Graduate Jobs in Law - Barrister

Barristers act on the instructions of their clients, specialise in advocacy and use their skills, expertise and knowledge to present a case in court in the best possible way. A Barrister will often be instructed by a solicitor to advise on specific legal issues and to prepare legal documents to enable claims to be brought and applications to be made in the Civil and Family Courts.

Barristers often only become involved in a case in order to provide any advocacy needed by the client. Barristers are also engaged by solicitors to provide specialist advice on points of law. Barristers are rarely, if ever, instructed by clients directly (although this occurs frequently in tax matters). Instead, the client's solicitors will instruct a barrister on behalf of the client when appropriate.

The historical difference between the role of a barrister and that of a solicitor is that a solicitor is an attorney, which means they stand in the place of their client for legal purposes, and may conduct litigation by making applications to the court, writing letters in litigation to the client's opponent and so on. A barrister is not an attorney and is forbidden, both by law and by professional rules, from conducting litigation.

This difference in function explains many of the practical differences between the two professions.

Career path of a Barrister

Before an individual can qualify as a barrister and achieve tenancy (a permanent position in a chambers) individuals must first undertake training. Training is done over two years with one year being spent at Bar School and the other doing a pupillage.

A pupillage is typically segmented in two to three six month periods. For the first six months pupils spend most of their time work-shadowing, before getting limited opportunities to do cases themselves in the second period. Pupillages tend to be not only exciting and informative but also quite stressful experiences, as competition is intense with, for example, four to five pupils all trying to secure one of the two tenancies available. Even after achieving tenancy, individuals, as self-employed professionals, must then set about establishing themselves in their speciality

Graduate Jobs in Law - Interview Preparation

If you have been asked to an interview, it is because the firm is interested to find out more about you. To impress at interview, you must prepare yourself by researching your prospective employer and preparing for likely interview questions.

Plan and Prepare for Your Interview

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Find out what is expected of you at the interview beforehand. If it’s not clear from the invitation, phone the recruitment department and ask them to clarify. Many firms supply this information on their website and will even provide practice questions for any tests you might sit to help you.

Research the Firm

[Edit] Research the firm. Has it:

• Acquired any big name clients?
• Won awards or done anything else newsworthy recently?
• Done anything for charity, the community or pro bono?
• Is it involved in any landmark cases?

Knowledge of background information will show a keen interest in the firm and the field you want to work in. It’s also good to know if the firm has had any recent setbacks so as not to make any faux-pas. Discussing the firm's setbacks at interview is perfectly fine, but only if you understand them and are measured in your discussion. Make sure you read the legal press in the weeks leading up to your interview.

Predict Questions

[Edit] Predict questions. You can almost guarantee the following questions:

• What motivated you to become a lawyer?
• Why do you want to work at this firm?
• What do you have to offer that others don’t?
• Have you got any questions for me?

If you’re prepared for these questions it will give you more confidence for anything unexpected. Firms are looking for evidence that you are ambitious, driven and have not just "fallen" into law or under parental or social duress.

Candidates at Slaughter and May are asked questions about current affairs during their interview. The firm look for people who can give a clear view on a topic and can defend his or her opinion in a coherent and concise way without rambling.

The Interview

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Your body language is incredibly important during interview. When you walk into the room you need to make a good impression so smile, be confident and make eye contact. If you’re dressed smartly, are punctual and well prepared, this shouldn’t be too hard.

Remember that firms are after recruits with good business skills who can represent them in the legal market. You could be the best lawyer in the world but if you are "socially awkward" you will not be able to hold meetings with important clients, thus making you a less desirable candidate. Make sure you are 100% professional is all your actions and conversations.

After the interview it might be an idea to send a brief e-mail thanking the interviewer. It is polite and will remind the interviewer of you when it comes to making the decision.

Graduate Jobs in Law - Other Careers in Law

There are about 10,000 law firms currently in private practice in the UK, and about 11,500 self-employed barristers (14,000 including employed barristers). These two areas provide a home for the vast majority of UK lawyers.

Very few who successfully complete the academic stages have the opportunity to go into private practice. Many have no choice but to work as lawyers in other organisations, such as in industry as an in-house lawyer, or for any number of other organisations that employ legal services. Others utilise the skills they have learned during their training without actually practising as a lawyer.

Legal training is a valuable commodity outside the world of solicitors and barristers. Employers value the skills you have learned throughout your legal training, such as the ability to research, collect and analyse large amounts of information; to weigh-up points and counter points; and to create a logical argument and reasoned conclusion from a set of facts. The ability to communicate clearly with the public and the profession alike is another sought after ability. Discretion, the ability to handle and work under pressure, and a first-class memory are all abilities valued in the general career market.

