are interested in a career in commercial law. Sam Unsworth President UBLC Committee Sign up will open on Thursday 29th October for the competition. For more information contact Sam or Julian who will be jointly organising it. !1 0
The University of Bristol Law Club Diversity The legal industry is becoming an increasingly globalised field, one in which fostering diversity is now more relevant than ever before. With deals being done between countries from all over the world, the need for legal firms to have people from all walks of life is of increasing importance. Further, in order to encourage those from minorities to aspire to the top positions in the legal profession there is a clear need to have those already at the top that they can identify with. 15% of legal professionals in the UK are considered BAME (Black, Asian and Minority ethnic). While this is a figure that is constantly on the rise, it is clearly something still in need of improvement. This is not even to mention other minorities such as women, those who identify as LGBT and those with disabilities. As these demographics are obviously present in our society, they should be fairly represented in the legal industry. Diversity is something that we, the UBLC, continually strive to encourage and promote, whether that is through events centred on this subject or efforts to have representation of all demographics. We aim to increase the prevalence of diversity events. Organisations love to show their appreciation of diversity and this is something we can and will continue to take advantage of. Additionally, organising guest lectures from those at the top of their profession who are from a diverse background is something that we aim to do in order to further encourage diversity. Dami Ewedemi Diversity Officer UBLC Committee
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The University of Bristol Law Club Alumni Network This year the University of Bristol Law Club (UBLC) has a renewed focus on tapping the valuable resource of our distinguished alumni. The most important feature of the programme of events related to alumni is the distinguished alumni guest lectures. In most cases these are compulsory to attend. The content of the lectures will be directly related to the modules which you will be studying. We hope that you will find them to be informative, enjoyable and a valuable enhancement to conventional academic studies. It is also the intention of the UBLC to provide students with the opportunity for informal networking sessions with our alumni guest speakers. I hope that, should this go ahead, you will find them to be of some value. Aside from these important events the UBLC will be working to establish an alumni network, with the purpose of forming a greater relationship between current and former students. The exact details of events associated with this has yet to be fully determined. I hope that you will all take advantage of the opportunities provided by the UBLC in partnership with our alumni. Mark Turner Alumni Officer UBLC Committee
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The University of Bristol Law Club Sports Female The UBLC female sports rep is here to offer netball and mixed hockey to those studying Law who want to participate in some extra curricular. I work alongside Eli, the male sports rep as well to try and coordinate the boys and girls as much as possible. I organise teams every weekend to play in the university intramural league against others teams such as the Vets or Engineers. The teams are very popular, given that they are very sociable and also get rather competitive! It's a great opportunity to meet new people on your course, and to get Georgie Burgoyne some exercise in between all the studying! A great advantage to Female Sports Representative intramural is that there is no permanent commitment, you only have to UBLC Committee play when you want to, and there is no extra training or fitness, you just turn up and play on the day. Along with the games, there will also be several intramural socials throughout the year. Commitment to the society teams also means you will get free kit, thanks to our kind law firm sponsors. In the first term we will also have a Law Varsity day against Exeter Law Society. This involves a variety of competitions, including sports. Unsurprisingly this is very competitive, but we did beat them overall last year! We enter both a girls netball and hockey team into this. The UBLC hopes to extend these varieties days to other universities as well this year. At the end of the day, participating in the law society teams really adds to your university experience. Any questions or queries, don't hesitate to contact me!
Male My role is to organise the different teams, the socials and end of year tour. The sports on offer are football, rugby, basketball and in the summer cricket. It is a great way to make friends in all years; many great friendships have been forged from UBLC Sport. As Georgie explained above, UBLC Sports are different from University sports in that they do not require the same level of commitment. Being the law society, we understand that a law degree is anything but easymeaning we always want you to be able to prioritise your work without consequences. If you have any questions please let me know!
Elias Votta Male Sports Representative UBLC Committee !1 3
The University of Bristol Law Club Social Calendar Fresher’s Party 29th September Sponsored by Dentons Starting University can be quite daunting, which is why the first event of the UBLC social calendar is a big night out with your fellow first year lawyers. It is the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone. Ticket price includes a t-shirt, club entry, drunk vouchers and drinks deals. Lawyers v Engineers 27th October Sponsored by Taylor Wessing This bar crawl is the first of two enormous bar crawls which the UBLC hosts. This year, the Lawyers v Engineers bar crawl is planned to be even bigger and better. As the ticket price includes a t-shirt, club entry, drink vouchers and drink deals – there will be nothing to worry about, except the engineers!
