Slow blogging, tons of work

Sorry for the lack of blogging, but currently working my ASS off and studying law.

At some point when the work cools down I will get right back to blogging again.

Nearly Legal Blog

Whilst perusing over the ever growing number of blogs currently on the internet, the NearlyLegal blog was brought to my attention. I am sure it's a long standing blog, but I found the site very informative on current matters of law, accompanied by a witty opinionated response to some topics.

I especially liked NearlyLegal's response to the law firm starting an office in the Second Life virtual word, quotes such as "..do they want their trainees turning up as Daleks, purple baboons and winged dominatrixes?" had me laughing out loud whilst at work.

I would highly recommend adding it to your favourites, it certainly lightens my day and keeps me informed at the same time.

Lawcareers.net, mature student stories

Lawcareers.net has just published a super article from two mature students who changed careers into law. Its a real bonus to me, to actually see that people who transferred to law older than me and managed to secure training contracts in fantastic law firms. The link to the article is located here

Here is a highlight of it:

"Kathryn's Top 10 Tips on Getting a Training Contract

Target the right firms
Aim high, but be realistic - and remember that one of the main things regional practices look for in candidates is stability, which gives those who emphasise their connection to the area an advantage. Remember also that some firms are willing to take on prospective trainees as paralegals first, which can be a good option for career changers.

Go to the right university and law school
Prestige and fees play their parts - Gavin, for instance, headed straight for BPP's City LPC - but you should also look at learning options. "I didn't realise at the time how difficult distance learning is," says Kathryn, and yet it was one way of fitting the GDL around family life. Note also that less well-known regional colleges can be a good choice for those keen on firms local to the provider.

Do well at law school
"Aim for a distinction," advises Kathryn, "be happy with a commendation - especially if you have kids or a job or both - and re-evaluate things if you get a straight pass. It sounds harsh, but it's reality." Try also to participate in any extra-curricular activities on offer. "Law firms worry that mature applicants are old dogs who can't learn new tricks. Show them that you are willing to take on new challenges, learn new things and muck in with the youngsters."

Get yourself recognised
You need to get your name on that preferred inbox list, but there are ways and means. "It's kind of intimidating just to call someone up and say I'd like to have a chat with you. But when you're at an event like LawCareers.Net's Basic Training, they're standing there waiting to talk to you, so that's the ideal opportunity for a mature student to get in there and get their face recognised."

Know the application deadlines
Make sure you apply before the deadline date! But if you do miss a deadline for a firm you're really keen on, keep checking their website - sometimes circumstances do change.

Follow application directions
"Don't think that because you are older and your credentials and experience are non-standard that the rules don't apply to you," warns Kathryn. "Make your qualifications fit. They will bin your CV without looking at it if you don't."

Send out practice applications
Inevitably, you learn by doing, and your first applications may not be as good as your final ones. Therefore, start by applying to a few firms lower down your list and leave your favourites till last.

Do not blow the interview
Be prepared to answer the two questions almost all career changers face: why the change and how will you feel being supervised by people younger than yourself? As goes for any interviewee, it is important to convey as much energy, enthusiasm and openness as possible.

Mind your manners
Don't underestimate the power of a follow-up email or thank you card after an interview, letting the recruiter know you're grateful for the opportunity. "Taking this extra step shows enthusiasm and good client care skills, which are vital for ambitious law firms in the 21st century," Kathryn comments. On the other hand, bugging recruiters for a decision is unlikely to go down well.

Always be prepared
"You never know who you'll meet at your son's sixth birthday party or while sitting on a train," says Kathryn. "Always look presentable and follow up every lead. A girl on my LPC met a guy on a train who was a partner at a firm and this contact eventually led to an interview. It does happen.""

Barrister2b blog

http://barrister2b.blogspot.com/ is a blog that was recently brought to my attention. The individual writing the blog is much like myself, moving from a IT background into law. He is a little further along in the whole process but his blogs make for a good read, and it is nice to know I am not the only IT convert.

