Our guide to unlocking new, diverse and often overlooked pathways into a career in law
Here’s what to expect this week…
Opportunities we’ve spotted, including legal work experience, paralegal roles and alternative legal careers
Our weekly Q&A on not passing SQE1 and next steps
5 minutes on…mooting (and why it could be great interview prep)
And finally, a career tip about commercial awareness
Let’s get into it 👇
Career opportunities spotted this week 👀
📍 Work experience, insight days & placement opportunities
⭐ Inclusie's pick of the week ⭐️
🧭 Addleshaw Goddard (Various)
The Legal Explorer Programme is a widening-access initiative specifically for Year 12 students from underrepresented backgrounds who are curious about a career in law. It's designed to demystify life at a law firm and the wider profession, without assuming you already know how any of it works.
We love how thoughtful the scheme is. Not only do successful applicants get a free laptop to support their experience and studies, all travel expenses are covered and you get a week of paid work experience in the summer holidays too.
We love to see social mobility schemes done right 👏 Check your eligibility and apply ASAP!
🧠 Hay & Kilner (Newcastle)
Fancy testing your quiz knowledge while getting to know the team behind the scenes? Their Graduate Recruitment Quiz gives you the chance to chat with current trainees and solicitors about recruitment and life at the firm, with prizes up for grabs for the quiz too. It's on Thursday 5th November at 5.30pm. Visit the LinkedIn post for more details on how to sign up.
🎓 The Inns of Court (Virtual)
This free "Becoming a Barrister" event brings together all four Inns of Court, with a panel of practising barristers and judges sharing their own routes to the Bar before a live Q&A. Open to students, graduates and career changers alike. Deadline: 28th September.
🔍 JD.com (London)
Fancy in-house compliance experience at one of the biggest names in global e-commerce? This Compliance Internship has you working on regulatory research, risk assessments, governance and process improvement across JD.com's logistics business over 3-6 months. Apply ASAP!
🏛️ 4 Stone Buildings (London)
Considering applying for pupillage? This open evening gives you the chance to meet members of Chambers, hear about the application process and life as a pupil, and get a real feel for the work Chambers undertakes. It wraps up with a networking session over refreshments. The event will take place on Monday 12th October.
🍂 Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) (Virtual)
If you're studying towards A-levels (or equivalent), this 3 day Autumn Virtual Work Experience Programme is a genuinely accessible way in. You'll learn about life at the firm, take part in skills workshops, and work through team-based tasks alongside other students. It runs Tuesday 27th to Thursday 29th October. Apply by 30th September.
🎙️ Pump Court Chambers (Virtual)
Pump Court’s Pupillage Insight Evening covers everything from the application process to specialist Crime and Family pupillages, tenancy applications and what life as a junior tenant actually looks like. You'll hear directly from several of Pump Court's junior barristers about their own journeys. Date: Tuesday 6th October. Remember to send across any questions you have ahead of time!
💼 Trainee, Apprenticeship & Pupillage Roles
🌍 Peters & Peters (London)
If complex litigation, fraud and business crime sound like your thing, this specialist firm is known for its work on high-profile international disputes and investigations. Their small trainee intake means early responsibility, two dedicated litigation seats and an external secondment, all backed by a partner-level mentor in your office. Applications for 2028 and 2029 Training Contracts are open now.
📚 Harrison Drury (Kendal)
This six-year Legal Apprenticeship takes college leavers from Level 3 Paralegal to Level 7 Solicitor, earning an LLB (Hons) along the way, with hands-on departmental work split against structured training with BPP. You'll need Grade 6+ in GCSE English and Maths and ABB at A Level, and it's worth noting this role isn't eligible for visa sponsorship. No deadline specified, so apply as soon as you can.
⚖️ Mackenzie Jones Solicitors (St Asaph / Chester)
Currently recruiting Trainee Solicitors, with mentoring and support from experienced senior lawyers built into the programme from day one. Open to both the LPC and SQE routes.
🌳 Michelmores (Various)
Michelmores is a South West-rooted firm with offices across Exeter, Bristol, Cambridge, Cheltenham and London, known for its work in real estate, agriculture, private wealth and commercial sectors. Applications are open for both their Solicitor Apprenticeship and Placement Year programmes, with a virtual insight session for the apprenticeship later this month.
⚔️ Olliers Solicitors (Manchester)
A 24-month fixed-term Trainee Solicitor role (SQE route) for anyone who has completed SQE1 and wants hands-on experience in a busy, highly regarded criminal defence practice. You'll work alongside experienced solicitors across a wide range of criminal matters, building your advocacy and client care skills with structured supervision throughout.