Champagne and Chocolate Social 24th November Sponsored by Osborne Clarke One of our more sophisticated events, this evening gives you the opportunity to network with representatives from Osborne Clarke over champagne and chocolate. Networking is very important in the world of law – so it’s best to get an early start!
Winter Law Ball 7th December Sponsored by Burges Salmon The Winter Ball is the biggest event of Term 1. This year sponsored by Burges Salmon and organised by Hype, a professional event planning company, it is bound to be as successful and incredible as ever. The night includes a champagne reception, a fantastic threecourse meal and plenty of entertainment, which in the past has included a helter-skelter, photo booth, pick ‘n’ mix station and casino games.
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Bristol v Exeter Varsity 14th November Sponsored by Burges Salmon One of the biggest days of the year is Bristol v Exeter varsity day. As it is being held in Exeter this year, it means the UBLC can send a group of lawyers up to Exeter for the day to compete with them in Football, Touch Rugby, Netball, Mooting and Debating! After competing, the UBLC and Bracton Law society head out to the dance floor together.
Lawyers v Vedics Bar Crawl February This event doesn’t get the title of one of the University’s biggest social events of the year for no reason. With over 1000 Lawyers, Dentists, Vets and Medics from all years, this is a ridiculous night out. The pub crawl ends in one of the largest venues in Bristol where students will party all night.
Refreshers Party End of January A spin-off to our ridiculously popular Freshers' Party, this night will be an amazing way to kick start the second term, and reunite with friends after the long Christmas break.
Spring Law Ball March Sponsored by Hogan Lovells This is the biggest and most glamorous social event of the year. The UBLC goes all out on this magical black-tie event. Highlights in the past have included ferris wheels and fireworks. This absolutely cannot be missed!
Summer Cruise June Sponsored by White & Case The UBLC Summer Cruise is held straight after the end of exams, and is a great way to end the year with all your fellow lawyers. The cruise takes 75 students on a 3 hour pleasure ride around the picturesque Bristol harbour while relaxing over drinks and canapés. !1 5
Five landmarks in your first year with Norton Rose Fulbright Closing your first deal “After a lot of hard work and quite a few late nights, it was satisfying to see it all come together. There was a very long lunch the following day.”
Hitting the headlines “One of the transactions I was involved in was all over the news. It was great to know that I had been part of it.”
Dealing with the High Court “After only two months, I was involved in a merger that was approved by the High Court. I even helped some of the key witnesses prepare their statements.”
Making the big calls “I was put in charge of a key aspect of a deal, and it wasn’t long before I found myself leading a conference call with the other side’s counsel.”
Broadening your experience “I went to client events at the rugby and at the top of the Shard, and also went on secondment – all in one year.”
It’s easier to choose the right legal practice when you know what to expect – which is why we wanted to share some of our trainees’ first year highlights. And, if you join us, expect the insights and advice to keep on coming.
nortonrosefulbrightgraduates.com
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Progress with purpose
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You know what you want. You want to be a lawyer working on high profile, challenging projects. You want the cut and thrust of global deals. And you want to work with the smartest people and alongside the experts you read about in the Lawyer. These are the kind of goals we love. So we’ll do everything to make sure you succeed – including giving you the tailored, supportive and long-term training that help you craft the career you want. Live your ambition with Linklaters.
