The first thing is: why?
250 firms closed over the Summer. People have been made redundant. Legal aid is being slashed, new contracts in Civil are being tendered for over next few months and firms will have to reassess staff requirements after contracts are awarded.
Criminal legal aid is very much as has been. There will be tendering next year. However numbers are down in the Courts and so a clear out of qualified staff is highly likely.
If you are likely to be employed by a big City type firm then you need to start applying to such firms and talking to them. What is is about you that stands out? What did/will you achieve at University that makes you unique?
Have you worked and gained real experience of leading a team? Of making decisions? Of “selling”?
Have you served in the Armed Forces?
What is special about you?

How are you going to present it? 1 page of A4 and bullet points is probably enough paper.
What do you say? Bullet points as to work and life experience, degree modules and actual or predicted grade and grades at A levels. GCSEs don’t count.

What about a local or legal aid firm?
Be prepared to work for free. Show you are useful. Get employed as paralegal. Consider CILEx route to qualification so you can earn as you learn (oh and it’s cheaper than LPC).

Get out of your house and go visit firms. Have you any idea how many people email their cv to Solicitors speculatively?

Don’t assume getting a degree and passing the LPC is a route to a job. If you want to work in Criminal law become an Accredited Police Station Representative whilst at Uni. That would help get you a job as you would be cost neutral.

Here’s a few things that don’t impress:
“My time is precious so I’d like paid for my work experience”.
“Why haven’t you responded?”.
“I work well on my own or in a team”.
“Can you just tell me how I get to be a Solicitor?”.
“I’m not really sure if being a Solicitor is really for me so I wondered if you’d let me try it out first?”.
“Everythin I done at unerversity I done relly well”.

I don’t have time to speak to you or read your cv. So how are you going to get my attention?
It is an oversubscribed market. So why do I need you?