I know this is a couple of months ago but if you are still deciding about the LPC….
I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is ‘a full time job’. The uni I am at gives you a day a week clear of study, and my timetable meant that I had 2 days off most weeks. I certainly don’t work 9-6 every day (and I am a good student with AAA at A level and a 2.1, not a slacker!), and I work in my part-time job about 10 hours a week.
The course is busy, particularly with all the ‘skills’ (interviewing, legal writing etc) but like the above poster said, it’s not exactly hard acadmically. It will take up more of your time than an undergrad degree, but need not be as much as 9-6 every day. There’s still time to apply for TCs (if you can find any!)
You say you are working now - where is this? If it’s in a law firm that’s great experience, but if it’s something completely unrelated you might need to think about how you will explain to recruiters why you left law for a few years. Working during your LPC is definitely possible, if you can manage your time effectively, and will certainly be useful without sponsorship as the course can be around the 10,000 mark.
‘A couple of vacation schemes’ - try to get more as these may lead to TCs or paralegal positions.
If you can get a TC before committing to the LPC that would be ideal - but this is not an ideal world and many people do the LPC without a TC. It all depends on you and where you want a TC - small firms generally don’t recruit before the LPC but magic circle firms do.
Maybe speak to someone at your uni careers service.
