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@Anonymous 14/02 16:31 - perhaps my original comment was misinterpreted. I had bags of work experience on my CV when applying for training contracts and I agree, I think it offers a useful insight for potential trainees to see what it really means to work in practice and inevitably, I think it weeds out one or two Ally McBeals/Suits enthusiasts.

However, in the description of your own work experience, which appears to be broadly positive, what really have you done? And please, I don't mean that in a mean spirited or nasty way, your experiences are comparable to my own (no payment though - very jealous!!)
.... sat in on client meetings/behind counsel ("keep quiet, don't break anything and add it to your CV")
... conduct legal research/draft a will - chapeau, but come on, in reality, I don't think the senior partner was waiting for you to turn up and do this. It is by and large a means for keeping those with little knowledge but bags of enthusiasm out their way. As is guarding the photocopier and making the tea.

Would I recruit somebody without work experience? - probably not. In reality, I suspect I wouldn't even consider interviewing them if I'm honest. I think it is really important.

My original post was raising the issue that the industry is currently looking at how future solicitors are going to come through the ranks - SQE / "short" degrees etc. We as an industry are unlikely to look at this topic again for another generation. Shouldn't we be looking at it in the round and seeing how we can best help people qualify? Flexibility and reduction in time/cost is obviously a great place to start. If the industry thinks work experience is a positive/required (and I don't profess to speak for the industry as a whole!) then why on earth aren't we looking at that too?

Shouldn't we examining how we can offer BAME/minority groups the chance to "sample" the law in a positive way before deciding to embark on a career (years of study and expense). Then within that experience, make it a little more structured so that we don't see another generation of trainee CVs of potential candidates who generally have just kept quiet, not broken anything and fleshed out their CV?