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Careers Why First Year matters There is one phrase that you’re going to hear repeatedly throughout your entire first year: ‘First year doesn’t matter’. This is usually said whenever one of your friends (generally a student of another subject) sees you doing something that remotely resembles academic work. For some career paths this statement may be true, but if you want to become a solicitor or a barrister, it (unfortunately) is not true in the slightest. This is because those grades (here meaning exact percentages, not just the classification) become critical in obtaining work experience as well as the training contract further down the line. For those of you interested in becoming solicitors, you will be looking to apply for vacation schemes during the first term of second year. Most law firms have an application form which dedicates an entire section to finding out the percentages you got in each module. This is because they don’t just want to know that you attained a 2:1, but also how safely you achieved that 2:1. Extra-curriculars and work experience (legal and non-legal) are incredibly important too, but often the grade requirement gets little attention, even though it is equally as crucial. In short, attaining a strong 2:1 gives you an extremely strong foundation for a vacation scheme application. On the other hand, a poor set of first year results will be a permanent blemish on your future applications, including your training contract applications later on. This all applies to aspiring advocates too. In much the same way that first year results and extra-curriculars matter for vacation schemes applications, they will also be important when applying for mini-pupillages (which you need to complete as one of the key boxes to be ticked when applying for pupillage). First year results will also often be looked at by pupillage committees to ensure consistency in academic performance, and to see that you have a firm grasp of the more fundamental units like contract and tort. Of course, this article has necessarily been a bit of a downer: it’s not a nice thing to have to alert freshers too. Some advice on studying effectively might help to ease the pain here. Doing well academically is not necessarily about reading every book on the reading list cover-to-cover. It’s about finding what way works best for you and then studying like that even if no one else does. Naturally there isn’t much time for this process with all the awesome stuff going on in first year, but it’s worth keeping it something of a priority. That way, when exam season rolls around you’ll be prepped with an efficient way of studying and the confidence in your own style to push your way through it all. Your first year results can then be the killer asset which makes you glad that first year actually did matter for you. Conrad Marinkovic Treasurer UBLC Committee
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Careers Examination Tips Lots of people, especially first years, often underestimate the importance and difficulty of examinations. As every second and third year law student can confirm, a law degree and the preparation for summer examinations involves a huge amount of memorising. However, memorising is only half of what is required to adequately prepare you for the dreaded summer examination period. The other half is forming a full understanding of the links between the pieces of information you learn. As most of you are probably aware, at university exams are graded in percentage form, which then fall into certain grade boundaries defining the grade classification. Within the Law School, the highest classification (1st) is achieved by attaining 70% or above; an upper second classification (2.1) by attaining between 60% and 69%; a lower second classification (2.2) by attaining between 50% and 59%; and a passing classification (3rd) by attaining between 40% and 49%. The pass mark is 40%. These classifications are helpful to keep at the back of your mind while going through the year and later when revising for exams, because each classification comes with requisite skills you need to demonstrate to fall within it. To reach the highest bands of grades you should not simply recite information that you learnt by heart, but should be applying only the relevant parts of cases, statutes and academic commentaries you have studied. Irrelevance is penalised heavily. Equally, applying information correctly, meaning you come to a reasonable conclusion considering the materials you applied, is vital if you are looking to attain a 2.1 or higher. On how to memorise effectively, everyone is different, and it is difficult to advise as to what method will work best. I personally prefer a mixture of flash cards, writing things out on blank sheets of paper and talking them over with friends. Some of my friends prefer reading things multiple times and highlighting important pieces of information. Others memorise and understand best by applying concepts in lots of practice/past paper questions. There are so many different ways (many I haven’t touched upon) to memorise and understand concepts. You simply need to find the ones which work best for you. Personally, I would advise choosing the methodology that works for you and then sticking to it. That consistency in studying will provide you with structure you later require while writing essays in the exam. Julian Goering 3rd Year Law Student
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Careers Coursework Tips Start reading and planning early (about 3 weeks before the deadline) - it always takes longer than you think to get a good plan together (far longer than writing the actual essay). Don't try and be too clever or original - it requires a lot of knowledge to pull this off and the truth is, as a first year, you're unlikely to have it. That said, still try to be subtle and perceptive, making only the most obvious arguments won't enable you to get top marks. Unlike with A-levels, your essay doesn’t have to be balanced, make sure the examiner will be in no doubt as to your position on the essay topic. This means raising crucial counter arguments and then diminishing them with arguments that support your own stance. Structure wise, don't make your intro or conclusion too lengthy, I've seen a first class piece of coursework that had an introduction that was literally 5 lines - this proves that you receive the vast majority of marks for the main body of your essay. The introduction should show you understand the question and have come to adopt a justified point of view, little more is necessary. Rosa Shand 2nd Year Law Student & Mistress of the Moot UBLC Committee
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Careers Bristol Bar Society The Bristol Bar Society is another law society within the University of Bristol; set up only 6 years ago it has established itself and grown tremendously over this period with last year winning the National Best Society for Aspiring Barristers Award. Although it is directed towards aspiring barristers, it doesn’t mean that you have to want a career at the bar to join. There are many opportunities that the society offers directed at making a student more employable generally which compliment those already running in the UBLC. The Society has strong links with many prestigious chambers and is able to offer a number of talks from these distinguished barristers who provide a range of tips and skills for information on life at the bar including the numerous types of law and work they undertake, application advice and scholarship guidance. The society further has links with the Inns of Court and each year the society is able to offer tours and dinners at the inns where you can dine and network at the same time. The annual networking dinner just before Christmas also offers the same exceptional experience with lots of barristers from many chambers invited to enjoy a three course meal with the students of Bristol. The society offers competitions to get involved in which again can increase your public speaking and certainly persuasion skills, ones which take precedence at the bar. There is a really useful workshop held for each of these before the competition takes place presented by the Bar School at the University of the West of England. The competitions include a Plea in Mitigation and Bail Application Competition, as well as further mooting and intervarsity mock trial competitions to get involved with. The year concludes with the highlight the annual mock trial, a great day to get involved in acting out a trial from a crime often undertaken in a memorable venue in Bristol, showcasing some of the most talented advocates Bristol has to offer. Nicole Brendel
Nicole has been a member of the Bar Society and the UBLC for 2 years.
