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student experiences
Lucy V. Moore
Career changer - moving into law after a 20-year career in the charity and humanitarian sector, GDL graduate and studying SQE1 with the College
I’m Lucy, a recent graduate of the Graduate Diploma in Law with The College of Legal Practice. I’m coming to law from the opposite end of the spectrum to a lot of students. I’ve had a 20-year career, mostly in the humanitarian sector and charity management, and law is my next chapter. I’m now preparing for the SQE.
Why did you decide to take the GDL?
For me, taking the GDL was the most practical decision possible. Even though you no longer strictly need it to sit the SQE, most trainee programmes still ask for a GDL when you apply. I’m coming to law at a later stage in life, so I don’t have time to wait. The GDL was my best shot at being able to apply for trainee programmes now, and getting through the process as quickly as possible is my priority.
There’s another reason too. Studying for the SQE would be a lot harder without the GDL, because of the underpinning it gives you. It’s a strong first step.
Why did you choose The College of Legal Practice?
Flexibility was the deciding factor. My very first conversation with the College was about how flexible the programme is. Because of my health, I needed to be able to flex my studying significantly, and I don’t think I’d have been able to do that with another programme. I got to study at my own pace. If I couldn’t study one week, I could catch up the next. That mattered enormously.
What was your GDL experience like?
The quality of the instructors far surpassed my expectations for an online course. I’d assumed I’d have to do a lot more of the heavy lifting myself, but the classes and instructors were excellent. There are weekly webinars, and every class is essentially a practice version of what you end up doing in the SQE. You work through a scenario each week, applying the law. I’m convinced those scenarios are designed to find the trickiest, strangest corners of the law, which is what made them interesting. We’d do multiple choice questions at the end of each class, which is great practice for SQE1. Classes are recorded, and there’s an option to study with classmates at weekends, which a lot of people found valuable.
Coming back to study after a long time away, I was glad of the research skills I’d built up. A conversion course expects an undergraduate degree for a reason: you need those research skills, and you use them many times over in law. My career had also touched a wide variety of areas of law, which gave me a head start, even as it showed me how much I still had to learn.
How are you finding the SQE so far?
It’s early days, but I’ve been pleased. The areas we covered in the GDL were extensive for what the SQE needs, especially the core subjects, and I’ve felt well prepared. The GDL also doesn’t close off your options. Some people on my course were applying to the Inns of Court for the barrister route. I’m taking the solicitor route, but I’m keeping my options open about the Bar later, and the GDL feels like a good first step either way.
What are your plans now?
I’m applying for trainee contracts. I sent one application at the start of the GDL and another halfway through, once I had some results. I didn’t get an interview for the first, but I did for the second, which tells you something: put your back into the course, because firms look at your individual marks. I’m being deliberate about where I apply. Rather than firing off applications everywhere, I’ve focused on a top choice and a strong second choice, places where I’d actually fit. If you can get to an event at a firm, go and meet people. And when you do apply, tell them why you’re choosing them. Don’t waste your effort on 300 applications that all look the same. Make them feel special.
What advice would you give someone thinking about it?
My advice is for anyone who’s reached the point of thinking “I’m not sure this is for me.” You can always do it later. Everything you do in any other area of work or life comes with you and counts for something if you decide to move into law, as I have. It’s not this or nothing, and it’s never too late. If you decide it’s not now, that doesn’t mean not ever. Do it at your own pace.