BPP student Rebecca Hamer reflects on her route to a training contract, her SQE journey, and offers advice for aspiring solicitors
Rebecca Hamer, a University of Leeds law grad, is now studying for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) at BPP University with a training contract lined up at Penningtons Manches Cooper.
Her interest in law first took shape at school, where she found herself drawn to subjects that involved critical thinking, debate and practical problem-solving. “It felt like a natural choice,” she says. Although choosing law “was a bit of a risk”, she soon realised she had found the right fit: “I fell in love with it and decided this was the career for me.”
At Leeds, Hamer threw herself into student life and used her time to explore what a career in the law might look like. She joined the bar society to test the waters of advocacy and mooting and enjoyed the intellectual challenge. But as she weighed up her options, she found herself leaning towards the solicitor route. “There’s a lot of direct client contact, and I’ve always enjoyed working with people,” she explains. Having worked in supermarkets at college and in hospitality and tutoring at university, she honed her people skills early on and liked the idea of building lasting relationships as a solicitor. The variety of a training contract also appealed: “I’m not entirely sure which area of law I’ll end up in, so getting to try different seats is ideal.” And, she adds with a smile, the solicitor qualification pathway “comes with a bit more job security” — not an insignificant factor for a graduate about to enter the profession.
With her training contract secured, Hamer moved on to the SQE. She is now enrolled at BPP University, the provider chosen by Penningtons for its future trainees. She’s quick to stress that students should look carefully at providers before committing. “They’re all quite different,” she says. Some offer flexible, part-time programmes; others have full-time, campus-based diplomas or master’s courses. “It depends on what works best for you,” she notes. Although she didn’t get to pick — “Penningtons chose BPP for me” — she has found the course “perfect for what I need for my career”.
Organisation, Hamer emphasises, is crucial. Before her first class, she drew up a timetable mapping out lectures, revision sessions and downtime. “Once you start, the workload builds quickly. Having a structure stops you from feeling overwhelmed.” She advises incoming students to brush up on core LLB or conversion course notes ahead of time: “You’ll be surprised how much comes back once you revisit it.”
She also pushes back on the common misconception that the SQE is just a memory test. “Yes, it’s closed book and you do have to learn a lot,” she admits, “but it’s more about understanding the law and applying it to scenarios.” Exam technique is just as important as knowledge, and that, she stresses, “is something the prep course teaches you over time”. The syllabus, too, has been more engaging than she expected. “It’s actually really interesting to cover so many areas at once,” she says. For someone undecided about a future specialism, “there’s always going to be something that grabs your attention”.
With such a heavy workload, Hamer makes a point of carving out time for herself. Dancing, the gym, reading and seeing friends all feature in her weekly timetable. “If you don’t schedule downtime, weeks can go by without a break,” she warns. She credits this balance with keeping her energised and productive.
Support at BPP has also made a difference. “The tutors are great at explaining things and are always available if you need them,” she tells Legal Cheek Careers. Each student is assigned a personal tutor, and Hamer’s has been proactive in offering pastoral support. Online resources, workbooks and practice questions keep her engaged between classes, while a thorough induction made it easy to settle in as a distance learner.
Despite studying remotely, she has never felt isolated. BPP’s virtual classrooms mean she has stayed with the same small group throughout her course. “We’ve got a class group chat and it really helps build bonds,” she says. The shared challenge of passing the SQE has created a positive, collaborative atmosphere. “Everyone always seems so committed — you realise you’re all in it together!”
Like many aspiring lawyers, Hamer found the TC application process demanding. Her first step was narrowing down what she wanted from a firm. Location and lifestyle were high on the list (she didn’t fancy a long commute to a big city) as was breadth of practice. “A full-service firm was important to me because I didn’t want to narrow myself too early.” To compare firms, she turned to a mix of resources: Legal Cheek’s Firms Most List, the Legal 500 and even Glassdoor reviews, which gave her insights into salary bands, culture and work-life balance.
When it came to applications, she focused on alignment. “I looked at the qualities they valued and tailored my answers to that.” She stresses that students shouldn’t panic if they lack legal work experience. “All of my examples came from non-legal jobs, but they showed teamwork, communication and initiative.” She also practised the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for competency questions, which helped her stay calm and concise under interview pressure.
Balancing applications with studies and part-time work was tough, so Hamer treated it as another weekly commitment. “I set aside one day a week for applications and tried to stick to it.” Quieter times in the academic calendar, such as the Christmas break, gave her space to focus. But she insists that students must not lose sight of their degree. “The job is important, but you need to get your degree first.” For those feeling behind, she offers reassurance: “It’s okay to take a year out. People qualify at all different ages.” The key, she says, is finding the right pace for yourself.
With her SQE studies underway and a training contract secured, Hamer is excited about the future. “I’m looking forward to starting at Penningtons and seeing where the career takes me,” she says. Her advice to aspiring solicitors is straightforward. Do your research, plan early, and stay organised. Just as importantly, look after yourself along the way. “Remember why you chose law in the first place,” she says, “and take it at your own pace.”
Join us on the afternoon of Tuesday 21 October for a virtual training contract and vacation scheme application masterclass with BPP University Law School. Apply now.
@bppgroup Calling aspiring lawyers! 🔔 Why wait until September 2026? We have a range of law courses for aspiring lawyers of all kinds from January through to May 2026! Apply via the link in bio.☝️ #law #solicitor #barrister #bppuniversity #fyp ♬ original sound – BPPGroup
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