Law fairs 2023: all you need to know

Law fairs are an important stage of the recruitment process, offering you the chance to meet recruiters, trainee solicitors and partners from the law firms you could be joining in the future. Find out more about the opportunities available in our guide to law fairs.

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Law fairs are a valuable source of information about legal opportunities, both for those studying law and for non-law students thinking about converting. Law fairs usually take place from September to December. 

In-person law fairs – autumn 2023

If you’re a current university student, your university may be hosting a law fair on campus. You should check with your university’s careers service or law school to find out when your university’s law fair takes place. Some universities run law-specific fairs, while others might have a legal section at a more general recruitment fair. Here are a few of the law fairs taking place in person across the autumn term.

• The Warwick University Law Fair is on 24 October 2023 from 11:00am until 4:00pm. This is a must-attend event that looks at the skills and attributes required for students to succeed. You can meet course providers, international, magic circle, national and local firms, and barristers’ chambers.
   
• The Nottingham University Law Fair takes place on 30 October 2023 from 11:30am until 2:30pm. The fair gives students an opportunity to connect with firms and learn about vacation schemes and training contracts.

• The Cardiff University Law Fair runs on 1 November 2023 from 1:00pm until 4:00pm. This event is a great opportunity for you to meet recruiters and current trainees.

Some universities, including BPP University Law School, will be hosting virtual fairs too – BPP’s online law fair takes place on 18 October 2023 from 2:00pm until 4:00pm. Check with your universities career service or law department for information on if and when it’s running a law fair. You may even see the LawCareers.Net team there as we’re attending 12 fairs across the country this year!

Several virtual law fairs are also likely to be taking place alongside those organised by individual universities. Check with your institution for the latest information and use the LCN Events page to make sure you don’t miss an event.

Exhibitors

Law firms

If you’re interested in training as a solicitor, law fairs give you an opportunity to talk informally to trainees, solicitors and recruiters. Areas to explore include:

• the firm’s key work areas and clients;
• the firm’s size and annual trainee intake;
• location;
• style of training and range of experience offered to trainees; and
• opportunities for trainees in firms with overseas offices.

It’s also well worth considering opportunities outside private practice (eg, with the Government Legal Profession).

You may want to ask about funding and sponsorship. Many firms offer financial support for postgraduate courses, which could affect your choices.

Barristers’ chambers

If you’re interested in training as a barrister, you should consider finding out about:

• the cost of training for the Bar and how you’ll fund yourself – all chambers now offer a minimum wage for pupillage, but not all offer funding;
• opportunities for mini-pupillages and pupillages; and
• the reality of being self-employed.

If you’re an international student, you may wish to explore opportunities to qualify in the UK.

Course providers

Universities and law schools attend fairs to provide information about the law conversion courses, the Legal Practice Course, Solicitors Qualifying Exam preparation courses and Bar courses.

Preparing for a law fair

Start by looking at the list of organisations attending the law fair. Make a list of the exhibitors that you’re most interested in speaking to – this will enable you to have a plan of action on the day, rather than just wandering around like a headless chicken! Although, that being said, you can certainly use the law fair to spontaneously chat to people or firms you weren’t expecting to meet.

Don't approach interactions with potential employers with a casual attitude, as though you’re unsure why you want to speak to them or whether you’re interested in law. Questions like, "So what do you do?" and "Why should I consider working for you?" don't go down well with professionals who’ve given up valuable time for your benefit (read the profiles in our Meet the Recruiter section for insights into the level of preparation they expect from students attending law fairs). Equally unimpressive is the question, "Where are your offices?" when the answer is a quick Google search away!

By taking just 15 minutes to research a law firm before you speak to its recruiters and trainees at a law fair, you’ll have the basic information you need to ask more developed questions and have an engaged conversation. Recruiters and lawyers will remember candidates who were able to demonstrate a genuine interest in their firm.

After a conversation with an employer, you may want to note down your key takeaways for later as the insights you pick up from these fairs could prove useful when you’re putting applications together.

Visit LawCareers.Net’s Application hub for more advice on applications, interviews and assessment centres.

It’s important that you make the most of law fairs to help you decide whether law is the right career for you, so make sure you have a plan of action for the day. They’re such ideal opportunities to meet professionals and start planning your next steps – don’t waste them.

Find out more

For more tips and tricks, check out LawCareers.Net’s YouTube for videos on how to prepare and make the most of law fairs.