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Careers What Commercial Law Firms look for Some people think there is some sort of incredibly intricate and complicated answer to what law firms look for in a potential trainee or vacation scheme student, but most of it is really just common sense. As with any job, you will need to fulfil the specific requirements of the job you are applying for first. For trainee solicitors that means being organised, efficient and academically excellent. The final requirement is probably the most obvious to fulfil, by being awarded a 2:1 for your degree. As you can take away from Conrad’s article on why first year matters, that means getting a 2:1 every year, not simply in the ones that count toward your degree. That also demonstrates you’re consistent as opposed to only seasonably motivated and hard-working. Being organised and efficient about the way you go about tasks may sound a little daunting, but honestly is something you will pick up (whether consciously or subconsciously) during the course of your law degree at Bristol. However, there is most definitely also a social and more personal component to a career in law and that is what will distinguish you from other potentially viable candidates for a training contract or vacation scheme. Being able to have a casual conversation with people, especially people you have just met, is a very important skill in the context of being a lawyer (as well as many other professions). This skill is something that graduate recruitment look for in potential candidates at any event, workshop, interview or scheme you may attend. Being polite, friendly and genuine all play into it. To be honest, coming to university as a fresher is probably the best practice you could possibly get. You meet new people all the time and strike up conversations with them on a daily basis. Of course, all this is simply my impression of what law firms look for in their recruitment process. Moreover, different firms may look for slightly different personalities meaning my blanket description may not fully apply everywhere you might go. It should however provide you with a general overview of what is required to do well in legal recruitment processes. Julian Goering Senior Master of the Moot UBLC Committee !2 3
Careers First Year Work Experience Opportunities If you are considering a career in commercial law, there are numerous work experience opportunities provided by law firms for first year students. Some law firms only offer first year opportunities to law students, but others accept applications from students reading any course. The work experience generally occurs over the Easter holiday period, and may be for a few days, or for a whole week. When applying, the firms may ask for both a CV and a cover letter, or for a full online application to be completed. Generally, there will be an interview either by phone or in person following the application process. It is generally the larger law firms that offer work experience to first year students. Hogan Lovells offer a week long ‘Spring Vacation Scheme’ in the Easter holidays, which includes shadowing a trainee and partaking in workshops. Clifford Chance offer a similar opportunity, named the ‘First Year ‘Springboard’ Scheme’. Clyde & Co offers a week of ‘Insight Work Experience’, and Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) offer a similar opportunity where you work alongside a trainee mentor in a specific department for the duration of the time spent at the firm. Bristol students have been successful when applying to all of these schemes in the past. If you are not sure where to start when looking for work experience, have a look on the law firm’s ‘Graduate’ website as this will list all the opportunities that the firm provides throughout the academic year. Alternatively, Google something such as “first year work experience law” and this will take you to forums and law firms’ websites. If you are not successful in the application process, don’t worry! Apply for open days at law firms and attend information evenings provided by law firms at the university, as this will also help you to build an understanding of the world of commercial law. Most law firms offer open days, and the Careers Service as well as the UBLC will make you aware of upcoming opportunities. For more information on the commercial law industry please help yourself to the UBLC’s Commercial Law Guide, copies of which you will find in the Wills Memorial Building and at the UBLC stand at the Fresher’s Fair! Leah Wood Careers Secretary UBLC Committee
