Tag Archives: Aston Carter

The Company Charging Wannabe Lawyers Hundreds Of Pounds For Paralegal Job Interviews

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As the odds of landing a training contract or pupillage grow longer, and wannabe lawyers become increasingly desperate, the, er, entrepreneurs keep circling. First there was Aston Carter's infamous pay-to-be-a-paralegal scheme, next came Tooks barristers' notorious £186 pupillage application advice event. And now there's the "New York Dream Career Program", as part of which London-based company Web Legal Education is asking UK wannabe lawyers to part with £499 for two paralegal job interviews...

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Jobless Graduates Left At Whim Of Law Firms’ Make-It-Up-As-You-Go-Along Recruitment Procedures

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Last month Kearns Solicitors placed an advert in Counsel magazine seeking LPC and BPTC graduates to work as "court advocates". Applicants who got through the CV and cover letter sift were invited to complete a gruelling four-page test – available here – within seven days.

When a Bar graduate (who contacted me anonymously last week) completed the test – and passed – she got this response...

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Aston Carter Claims BPP Law School Described Its Pay-To-Be-A-Paralegal Scheme As ‘Novel And Inspiring’

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Last month, Legal Cheek exclusively revealed that Aston Carter Solicitors was asking law graduates to self-fund a very expensive paralegal course in order to be considered for a training contract with them.

Over the weekend, the firm’s senior partner, Henry Telewa, posted a response to the story.

In it, he claimed that Alison Wells, director of LPC programmes at BPP Law School, had described Aston Carter's new training scheme as "a novel and inspiring idea" and had suggested that the firm consider a bespoke Aston Carter LPC.

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NAMED: The Law Firm Requiring Grads To Self-Fund a £9.5K Paralegal Training Course Before They’re Considered For a TC

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EXCLUSIVE: In March, Legal Cheek published a story about a firm that was asking law graduates to self-fund a very expensive paralegal course in order to be considered for a training contract with them.

I decided it was too risky to publish the name of the firm in question without any written evidence of the programme.

A few days ago, though, the firm, Aston Carter Solicitors, went public with a finalised version of its pay-to-be-a-paralegal scheme, which will commence next month.

Here’s the deal:

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