With the phrase ‘these unprecedented times’ being used so often at the moment, it is difficult to know just what to do as a student to progress yourself during this pandemic when the opportunities usually available are not. Here are some of the things we have been doing during this time to expand our experience and stay motivated.
Virtual Vacation Schemes & Internships
With many opportunities for work experience being postponed or cancelled this year, a number of schemes have become available online to accommodate for lost experience. One of these is the Legal Cheek Virtual Vacation Scheme, in partnership with the University of Law. This experience consisted of a number of webinars and daily tasks from those working in the legal profession, offering insight into the daily lives of lawyers as well as offering advice on getting started in a career in law. You can read more about how we found this experience on Holly’s article here.
Magic Circle firm Linklaters are also offering a form of online experience this year with their virtual internship. This consists of seven online tasks which can be done in your own time and simulate the sort of work done by their trainees, including setting up presentations to represent the firm and corresponding with clients. You can sign up for this experience here.
It is also worth noting that there are several online fairs, open days and webinars available at the moment. Many universities and firms have moved their open days online, and the University of Law has set up this National Law Fair, which you can register for here.
Online Courses
With many businesses forced to close for the time being due to the pandemic, many students (myself included) have been left without the part-time work they anticipated over summer and consequently a lot more free time. Now is a greater time than any to take up a new skill and learn something that will be useful to your future career and set your applications aside from others.
The Centre of Excellence offer a range of online courses and diplomas. As someone who has worked with children with special needs in my part-time job, I was interested in developing my knowledge in this area as I may come into contact with vulnerable people in later life. I was therefore delighted to begin a diploma in British Sign Language a few weeks ago and believe this will allow me to connect better with others (both inside and outside of my career) in the future.
Extra reading & podcasts
After putting down the textbooks following the end of exams a few weeks ago, it has been a joy to read for pleasure again. However, despite my love of fiction, my reading so far has not strayed too far from the law; I am currently reading Rise, the autobiography of Gina Miller. I plan to review the book in full once I’ve finished it, but it truly has given me an insight into the life of a figure who has shaped our modern constitutional settlement so greatly. You can buy Gina Miller's book here.
There are also several upcoming releases in the legal genre that have caught my eye. For those of you who enjoyed the Secret Barrister’s debut book (a worthy read in itself), their second book, Fake Law, is due for release in September. Whilst listening to a podcast recently I also learned of another upcoming release, Justice on Trial by Chris Daw QC, which analyses the problems within the criminal justice system, also due to be released in September.
Podcasts have been a staple of my lockdown life recently, making an easy form of entertainment whilst walking the dog or doing exercise. My current favourite is Talking Law with Sally Penni, which has episodes featuring the three figures mentioned above. BBC 4’s Law in Action podcast, presented by Joshua Rozenberg, has also been a favourite of mine for some time, and gave me useful insight into the legal system when I was starting my journey as a law student during my A-levels.
Health & wellbeing
Whilst lockdown has provided an amazing opportunity to expand my legal knowledge and add to my CV, it has undoubtedly been a very challenging time for many and it is therefore very important to take care of your health (both physical and mental) during this time.
In terms of fitness, all of us at the Legal Side have been taking part in home workouts. I am very fortunate to have a small garage space which I have used as a home gym. There are numerous home workouts available online, ranging from free plans such as those by Chloe Ting on YouTube and paid fitness plans such as that by Compose Limited. Even if you don’t get to leave the house every day, devoting just half an hour to some exercise can really be something to channel your stress into and keep you motivated.
However, it’s also incredibly important to understand that not every day will be productive and sometimes you’ll just want to sit in bed all day – and that’s okay. People across the world are experiencing all kinds of challenges and changes in their lives, and it is completely fine to feel more stressed or anxious than you normally would during this pandemic. If you feel you are really struggling mentally, you can get in touch with the Samaritans here or should contact your GP. It’s okay not to be okay.
We hope you are all well during this time - stay safe!
This is a real good read Alice, love how you’ve provided the links to all your references. X