🗒️ Paralegal & Entry Level Roles
🏠 Shelter (Manchester & Blackburn)
If housing justice is something you care about, Shelter's legal teams sit at the heart of their mission to end the housing emergency. This Housing Rights Worker role has you delivering advice and casework support to families at risk of homelessness, working alongside a solicitor-led legal team. Two posts available - Manchester closes 23rd September, Blackburn 24th September.
🔒 GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates (Dartford)
A genuinely different specialism worth knowing about: this Prison Law Paralegal role supports a growing team, working on a varied caseload that includes client consultations and legal research. It's meaningful, publicly-funded work that makes a real difference to clients facing complex legal challenges. The listing does lean towards candidates who have previously worked in a legal environment, so worth checking the specifics before you apply. Apply ASAP.
💻 Dentons (London)
If you’re a gradaute interested in legal tech, data and process improvement, this Graduate Operations Analyst role is a genuinely different way into law. Over the course of two years, participants will have the opportunity to work across key operational areas: Legal Project Management, Helix (managed legal services), Legal Delivery Centre and Practice Management. There’s opportunity for a permanent role. at the end too. Apply ASAP!
🌊 Hill Dickinson LLP (Liverpool)
Another alternative opportunity at a big firm. Hill Dickinson are hiring an Early Careers Assistant role supporting the law firm's recruitment team - think events, candidate queries and pipeline admin. They also explicitly say that they’re happy to talk flexible working and that you don’t need to meet all criteria to apply.
⚖️ TLT LLP (Bristol/remote
TLT's Financial Services Disputes team is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, acting for major clearing banks, building societies and specialist lenders. This Contract Paralegal role runs for around 6 months on a day rate via an umbrella company, so it's a good option if you're after flexible, fixed-term experience rather than a permanent role straight away. Some prior experience in complaints required. Apply ASAP.
📋 7 Harrington Street Chambers (Liverpool)
If you're considering the Bar from a different angle, this Junior Clerk role is a great place to start. You'd get hands-on experience and exposure to a broad range of work within a busy, supportive Chambers environment. Apply with your CV.
Your questions answered❓
Q: I failed SQE1 this week and I don't know what to do next. Should I resit straight away or try a different career? I’m worried I’ve ruined any chance of qualifying or securing a training contract.
My response: First, take a breath, and give yourself at least a week to process before planning your next move. In my opinion, failing SQE1 says nothing about whether you'll make a good lawyer. Plenty of people who failed on their first attempt have gone on to pass (in fact, a couple of people who this happened to reached out to me on LinkedIn this week, so some of this advice comes from those with lived experience)!
If like me you like a practical plan, here's a few next steps:
Start with your results breakdown from the SRA, showing your performance across the different areas tested. If you do decide to resit, remember that you're not starting from zero this time, you already have a strong revision base to build on. You can also use the results breakdown to build a study plan targeting your weaker topics first.
I know plenty of people are studying for the SQE whilst holding down full-time jobs, studying other courses or applying for training contracts. It’s a lot. If you're resitting both papers while also on an LLM, it may be worth pausing the LLM to focus fully on the resit, asking for study leave if you have an employer and considering whether there are other commitments you can put on hold while you focus.
I know it's not cheap to resit. If cost is a factor, please consider asking your employer or training provider (if you have one) about support. Some do offer it.
It's also worth remembering the SQE isn't the only route in. CILEX offers a path to qualification as a Chartered Legal Executive without needing to pass the SQE, and it can lead to full solicitor qualification later if you still want that. It’s worth reading Zoreen's piece in newsletter #12, where she talks about qualifying via CILEX before cross-qualifying as a solicitor. There are plenty of options. Beyond qualification routes, careers in legal tech, compliance and legal recruitment all make genuine use of legal knowledge, each an interesting career in their own right.
One more thing worth knowing: the SRA has confirmed that, from January 2027, SQE1 will drop from 360 to 340 questions, giving candidates more time for each question, and questions will be grouped into areas of law. They may not be groundbreaking changes, but are still worth considering if timing, for example, was a struggle for you. You can read more details on the SRA’s website (SRA's SQE website).
Finally, please be kind to yourself. Most legal careers are now take squiggly paths; this is just a bump in the road.
