Law fairs add a human touch to what can feel like a gruelling and distant application process. They give students the chance to meet and greet firms and find out more about legal careers – ideal if you need help picking vacation schemes or training contracts With the success of PolyU postgraduate and otheruniversity courses, we are confident to keep realising our motto and fulfil our goal to nurture students as critical thinkers, effective communicators, innovative problem solvers, lifelong learners and ethical leaders..



Most large city or national firms attend as they are the biggest employers of university leavers. High street firms also join fairs locally, along with barristers’ chambers, law schools and lawyers’ networking groups.

Most of the leading firms will have a stand with a team of of lawyers, trainees and graduate recruiters to answer your questions. Everyone who comes to the fair is out to share their knowledge, which is always worth taking advantage of. Fairs take place at university campuses and large conference venues across the country. Lawcareers.net has a useful list of this year’s events.



Talk to trainees

Current trainees often attend these fairs, so you can quiz them about their experiences. “Law firms vary greatly. You have a choice of international, city, national, regional or high street firms,” explains Marissa Sanders, graduate manager at Irwin Mitchell. Talking to firms’ trainees and graduate recruiters will tell you much more about the firm than researching it online.



Get noticed

Don’t expect to be offered a training contract on the day – law fairs are mainly a chance to learn more about a legal career and network with firms. However, “it can be a golden opportunity for you to get noticed by the employer, as they’re very likely to remember you throughout the application process if you’ve made the effort to come down and ask meaningful questions and make yourself known to the firm,” says Aasha Tikoo, graduate marketing manager for Clifford Chance LLP .



Bring a CV

Most firms won’t actually accept CVs at the event, since they’ll have online application forms for vacation schemes and training contracts. But it never hurts to have a copy in your bag just in case you’re talking to a recruiter and the subject comes up.



Prepare questions



“Any student interested in a career in law should visit the website of each firm ahead of the day and prepare a list of questions,” says Catherine Morgan-Guest, graduate recruitment manager for Macfarlanes LLP. You can also find out specific details about each law firm at chambersstudent.co.uk. “You’ll be at the firm for two years if you secure a training contract, so you should consider what’s important and tailor your research.” For example, if spending a seat overseas is crucial to you, then you should research which firms offer that and target them at the fair. For Morgan-Guest the students that stand out are those who already know basics about the firm and present themselves in a professional but friendly manner.



What to wear

It’s not a job interview, so there’s no need for a suit. Just bear in mind you’ll be talking to prospective employers. “There is no right or wrong attire for a law fair,” says Morgan-Guest. “Some students come suited and booted but others prefer their tracksuit bottoms. Personally I’d suggest a smart-casual approach.”



What to do next

“Following the law fair, narrow down the firms to the half-dozen that you’d really want to work for,” says Saunders. “Look for further opportunities to meet them, such as open evenings and presentations.” Do this and you’ll have a better idea of whether you want to work for that firm, and will help you to write about your interest for them in your applications.