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Post-graduation options – become a paralegal, or self-fund the SQE?

pfoapplicant

Esteemed Member
Dec 7, 2020
88
10
I’m graduating from university in June, and although I’ve done well academically so far (I'm at a good university, and I've got good grades), it’s looking likely (for various reasons) that I’m not going to have a training contract at a commercial law firm lined up by the time I leave university.

I’m currently trying to work out what the best course of action is (immediately after graduation) if I don’t graduate with a training contract – at the moment, I’ve narrowed it down to two broad choices: (1) doing the SQE in some form, or (2) doing some work as a paralegal. Obviously, with either option (1) or (2), I’ll be applying to firms for vacation schemes and/or training contracts at the same time as working/studying (as the case may be).

Out of these two options, what would you guys say would be the best thing to do, in order to be in the best position in which I can be vis-à-vis future vac scheme/training contract applications?

Also, would you say that it’s advisable to do at the SQE (at least in some form) in order to even be able to land a paralegal role at a decent firm (and if so, would it be enough to just do the SQE1 in the short term, rather than the whole SQE1&2 LLM option)?

If I don’t graduate with a training contract, then in an ideal world, I’d quite like to do some work as a paralegal after graduation (not least because the various SQE options, if self-funded, are quite expensive!), but I thought it best to get the benefit of your advice.

If you can give any pointers, I’d be really grateful!

@Jessica Booker @Jaysen
 
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