Studying part-time while holding down a full-time job is becoming an increasingly popular method of qualifying as a lawyer. Part-time study has two significant advantages over full-time study. Firstly, it enables future lawyers to finance their studies without amassing the large debts that full-time students can build up. Secondly, it provides the financial security of existing employment while seeking a position as a trainee solicitor or pupil barrister.
Part-time students come from diverse backgrounds ranging from professionals looking for a career change to paralegals or legal secretaries seeking full qualification. For example, it is not unusual to find a doctor, a police officer, a surveyor, a local government employee or a secretary in a part-time class. It is this very diversity of background and experience that makes classroom discussions on part-time courses so interesting for tutors and students alike.
