Was just going to post about that postgrad Molly. Its hilarious reading the self importance of these young law graduates but reading between the lines all that is being complained about here is the fact that there is another set of tougher exams to be sat once you graduate from your degree. The fe-1s are a completely different kettle of fish to law exams in University so the sooner you all reaslise that you have to work harder for these and stop whining about non-law graduates and the number of people coming out of Blackhall, the sooner you will be in a position to get into Blackhall.
As for the 700 hundred coming out of Blackhall this year that will be at least halved within the next three years and the market will sort itself out. It is not The Law Society that is "flooding" 700 people into the market nor indeed is it anything to do with the numbers sitting the FE-1s, it is the law firms that have taken these people on as apprentices. Unfortunately for those people alot of them will not be taken on as firms simply cannot afford to take on fully qualified solicitors at the moment. For those people coming out this is a disaster and I can see alot of these falling by the wayside. The one plus out of all of this is that if you have your FE-1s and you go into Blackhall in 2010 you will be coming out into a market that has levelled itself off somewhat and by 2012 we should be looking at an upturn in the world economy. More new qualified solicitors will be hired than in the years up to then. However it will be nothing like what has gone on in the last seven or eight years because for one thing there wont be nearly as many graduates willing to take on the challenge of the FE-1s due to difficulties in getting an apprenticeship. For another, the economy just cannot sustain such numbers. I feel for solicitors qualified in recent years who focussed on an area such as conveyancing or commercial leases/property only to find they dont have a sufficiently broad enough skill base to hold onto their jobs. At the moment I am trying to get as much experience as I can in all areas my firm's practice and particularly corporate law. The key I feel is to make yourself indispensable. Shane's comment in respect of what firms go for in apprentices is spot on. The firm I'm in and most firms are looking for something different in the CV that comes in the door. The managing partner in my firm always thinks that someone with a History degree with perhaps a postgrad in Law is a perfect candidate. Fortunately for me I had a technical degree, followed by a short career in that area followed by a degree in History and a postgrad in Law and got an apprenticeship straight away. That was just last year when things were taking a turn for the worst. Its worth noting that the hardest aspect of law degrees is getting into them via the leaving cert. Thats the reality of it lads. Comparing them to medical degrees nearly had me falling off my chair laughing. More than ever firms will be looking for candidates with a varied background backed up with evidence of good intellect. There's no point in having a first in a law degree if you cannot look someone in the eye or communicate effectively. However, if you have varied academic background with good results together with all the FE-1s plus evidence of a good outgoing personality with a good work ethic you stand a very good chance of getting an apprenticeship. As molly says, the FE-1s make it a level playing field for entry into the solicitors profession. Whether there are 20,000 people sitting the FE-1s every year will have no bearing on the numbers coming out of Blackhall as there are only so many apprenticeships available in any given year. However, increased numbers doing the FE-1s does provide firms with a greater pool of talent to choose from. So instead of complaining about the competition, focus on putting the maximum effort into these exams and prove that your are worth hiring. On Apr 3, 2:51 pm, molly <[email protected]> wrote: > By the way I forget to mention that there is a postgraduate entrance > to medicine now for holders of other undergraduate degrees. So Kenno > there are doctors practicing without a fundamental degree in medicine > just a postgrad one. This was recently introduced as it was thought > that it would benefit the profession to have individuals bring other > skills to it as well as to make it more accessible > > On Apr 3, 2:45 pm, molly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I cant believe some of the elitist, out of date attitudes posted > > here! I hold a medical degree, went on to do a law degree and am now > > doing my last two fe1's, You cannot compare pharmacists, doctors etc > > degrees to a law degree. A law degree is just that. It does not > > confer any right to practice, whereas the above aforementioned > > professional degrees do as the practical training is incorporated. The > > Fe1s are a level playing field. How can you say that a legal rep with > > a music degree is less qualified? We all have to get the same mark to > > pass the fe1s and all receive the same training in blackhall. It > > doesnt stand up to scrutiny and just reveals a begrudging attitude. I > > bet most of these attitudes come from those of the bebo generation who > > are now seriously miffed to discover the harsh realities of life in > > the real world. > > > On Apr 3, 1:21 pm, shaney <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Surely if a law grad does a degree he will have a better chance of > > > passing (because he/she have been doing the subjects for three/four > > > years)? That much has been said already. > > > > If non-law grads are "clogging" up the place of the law grads then why > > > do employers take so many of these non-law grads on? They don't seem > > > to mind people with music degrees who have passed the fe1's and gone > > > through blackhall representing someone. In fact in my own case my past > > > life is of massive benefit to me because of the legal field i work in > > > and as much was said to me in my interview. Just because i didn't want > > > to be a lawyer at 17 when i filled out my CAO shouldn't have to make > > > me drop out of employment and do a Diploma course or what not. > > > > On Apr 3, 12:37 pm, LDGantly <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > well said kenno > > > > > On Apr 3, 12:32 pm, kenno1888 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > Hey nilomu, > > > > > Seeing as curious, I will offer you a reason why. Take professions > > > > > like Doctors and Pharmacists as an example. If you dont posses a > > > > > fundemental degree in either medicine or pharmacy you can not practice > > > > > in those fields period. Admittedly, altohugh this will be widely > > > > > criticised and challenged, legal fees are relatively high in this > > > > > country if one considers the overall charges on the whole looking at > > > > > conveyancing fees etc... Now, speaking hypotethically, take for > > > > > example a person who goes to a solicitor in order to be represented on > > > > > a criminal issue, lets say the solicitor they get is not up to scratch > > > > > and they still have to pay argumentally high rates to their solicitor, > > > > > do you honestly think that they would be happy to find out that the > > > > > solicitor that represented them had a MUSIC degree???? > > > > > Just a hypotethical example but I mean come on, it does not take a > > > > > genius to see why those holding themselves out as being Legal > > > > > representitives for a person, perhaps on issues as fundemental and as > > > > > serious as ones persons civil liberties, should at least posses an > > > > > undergrad degree in that professional field. > > > > > > I hope that at least helped to satisfy your curiosity in some way!!! > > > > > > On 3 Apr, 00:01, nilomu <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > "non-law graduates should be required to sit a diploma course, be it > > > > > > a > > > > > > year or two years in the Law Society" > > > > > > > can you give me a valid reason why??? not that it matters but i > > > > > > have a > > > > > > 2 year law diploma done anyway after my degree but i fail to see how > > > > > > it makes a difference - if you can pass the fe1s theres no reason > > > > > > why > > > > > > you can't do well in Blackhall. why try to cut people out of a > > > > > > profession just because they are not law grads? why make it easier > > > > > > for > > > > > > law grads? just curious.....- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "FE-1 Study Group" group. 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