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Working in Insurance 

What is meant by the insurance sector in a legal setting?

This is a broad term used to describe private practice law firms delivering services for large insurers.  Work covered includes, but is not limited to:

Defendant personal injury
Insurance fraud
Industrial disease
Clinical negligence
Subrogated recoveries
Policy coverage
Shipping
Aviation
Professional indemnity or negligence

Are there opportunities for graduates to work in this sector?

There are a number of firms that will recruit graduates.  Additionally, not all vacancies will require a specialist law degree, CPE or LPC qualification.  Some firms operate graduate academies/training schools where they will train graduates without experience into paralegal roles.

What type of firms operate in this sector?

Virtually all of the firms that handle insurance work are top 200 firms with the majority finding themselves in the top 100 in terms of revenue.  They include DAC Beachcroft, Berrymans Lace Mawer, Clyde & Co, Kennedys and Weightmans.

What opportunities are there for future progression? 

There are a number of ways to progress your career and increasingly in defendant personal injury and fraud work technical ability is more important than any specific qualifications.  There are a significant number of team leaders and supervisors who have no specific legal qualifications.  There are routes such as the CILEx qualification which can be taken whilst in employment and this can also lead to eventual cross qualification as a solicitor.

Will working as a paralegal help me get a training contract?

For LPC graduates building your experience as a paralegal certainly increases your chances of obtaining a training contract in the insurance sector.  Additionally, some firms in this sector offer a set number of training contracts only to their own paralegals after a specified period of service.