List of Other Careers in Law and Related Careers in Other Industries

Barrister's Clerks, Citizens Advice Bureau, Civil Service, Coroners, Court Reporters, Court Workers, Financial Institutions, Government Legal Services, Industry, Law Centres, Legal Executives, Legal Publishing, Legal Recruitment, Consultants, Legal Secretaries, Licensed Conveyancers, Local Government, Magistrates Court Services, Notaries, Patent Agents, The Prosecution Service.

Graduate Jobs in Law - Salaries & Benefits

Legal salaries vary a great deal from firm to firm. Expect small boutique style firms, local law firms and firms outside of London to pay a lot less than the largest London city firms. Other organisations, such as the Crown Prosecution Service and charities will also pay much smaller salaries than Magic circle firms.

Training Contract salaries vary between £20,000 and £35,000 plus various extras such as GDL and LPC sponsorship, Golden Hellos and perks such as free healthcare and gym membership. Staff at Magic Circle firms may even receive a small bonus. Smaller firms are much less likely to offer sponsorship for academic courses, or bonuses.

Newly Qualified salaries vary between £30,000 and £65,000 plus bonuses, perks and expense accounts. After ten years you can expect to be earning above £100,000 working for a Magic Circle firm or large London city firm. Smaller firms offer more meagre salaries between £50,000 and £100,000, whilst local firms, the Crown Prosecution Service and companies that are not law firms (but hire lawyers for their expertise) may pay salaries of £30,000 to £60,000.

Graduate Jobs in Law - Solicitor

Solicitors provide clients with legal advice and assistance. The best solicitors combine legal expertise with people management skills to help their clients with things like divorce, bereavement or arrest.

The role of a solicitor can vary a great deal in the UK. You could end up working for a huge law firm in the city, or on your own in a small office. You could also work in central or local government, an in-house legal department (at a bank, company or NGO), the Crown Prosecution Service or the magistrates' courts.

Career path of a solicitor

After studying at University you will need to do one or possibly two years of professional training at an academic institution before you can begin working for a law firm. You may choose to apply for a Training Contract whilst at University.

Training Contract

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Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)

If you have successfully obtained a Law degree from a UK University, you will be able to do the LPC straight away. If you have not studied Law, you will need to do a Law conversion course first, called the "Graduate Diploma in Law" (GDL).

The GDL is a high pressure, fast moving course that is less academic and more practical than studying Law at University. Rather than studying the ethics and morality of the law, you will be studying how, when and why certain laws are applied - rather than learn what the law is, you will learn how to be a lawyer.

Legal Practice Course (LPC)

Before you become a solicitor you will need to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The LPC will help you to develop the skills needed to work in a firm of solicitors. It must be completed by everyone who intends to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.

The LPC is even more vocational than the GDL. The course teaches you exactly how to work as a lawyer, including how to work, how to research and how to complete specific forms and processes required for certain legal issues (for example divorce or Litigation).

In Training

Conventional training contracts last for two years. During this period you should experience at least three distinctive substantive areas of English law, including both contentious and non-contentious work.

Seats

Training contracts at law firms will almost certainly be divided into "seats". These are three to six month long placements that involve you working with different teams and various areas of the law. You may be offered a choice of seat at your firm, although popular specialises (such as media law and intellectual property) may be difficult to get into due to high competition from your training contract colleagues. Some firms offer seats abroad (secondments), or even at client offices.

Professional Skills Course

Your training period also requires that you attend lectures and seminars which make up what is known as the Professional Skills Course. You will need to achieve pass this course to qualify as a solicitor.

Newly Qualified (NQ)

You will qualify as a solicitor after two years of training at a firm and after passing the Professional Skills Course. In exceptional circumstances trainees may be required to undertake an extra year of training.

Once qualified your salary will increase by at least 50% and you will usually receive job offers from rival firms. Many newly qualified solicitors choose to switch firm at this point, because of the large financial incentives recruiters may offer.

After training contracts end firms usually offer newly qualified lawyers full employment. If your performance has not been satisfactory however, firms are under no obligation to offer you further employment, and may simply show you the door. This happens to approximately 10% of all newly qualified solicitors, more during times of financial crisis and when firms are doing badly.

Your salary can increase very quickly as a lawyer particular at corporate firms. In the city, five years after qualifying you should expect to be earning in excess of £100,000 with associated benefits.

