If you want to truly enjoy your student experience whilst at university, one of the best ways is to participate in extracurricular activities!
At City, there are many extracurricular activities available and there is something for everyone to enjoy. As an LPC LLM student at the City Law School, I have been participating in a range of these activities.
LPC Mentoring Scheme
I am currently participating in the Mentoring Scheme available to LPC students. This was advertised via email and also on Moodle – so I decided to read more about what the scheme involved. I applied immediately as unfortunately, law was not available as an A-Level subject at my Sixth Form, so I lacked career-related information. Plus, in order to achieve my dream of becoming a solicitor, I know I need to have a network of legal professionals and also the knowledge regarding pathways to qualifying, etc.
As a first-generation student, I don’t have a network of professionals in the legal industry to give me advice. Thus, I was extremely excited to have the opportunity to gain an invaluable insight into work as a solicitor through the Mentoring Scheme. Thankfully, my application was successful, and I was matched to an employment and immigration lawyer at Eversheds Sutherland International LLP who was also an LPC student at City some years ago.
So far, I have communicated with my mentor via email on numerous occasions and we had a very interesting call where we discussed his journey into the legal industry and what my career plans were. Speaking to my mentor has really supported my professional development as I am able to ask my mentor questions about the legal industry and get advice for my future.
The LPC Mentoring Programme has prepared me for my future career plans as it has enabled me to learn more about the ‘real’ working world of the legal sector. As I am someone who has had very little experience in the legal workforce, the scheme has definitely been of tremendous help as it has grown my confidence and allowed me to understand what my options are and how to kick-start my legal career.
The scheme has been created to help students who are puzzled about how to pursue a career in law. Also, if you want to know how to become more employable after the LPC in general, I recommend it to any LPC students who are thinking to apply!
LPC Programme Representative
Another extracurricular activity I participate in at City is working voluntarily as an LPC programme representative. During the first week of my LPC studies, I volunteered by nominating myself as a programme representative and was enthusiastic to take on the role. I had to go through training to become the best possible representative I can be and to learn how to tackle difficult situations whilst working as a programme representative.
As a LPC programme representative, I represent other students on the LPC LLM course, and I hope my contribution will help to improve the student experience at The City Law School for current and future students!
Working as a programme representative, I have been able to develop the skills and knowledge needed to become a successful trainee and future solicitor – taking the next steps towards fulfilling my career plans. For example, by talking to many LPC students and sharing different views and ideas with The City Law School staff in meetings, I have been able to work on my verbal communication skills and develop my self-confidence.
Public speaking was something I struggled with a lot as I am quite a shy person. However, with time, working as a student representative, I have been able to boost my confidence. Confidence and the ability to share views and deliver feedback (both good and bad) are skills that are vital for solicitors, and I have definitely improved this skill whilst working as a programme representative.
City Law School events
A highlight for me is participating in The City Law School events. For example, there was a Cheese and Wine Event and Postgraduate Evening where all LPC students got to know each other better which was very enjoyable as I could feel a true sense of community after being in lockdown for so long!
We have also hosted ‘Spring Things’ which was an amazing event where we had chicks, bunnies, ducklings, guinea pigs and miniature pigs visit the Law School. It was so fun to see our lecturers having the time of their lives too!
The City Law School has also hosted a range of career-enhancing events. I have attended many different events where legal professionals were invited to host talks and networking events for students. These events have given me the opportunity to learn more about what it is like to work as a solicitor, and how to become employable and have also given me the opportunity to network with legal professionals.
I hope my extracurricular experiences at City will inspire you to maximise your student journey at City too!
Written by Angjelina, Legal Practice Course (LPC) student at The City Law School