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Careers Vacation Scheme Application Tips by Davis Polk We all know that applying for vacation schemes can be a daunting prospect but, having come out at the other side of the process with a training contract offer from Davis Polk, I can personally attest to the benefit of doing your utmost to craft the best application. It is never too early to start thinking about the application process. The following is a brief guide to creating a successful application. Pre-Application Research A successful application is unlikely to be a generic one and therefore it is imperative that you have done your research! The information I gathered in relation to the culture and reputation of Davis Polk was critical in guiding me towards applying and so I cannot stress the importance of pre-application research strongly enough. While many law firms may seem at first to form part of a homogenous corporate cohort and it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate between them, research will soon demonstrate how a training contract with Davis Polk in London is a truly unique proposition. For me, Davis Polk’s strategy of developing its English law practice organically demonstrated its long term commitment and ambition and was pivotal in my decision to apply for a vacation scheme. From the moment I began conducting research I could feel that the decision to take on trainees was taken with the future direction of the firm in mind. I found myself presented with the opportunity to apply to a dynamic practice with a global reputation that would mean that I would be exposed to top quality work and so I did not hesitate to apply. I was also very strongly influenced by Davis Polk’s small intake of trainees. The idea of being lost in a crowd of trainees at a larger firm is one that I can honestly say never appealed to me and thus I focused my attention away from firms that have much larger trainee intakes. For some people a small intake may be a negative factor and I think this point demonstrates that not everyone shares the same view of the ideal law firm. To follow on from this, the key point is that you should always ensure that you approach the process with your eyes open. Your career is an incredibly important part of your life and you should ensure that you equip yourself with enough information to make the correct decision for yourself. A career in corporate law is not for everyone and there is nothing wrong that – but, in my opinion, everyone should explore their relevant options as much as possible before making a decision on their future. So then, how should you research a law firm? Your main resource will always be the firm’s website. This will be invaluable for your application as it will give you guidance as to the firm’s practice areas and general ethos. Take careful note of what areas of law the firm !2 5
practises and use this to tailor your application, but only if that area of law is something that genuinely interests you. For example, Davis Polk’s London practice is renowned for its high profile capital markets, M&A, finance and restructuring transactions throughout Europe and in the Middle East and Africa. Davis Polk is renowned as one of the most reputable corporate finance firms in the world and therefore a keen interest in this area would be of benefit to applicants. If , however, you have a passion for Litigation and see yourself practicing this sort of law, you will want to be sure to note that the firm does have a Litigation practice, but NOT in London. It is important to read the websites thoroughly and also read about the practice areas in guides such as Chambers Student, Lex 100 and the Training and Pupillage Handbook, so you really understand what they do before you apply, and certainly before you go in for an interview. Furthermore, you should try your best to attend law firm recruiting events or drop over to the stand at the law fair. These events offer you the opportunity to discuss your thoughts about applying, to find out more about the firm and ultimately to see whether you think the firm might be the right fit for you. Check firm websites to see if they have a list of events, or call the graduate recruiting department. At the end of the day, the application process is a bilateral one and you should never forget that it is as much about whether the firm is right for you as it is about whether you are right for the firm! The Application Process As for the application process itself, Davis Polk’s is refreshingly straightforward in comparison to many firms in London. You will be required to do no more than send a CV and cover letter, with a detailed breakdown of academic results. It goes without saying that you should ensure that your CV is neat, reads well, is completed in reverse chronological order and has absolutely no mistakes. Be sure to tailor your CV to your audience and emphasise any experience that you think demonstrates your interest in pursuing a career at the firm. As for your cover letter, my best advice is to demonstrate why you think the firm is right for you. It may be the case that you are interested in a specific practice area in which the firm excels or perhaps you had a particularly informative chat with a member of staff during a recruitment event. The reality is that no two cover letters will be same and you should simply write one which is fairly reflective of your talents and interests. Many firms have online application forms. While these are time consuming and the temptation may be there, try to refrain from cutting and pasting as this can lead to embarrassing errors. So there you have it. I sincerely hope you will consider a vacation scheme at Davis Polk. It is an incredibly fun (and at times challenging) experience but one which you will undoubtedly enjoy! Jack Kelly Trainee Solicitor Davis Polk