Partners & Partnership

Most law firms are run as partnerships rather than companies. This means that the partners own the law firm, rather than external shareholders. Partners also take legal responsibility for the firm, so if the firm were sued it would in fact be the partners who would be pursued. Equally, partners spread the profits between them, typically allocated on position, responsibility and experience.

Lawyers working at a firm may be offered the opportunity to become a partner if they are deemed elidgible by the other partners. Partners are selected wisely and sparingly as profits must be shared out further. Partner salaries vary from firm to firm, but will start in the region of £300,000 and proceed upwards. Partners deal directly with clients and typically work very long hours.

Exceptional performers can make partner in 10 years, but when and if this occurs will vary between situations and individuals.

It is generally considered an unrealistic career expectation to state that you wish to become a partner at a graduate level interview. Although many people become lawyers, few ever progress to partner.

Graduate Jobs in Law - Types of Law

It is impossible to list and explain all of the various types of law practised today. The following descriptions cover the legal fields most widely known and available lawyers starting out in the profession:

Comparative Law: The comparative lawyer works with international relations in trade and commerce, travel, government business, and many other areas depending upon the breadth of his/her knowledge and the needs of his/her employer. The field of comparative law is one in which there is a great deal of opportunity for advancement and challenging work.

Comparative lawyers may find their employment with business firms, with government organisations, or with any person or group which deals with countries other than the United Kingdom.

Environmental Law: One of the newest entries in the legal world, environmental law requires a concern for the nation's resources, knowledge of where the resources are, what they are used for, how and why they may be endangered or exploited, and whose job it is to protect them.

Environmental lawyers may work alone or in and for groups whose job it is to prosecute offenders and remedy the offending situation. On the other side of the coin, environmental lawyers may represent the "offenders" to prove why the exploitation is not bad or is not what it seems to be. Finally, they may mediate between concerned groups and help generate arrangements which will benefit the country, the consumers, and the corporation.

Patent Law: Patent Law is one of the few areas of legal practice which requires a specific educational background usually in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. This background is required because the work a patent lawyer does is to see that no one has already patented a client's idea and that no one "borrows" the client's idea after it has been patented. To do this the lawyer must thoroughly understand the client's idea and be able to ascertain whether differences occur in similar ideas or if, indeed, the idea has already been used or is being "borrowed".

Patent lawyers are usually employed by large firms whose research teams may constantly be coming up with new ideas to be protected or by large law firms where they handle individual clients and companies who seek the advice of the lawyer. Sometimes patent lawyers enter private practice and work as representatives to individuals and companies.

Legal Aid: Legal Aid offers a lawyer the chance to represent and protect those in our society who may not have the money or the knowledge to help themselves.

If you are considering this type of law, do not expect to make a lot of money, expect to be very busy, and realise that your services will be sought by many and may be appreciated by only a few.

For the vast majority of the lawyers who enter this type of law, the clients' appreciation when it occurs is the main reward.

Tax Law: A tax lawyer assists people or businesses in the computation and payment of taxes of all kinds: income, property, estate, etc. A good background in statistics, mathematics and/or business as well as a genuine enjoyment of working with numbers is basic necessities for a tax lawyer.

LLM degrees (the Master of Law Letters degree which follows the LLB degree) can be received in tax law in a number of law school graduate divisions around the country. This is one of the specific areas in which the LLM degree is most frequently pursued.

Tax law is a growing field because of the increasing complexity of the financial status of the United Kingdom and its citizens. If you satisfy the requirements of the field, your work in private practice or as a corporation tax lawyer can be a highly lucrative career.

Corporate Law: The corporate lawyer deals with the entirety of a corporation's activities from settling tax, employment, or labour problems, to setting up mergers between and among corporations and arranging stock options.

Generally, a corporate lawyer is one of a team of lawyers, each handling or assisting in the handling of only one of the activities areas. A corporate lawyer, therefore, may be any one of the preceding types of lawyers and also be a corporate lawyer. For instance, an environmental lawyer may be employed by Kodak and still retain both titles of environmental and corporate lawyer; one does not preclude the other.

Corporate law opportunities are almost unlimited and offer continually broadening horizons commensurate with the growth of the corporation.

Criminal Law: Criminal Law involves just what the label implies - people accused of crimes. Lawyers who specialise in criminal law may work on either side of the adversary process - defence or prosecution.

There are many more types of law from which to choose; what you choose will depend upon your present interests and your interests as they develop in law school. There is no reason to make your decision before beginning your studies as to what type of law you will practice; the legal profession changes constantly and you may find your own interests changing as you become exposed to more and more information.