AllAboutLaw Fair where president Jasmin Brown delivers two talks.
For aspiring solicitors, law fairs are a staple date in the calendar. Organised and hosted by universities, law fairs are an opportunity to network with law firms, speak with current trainee solicitors, and find out which firms you would like to make a vacation scheme or training contract application too.
Students get suited and booted and tend to come away from law fairs with tote bags full of branded goodies and information packs. Law fairs are useful for both student and firm – but they are not without their problems. You may have experienced feelings of information overload or spent 10 minutes queuing to speak with a firm only to find out they don’t have any first-year opportunities.
The Virtual Law Fair is different and is much better set up for the modern law student. Think of it as the Uber to black cabs, the Airbnb to hotels, the Deliveroo to fast food. In short, the Virtual Law Fair is a game-changer and will have a positive impact on this part of your career journey.
How does a Virtual Law Fair work?
Unlike a traditional law fair, the Virtual Law Fair takes place online. Students log in to a secure platform and are greeted with a lobby of firms, each of which will have their own virtual stand that students can ‘visit’ – either by watching a live stream of firm representatives providing information or by watching a pre-recorded video.
You might be wondering what is different, as so far it all sounds similar to a regular law fair, right?
The Virtual Law Fair 2020 is tailored for your career interests, essentially creating a unique experience for each student. First-year student? Firms will only appear in your lobby if they have first-year opportunities. BAME? You will be able to interact with firms who have specific diversity programmes. Want a training contract based in a regional city such as Manchester or Bristol? Interact with firms that only have opportunities in your area.
The Virtual Law Fair is also not limited by time constraints. For example, the law fair at your university might run from 11am-3pm on a single day of the week. Even if you spend the full four hours speaking with firms, you are likely to encounter some queues for some of the more widely known firms. Not ideal.
The Virtual Law Fair 2020, however, runs all week, from Monday 26th-Friday 30th October. You can book a time to speak with firms exclusively (say goodbye to queuing or jostling for a position) and you can also watch pre-recorded material in your own time. This allows you to balance your studies and your career plans. Live streams of discussion panels will take place at a certain time, but you can watch this on the go or catch up later.
Where do I sign up?
Sounds pretty amazing, right? The entire legal industry is getting excited about the Virtual Law Fair, so you should sign up to register your interest today!