What does Northern Ireland’s legal market really look like, and what does it take to land a training contract? Host Sophia Kang is joined by Deirdre Timoney, Placement and Employability Officer at the School of Law, and Marie McKeown, Head of HR at Carson McDowell.
Deirdre describes a market that is more diverse and internationally connected than many students realise. It includes global and UK firms, the Big Four, in-house legal teams, legal tech and outsourcing providers, indigenous firms, and around 460 high-street practices, and it exports more than £150 million in legal services each year. She also explains how universities work with industry to build students’ digital literacy and commercial awareness.
Marie walks through the main ways in: vacation schemes, internships, 100-hour placements and the two-year training contract. Both guests compare the solicitor and barrister routes through the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS). They make the case for engaging early and explain why recruiters assess the whole candidate rather than relying on prior legal experience or personal connections.
The episode closes with practical advice on:
- writing applications and preparing for interviews
- using AI responsibly
- handling rejection
- standing out through visibility, teamwork, research and continuous learning
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