After working for nearly a week and a half in London I have learned possibly more than my four years at William and Mary taught me. Perhaps the most important is how to use a fountain pen. In the meeting room with one of the people from HR and the other interns early on in the internship they gave us something to sign. Everyone picked up a pen and signed away. I tried to write with said pen only no ink came out! Now I had heard of fountain pens but had never actually used one before and was unaware of the trick. So in front of four strangers I requested a different pen (good start I thought). However a lot has happened since then, I have been given some legal work so I have learned a few things about the UK legal process and corporations (of course not nearly as much as I would like to and no I have not gotten work that is THAT exciting, but learning none the less). All of us interns get along very well and everyone in the firm is really nice and seem normal (disproving the corporate lawyers sell their souls theory I had). We even got a field trip one day that included the courts and the museum for the Bank of London (I was the only girl who could lift the gold brick... go me). All in all I will be sad to leave Friday afternoon (more for want of the company than my actual assignments). Although this experience has most annoyingly brought up more questions than actual answers. As some of you may already know, I learned about a different LSE program (MA in Human Rights) that I am actually going to attempt to switch into. While that may take care of my life for one year I have many questions arise after that.
My first question is "do I go to law school after I get my masters?" The perks to going to law school would obviously be a competitive edge when applying for jobs. The con would be an even further delay of starting my "real life" ie would be a student so things like marriage, kids, a house would be postponed even further. (NOT that they are on the horizon, my line of thinking is more ok 2-3 more years of school has me graduating at 26-27 instead of 24).
My next question is "if I go to law school, in which country do I study law?" I think right now there is a serious lean towards the UK but it is still a question none the less!
If I study in the UK I then must make a choice between an LLB where I could easily specialize in human rights law but I would not be a practicing solicitor. This program would take two years and then an extra one if I actually wanted to be a practicing lawyer. My other option would be one year conversion course and then the LCP for one year (their law school). After that I would have a two year training contract before I was certified to practice (plus side is the training contract is paid). While I could not study Human Rights law in the conversion or LCP I could make sure I applied to training seats that offered such.
This leads me to my final and perhaps most important question....what if I did not do human rights but say did corporate law? While a part of me thinks this just might be selling out, another part of me is intrigued by what I have seen the past two weeks and also understands that money makes the world go round. I don't think I would ever be as passionate about corporate as human rights but I could be satisfied in life doing it and it would be a much easier path to take. (still selling out).
Right now I am leaning towards applying for the conversion and LCP and then doing my seats in the human rights law area and seeing if I am accepted and then going from there. But I am most appreciative of other people's input as these are some major decisions to be made.
Other than those plaguing questions things are going very well. I have moved away from the train to an LSE dorm (which is full of people who do not speak english and REAKS of noodles). Christopher (who does not appreciate being referred to as "the boy" in earlier posts) has been an absolute saint in helping move yet again ( and no Chris the previous portion of this blog does not imply that I have planned out 2.5 kids and a white picket fence).
Other than work and moving again I am simply working on being absolutely fabulous in London 0:)
x
me
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2 comments:
if it is any consolation- i can't figure out fountain pens either. i have made them explode on me before... so- be careful!
A legal training contracts for solicitors is a practical training period for law graduates in the UK who wish to qualify as solicitors. A full-time training contract typically lasts for two years, and is undertaken by students who have completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) , which is the professional phase for becoming a solicitor in England and Wales.
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