Students To Gain Experience In Council’s Legal Team

Three lucky students have been given the opportunity to work alongside Carmarthenshire Council’s legal services. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Candidates studying LPC (Legal Practice Course) or BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) will work alongside lawyers for one day a week for three months to gain first-hand experience of the duties they can expect to undertake at the start of their professional careers. The service already has a strong track record of developing its own staff, six of the solicitors having initially joined as junior paralegal trainees. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The successful applicants are expected to start in October and will work in either the litigation, property or social care teams assisting staff in a wide range of legal cases. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council’s executive board member for Human Resources, Cllr Mair Stephens said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming the students and this is an ideal opportunity for them to have a real feel of what they can expect from their chosen career paths. Our legal service has a strong track record of developing its own staff, six of our solicitors having initially joined as junior paralegal trainees.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council’s legal service has staff of 30, including 17 solicitors, one trainee solicitor and four paralegal trainees. It provides legal advice and representation to the council, its elected members and officers across the full range of council functions including the delivery of an ambitious multi – million pound regeneration strategy, the enforcement of complex consumer protection and fraud legislation, and the implementation of the Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There may be an opportunity to apply for a similar experience in the term starting in January. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​