This year marks the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 that paved the way for women to enter into the legal profession.
In a series of articles we look at just some of the issues facing women working in the legal sector. Emma Peacock, Trainee Solicitor in DAS Law’s Catastrophic Injury team, discusses how she completed her LPC training while also working as a paralegal…
Emma Peacock
DAS Law
Trainee Solicitor
You caught the eye on LinkedIn recently with an interesting post about your experiences of studying the LPC (Legal Practice Course) full-time, while working part-time for DAS Law. Would you mind telling us a little more about that?
Sure, of course. I had just completed the LPC full time (ten months in total) alongside working as a paralegal in the DAS Law Personal Injury department. The post you’re talking about was me telling the world that I had survived and had just completed my final exam!
I was pretty relieved, but more than blowing my own trumpet, I wanted to encourage people who were thinking about following the same path that it’s possible and definitely something they should consider.
So what made you decide to study the LPC at the same time as working? And why is this one a path less travelled?
Honestly? I just couldn’t face the thought of taking two years to complete a course that could be over and done with in ten months. This would also have meant that I would have either have had to give up some of my weekends or weeknights, alongside working full time, and this was just not something that appealed to me. I think the LPC has such as reputation of being all consuming; people are worried to try and take on anything else at the same time.
Balancing the LPC with a paralegal role, that sounds hard work?
I was lucky that at the university where I studied, the LPC gave the option of attending seminars two days a week only. On top of this, you were then expected to do around 45 hours a week of individual study.
This meant that I could then work two or two and a half days a week, and then study for the rest of them! It was a lot of hard work, but was definitely manageable as long as I was committed and stuck to a strict timetable.
Do you have any advice for people thinking about doing the same thing? What did you really like about it? And conversely, what traps and hazards should they look out for?
The thing I enjoyed the most about completing the LPC this way was that I really felt like I was learning something one day, and then getting the opportunity to put it into practice the next day. It also meant that I was revising and preparing for my exams, while I worked!
In terms of traps and hazards, the one thing you don’t want to do on the LPC is fall behind. You can’t afford to take a week off, no matter how much you feel like you need it!
So would you recommend it?
Definitely! It is ideal for anyone who wants to do the LPC, but doesn’t necessarily want to stop working in order to do so.
And what’s next for you? And where will we find you in ten years?
Good question! I have only just started my training contract here at DAS Law, so at the moment I am just focusing on that!