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University Life Student Budgeting We have all heard the horror stories, but living on a student budget really isn’t that bad at all if you are smart when spending your money. Here are a few tips you may not have thought of to save you some cash each week. Books - Don't buy your books first hand! Get on Facebook and search for the Bristol Law School Book market, where you can pick up the relevant textbooks from a second year for a fraction of what the books cost new. Use the short loan section in the library tactically and book texts out for the 4pm Friday to 10am Monday slot if you can. Budgets - Set a realistic budget and stick to it using an expenses app for your smartphone. It will take you a few weeks to work out what the figure is for you as the start of term is full of those starting at university costs like stationary, books, household goods and of course partying. When you have worked out a sensible budget, get an expenses app for your smartphone and track all your spending week to week by category. Yes it sounds a little over the top, but when you realise you are spending £40 a week on coffee shop sandwiches, you’ll thank us that you know what to cut back on. Going out – Predrink sensibly, use the bus network with your friends if possible to get into the city centre or split a cab and don’t plan to use your credit/debit card at the bar. Get the Uber app and give it a try. Many bars will sting you with a minimum spend to so take a sensible amount of cash and plan your night in advance if you can. Coffee – Buy a thermos/keep hot mug and use it daily if you need that mid morning coffee to function. Top up your addiction by getting a free myWaitrose card and picking up a free coffee from the shop on the Triangle every day (they even do tea if coffee isn’t your thing). Food – If you like to eat out, consider getting a tastecard for use in Bristol. The card entitles you to 50% off the food bill at dozens of restaurants on weeknights in Bristol. Check their website for participating restaurants. You can often pick on up a 12 month membership for £30 from their website or get one free from RBS or Natwest. Look for two course deals or earlybird specials too. Be frugal and you can pick up some really good food for very little. Student discounts – When shopping, don’t be shy, always ask if a student discount is available and flash your UCard to reap the benefits. Consider getting the UniDays app for your smartphone for a wide range of percentage discounts. Will Cusack Vice-President UBLC Committee !2 7
University Life Study Spots So you want to get your head down and do some studying? Good on you! The only problem is you can’t decided where would be best to crack on with that first contract tutorial reading list. So what are you options? Don't study in your own room if you can avoid it! Trust us, working and sleeping in the same room is really bad for productivity. Libraries, the Student’s Union, coffee shops and your hall are your best bet. We highly recommend the Wills Memorial Building Library (aka ‘Wills’). You can find it by entering the Wills Memorial Building, going up the main staircase to the first floor and down the down the corridor on your right. The Wills has all the books you could possibly need as a first year and a very hand short loans section, as well as bookable group study rooms and the common room to take a lunch break in. It’s open seven days a week for long hours, which extend over the exam period too. It’s our favourite for the spacious tables and natural light, not to mention being full of other law students. If the Wills isn’t your cup of tea, why not try the larger Arts and Social Sciences Library (aka ‘The ASS’ [no; I’m not kidding]). It is located only eight minutes walk up the hill into the University Precinct on Tyndall Avenue. Although a little less aesthetically pleasing than the Wills, the ASS boasts the most study spaces, single private study rooms and IT resources of the libraries, plus it has a swanky cafe on the ground floor. Beware the lack of law books though, you won’t find many relevant to your course on its shelves, so make sure you take your own! Want to get away from the traditional library environment? Give the Student’s Union (aka ‘The Richmond Building / The SU) a try. It is only a five minutes towards Clifton from the Victoria Rooms. Open plan study spaces extend up to the fourth floor, which is paired with a great view back over towards the city. This is a favourite for more relaxed study groups, as the areas are not for silent study. Housing the University swimming pool and a brand new bar on the ground floor, the SU is perfect for an afternoon of studying, exercising and socialising.
