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Law Society and Regulatory Authority staff struggling to find work

Former Law Society and Regulatory Authority staff applying for work in solicitors firms – why do they find it so hard?

We get quite a number of former caseworkers from the Law Society applying for work through us, and it is very interesting to read their CVs and see the attitude that seems to prevail in the establishment. Firstly, there appears to be some bitterness amongst several of the applicants against solicitors in general, and this may be because the recruits are LPC and LLB qualified, and have been unable to find a training contract. It almost seems as if they have taken satisfaction in having the power over the same law firms who have rejected them at some stage in their career, and cannot get away from the bitterness that has gone with this over the years.

Others are overseas qualified lawyers, whether South Africa or Australia etc.. and have struggled to locate private practice work, and almost seem to have fallen into the roles which are usually better paid than the work they have been aiming for.

I have read many CVs from caseworkers where they have put down that they have learnt the mistakes of solicitors firms and can avoid them in future when working themselves as a result, or assist firms in avoiding mistakes made. They have almost completely failed to note that these very firms really resent the way investigations occur at the authority and may possibly bear a grudge, whether inappropriate or not, against anyone who has worked there.

I wonder whether the regulatory authority would be better served avoiding LPC and LLB graduates, and possibly QLTT lawyers, because I do not care what is said at interview, the vast majority want to be solicitors, and possibly the reason they are not is that they have not made the grade on whatever grounds, academic, skills or otherwise. There is almost built in bias against law firms as a result, and this results in mis-perceptions and a lack of understanding in the solicitors and firms they are supposed to be offering impartiality to, both for the benefit of the profession, and the clients they are serving, the general public. I have not seen any benefit in a caseworker having a legal background, as if it were, it would make better sense for the authorities to employ qualified solicitors only…

Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment has over 4,500 solicitors registered, and over 1,500 vacancies online at any time. The company donates 10% of its’ profits to charity each year, hence its name.

Jonathan Fagan, jbfagan@ten-percent.co.uk
Legal Recruitment Consultants - www.ten-percent.co.uk
0845 644 3923 for press interviews or comments.

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