✍ 5 minutes on...mooting (and why it may be the best interview prep you'll ever do)
This week's guest piece comes from Erin McEwan, an upcoming BPC student and one of Inclusie’s Social and Community Leads. She represented her university in numerous international mooting competitions and served as Senior Mistress of Mooting, mentoring other students through their first rounds.
If you're thinking about a career in law, you've probably heard the word mooting thrown around. Maybe you've even seen it and thought, "I have absolutely no idea what that is."
Put simply, mooting is a simulated court hearing where you take on the role of a barrister and argue a hypothetical legal case before a judge. You'll usually work in pairs, one side acting as the appellant and the other as the respondent. You're given a legal problem, have to research the relevant law, prepare your arguments and then present them orally in court.
And yes, you really do get to stand up and say things like "May it please the court…"
But before you panic at the thought of standing up in front of a judge, here's the most important thing I can tell you: mooting is not as scary as it sounds.
What skills does it actually give you?
Advocacy and communication. Mooting gives you the chance to practise speaking persuasively and clearly, structuring an argument and explaining complicated legal principles so someone else can actually follow. You also learn to control your nerves and become comfortable speaking without simply reading from a script.
Legal research and analysis. You're given a problem and it's your job to work out what the legal issues actually are, finding relevant cases and legislation and working out how they apply to the facts in front of you. This is one of the biggest things I took away from mooting: knowing what a case says isn't enough, you need to understand why it matters to your argument.
Thinking on your feet. You can prepare your submissions for hours, but you cannot prepare for every question a judge might ask. During a moot, judges can interrupt with questions or challenge your argument, and you have to listen carefully and respond without losing your train of thought. It's amazing practice for pupillage, training contract and paralegal interviews.
Why do employers care about mooting?
It shows you can research independently, identify legal issues, analyse authorities, construct a logical argument, communicate persuasively, respond to challenge and remain professional under pressure. Mooting also gives you a real example for interviews. Instead of saying "I am a confident person," you can explain how you started out nervous, what you did to prepare, how you responded when challenged, and how your confidence developed. That makes for a much stronger answer.
My biggest piece of advice? Just give it a go.
When I first started mooting, I knew I wanted to become a barrister, but that didn't mean I automatically felt confident arguing in front of people. My first experience was a learning curve. I went on to compete with my partner through the university competition, reaching the quarter-finals, before later taking on the role of Senior Mistress of Mooting and helping other students get started. One of the most rewarding parts was seeing how quickly people's confidence changed, from a nervous first sentence to a completely different person a few rounds later. You don't have to be good at it when you start. You just have to be willing to try.
How do you actually moot?
1. Get to grips with the problem. Work out exactly what the legal questions are and which side you're representing.
2. Research, research, research. Find the relevant legislation and case law, and understand how the authorities support your argument. Don't just collect cases, know what they decided and how you can apply that to your facts.
3. Build your submissions. Turn your research into a clear argument: tell the judge your point, explain the relevant law, apply it to the facts, and explain why your side should succeed.
4. Prepare for judicial intervention. Don't see interruptions as something going wrong. Listen carefully, pause, answer the question and return to your argument. If you genuinely don't know the answer, don't panic or make something up. Explain what you do know and work through the issue logically.
5. Practise your delivery. Know your arguments well enough to use point cards rather than reading every word. Speak clearly and slowly, make eye contact, and remember that pausing is completely fine.
Final tips
A few things I wish I knew before my first moot: bring water (if you need a second to think a sip buys you a moment; this works for interviews too) and make eye contact rather than hiding behind your notes.
And finally, don't wait until you feel confident. Confidence comes from doing the thing that initially makes you nervous.
Mooting might not be for everyone, and that's okay. But you won't know until you try it, and if it isn't for you, then you have a great example of why being a barrister is not for you. It’s also fantastic prep for thinking on your feet in interviews!
This week’s career tip on commercial awareness
Confession time. I've been working in Corporate and Commercial law for over eight years and I still never read the Financial Times. I find it nearly impossible to get through. BBC Business news and a good podcast is much more my thing.
Remember that commercial awareness isn't about memorising every newspaper headline the day before the interview. It's a genuine curiosity about the world, the businesses in it, and how they make decisions. Build that mindset in a way that actually interests you, in a way that is accessible in your day to day life, and it'll stick far longer than any article you forced yourself through.
That’s all for now. See you next week!
Emma
The careers advice shared in this newsletter is intended as general guidance and should not be treated as formal legal or recruitment advice. I do my best to keep all opportunities and deadlines accurate and up-to-date at the time of writing, but always double-check the employer’s website before applying.