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Coffee addict? Get to the triangle and try one of the many coffee shops around WMB. Within a five minute walk you have your pick of Cafe Nero, Costa, Friska, Boulangerie, Patisserie Valerie, and our favourite Boston Tea Party. Purchase a drink and stay for a long as you like. Or if you just want some free coffee and not the study space, sign up for a free MyWaitrose card, pick up your free daily coffee from the little Waitrose on the triangle and get back to your desk of choice. Looking for convenience? Whilst we recommend not studying in your bedroom, your hall of residence may have some really good study spaces for you and your hall mates to take advantage of. Both quiet and convenient, these spaces may be just what you are looking for, so enquire with your JCR or Hall Staff for more information. Still not satisfied? Give Senate House, the Helen Woodhouse Building or any of the other libraries the University offers a try. Will Cusack Vice-President UBLC Committee
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UBLC Committee Contact Details
UBLC Committee Contact Details UBLC 2015-2016 Committee Contact Details 2015-2016
Name
Mobile Name Number
cretary - Organisational ndau cretary - Publicity l ecretary od Officer edemi fficer ner es of the Moot nett & Rosa Shand
President 07554889827 Sam Unsworth Vice President 07799880941 Will Cusack Treasurer 07808518762 Conrad Marinkovic General Secretary 07772291813 Abi Birch Social Secretary - Organisational 07507632201 Sophie Landau Social Secretary - Publicity 07432622470 Nivi Kanel Careers Secretary 07557416774 Leah Wood Diversity Officer 07985147487 Dami Ewedemi Alumni Officer 07860647366 Mark Turner Mistresses of the Moot Lucy: 07912043051 Lucy & Rosa Shand Rosa:Bennett 07756858534
ty Coordinator Quinney asters of the Moot rell & Julian Goring
Intervarsity Coordinator 07956158441 Hannah Quinney Senior Masters of the Moot Tom: 07896919330 Tom Murrell & Julian Goring Julian: 07503106532
he Debate endel on-Law Rep mpson rts Rep a ports Rep urgoyne Rep
Chair of the Debate 07434691428 Nicole Brendel Law for Non-Law Rep 07918910846 Giles Thompson Male Sports Rep 07580401340 Elias Votta Female Sports Rep 07917872019 Georgie Burgoyne First TBC Year Rep TBC Second TBC Year Rep TBC Third TBC Year Rep TBC Post TBC Grad Rep TBC
worth ident ck r Marinkovic ecretary
ear Rep
r Rep
d Rep
Mobile Email Address Number
Email Addre
07554889827 su14739@my.bristol.ac.uk
su14739@my.bristol.ac
07799880941 wc13964@my.bristol.ac.uk
wc13964@my.bristol.ac
07808518762 cm13520@my.bristol.ac.uk
cm13520@my.bristol.a
07772291813 ab14161@my.bristol.ac.uk
ab14161@my.bristol.ac
07507632201 sl14239@my.bristol.ac.uk
sl14239@my.bristol.ac.
07432622470 nk14917@my.bristol.ac.uk
nk14917@my.bristol.ac
07557416774 lw137222@my.bristol.ac.uk
lw137222@my.bristol.a
07985147487 oe14222@my.bristol.ac.uk
oe14222@my.bristol.ac
07860647366 mt14619@my.bristol.ac.uk
mt14619@my.bristol.ac
Lucy: lb14872@my.bristol.ac.uk 07912043051 Rosa: rs14666@my.bristol.ac.uk 07756858534 07956158441 hg13366@my.bristol.ac.uk
lb14872@my.bristol.ac rs14666@my.bristol.ac hg13366@my.bristol.ac
Tom: tm13542@my.bristol.ac.uk 07896919330 Julian: jg13330@my.bristol.ac.uk 07503106532 07434691428 nb13929@my.bristol.ac.uk
tm13542@my.bristol.ac jg13330@my.bristol.ac. nb13929@my.bristol.ac
07918910846 gt13267@my.bristol.ac.uk
gt13267@my.bristol.ac
07580401340 ev14743@my.bristol.ac.uk
ev14743@my.bristol.ac
07917872019 gb14172@my.bristol.ac.uk
gb14172@my.bristol.ac
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BIG HILLS AND BIG DEALS BE A PART OF EVERYTHING
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE CAREERS IN LAW Setting off with clients on a charity cycle event. Settling in to finish a £1.4bn merger agreement. We’ll give you the chance to make a real impact. And to enjoy the rewards that come with working hard. !3 1 Don’t just experience everything, be a part of it. SEARCH HSF GRADS FOR MORE
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www.UBLC.co.uk !3 3
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