As his blog title suggests he is attempting to secure a pupillage, its quite a nice alternative to my blog, where it is more likely that I will be attempting to qualify as a solicitor and not a barrister.

So head over there and have a read, I enjoyed it so felt it deserved note.

Revising at the moment for some extra qualifications I want to achieve before I begin my degree in September, hence the reason that there are not so many blogs at the moment. Normal blogging will re-commence after I finish the exam in a months time

Intellectual Property Law

Unlike most first year students who have just finished their A-Levels and are trying to go out and party as much as they can (allegedly), I have the luxury of experience and time to make a decision on what area of law I would like to specialise in.

I would be very naive to make a final decision on an area of law now, but it's nice to at least have something I can focus my attention on, as well as doing alot of reading up on modules due in my first year.

On top of this I was looking for something that would enable me to make some use of the IT knowledge I have accumulated over the years. I don't really want a subject that would embellish me in IT again but just something that would touch on it. I thought it might be beneficial from a CV point of view as well.

I have also made a mental note to try and put in some happier blogs, I briefly looked over some of my previous blogs and they seem to have tones of melancholy about them. Its beginning to make me look like a closet depressive, when I am actually a very happy guy.

I found some interesting links to information about IP and IP law and listed them below incase anyone else is interested

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/whatis.htm - Base IP explanations
http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/ipr/IntellectualProperty.htm -Overview of IP
http://www.ip-institute.org.uk/ - IP Institute
Law Society Property Law

I know there is many more but this is just a snippet, if you know of any really good links, leave a comment pointing to it, thanks

Girlfriends Birthday

I think the title indicates the event occuring over the next couple of days. And before you ask, no the picture on the left is not a picture of my girlfriend, if it was I think I would have to end the relationship.

She will be 23 and coming into her final year at university, she is currently studying Theatre Design (I'm sure I have stated that before). She does have a 'dappy' attribute to her character and that attribute shone through today. I thought it might be an enjoyable blog to document.

I got to work at my usual time of 7am, doing the usual business/IT reports for the company directors/managers and everything was great, well as great as work can be. I spent the following two hours doing my daily work load, fixing PC's, configuring telephone networks etc etc. This was until I received a phone call from my girlfriend at 9am. She spent the previous evening at my flat and being a student didn't need to crawl into university until 10am. She was being particularly nice to me, and as any good man knows alarm bells start to ring in your head that a request for something abnormal or extreme is about to be presented to you. Except this request was something a little more comical.

Just to set the scene, my flat does not make use of a Yale lock, which is basically designed to lock behind you as soon as you close your front door. My front door uses a Chub lock. This basically means that I need to unlock it when I want to go out, close the door behind me and lock it behind me. (Most people will probably know the difference between the locks but I thought it best to explain). Anyway, my girlfriend being 'dappy' as she is, gave me a kiss goodbye this morning watched as I unlocked the door and locked it behind me and proceeded to relax the rest of the morning blissfully unaware that HER FRONT DOOR KEYS were sitting on her desk at University.

9am conversation on my mobile went something like this:

Me: "Hey honey, so what do I owe the pleasure?"
GF: "Oh my god I am locked IN, I AM LOCKED IN, I have a presentation and I am LOCKED IN, did I say I was LOCKED IN??????"
Me: "Woah woah, calm down, slowly, breath, now whats the problem?"
GF: "I left my keys at University and I AM LOCKED IN, I can't jump 2 floors out of the window, I was going to try but decided I could break a limb.....I need you to drive back and let me out of this prison!!!"

So being the gentlemen, I spent an hour driving to the flat, and an hour heading back into work. I had to lose my lunch hour to rescue my girlfriend from the dreaded clutches of the evil flat, and an extra hour at the end of the day. Am I too nice? Or just plain crazy? I guess its her birthday and I didn't really have anyother choice, well that's what I tell myself.