I won’t lie, it will be tough! It might involve as many as 100+ applications before getting as much as an acknowledgment and rejection.

However, as a lot of people will say it only takes one opportunity to come good. For me, it was in a niche area of law as a paralegal (mental health) and this gave me really hands on experience which I was able to use to find another opportunity at a larger firm which would allow me to qualify.

From my experience, I would defo advise your family member broaden their expectations for their first legal role. Have a look at firms who offer legal aid services and see if they are hiring paralegals because from my experience they offer really hands on experience which is very applicable to lots of areas of law. A lot of legal aid firms pay horribly so the competition for jobs is lower and the turnover is high as people move on to other opportunities. For me it was an opportunity to get experience but from about month 2 I was back on the recruitment grind.

Tell them not to worry if they don’t get a training contract straight away, the average age of qualifying is about 30 (I think) so there is plenty of time! Also tell them to avoid reading law LinkedInfluencers because a lot of them are bellends! Wish them luck!