Law

Introduction to Law

Lawyers interpret the law through actions and words for the protection of an individual, a business concern or an idea. They are required to be aware of: the law, economics, history, human motivation and behaviour, and the practicalities of day to day living. Lawyers must also read constantly - they must be abreast of information which may be of use to the client and changes in the law.

As society grows in complexity, the lawyer's role grows as well. No longer is it possible for one single lawyer to handle every aspect of every client's legal needs. Although well informed as to the tax implications of stock market transactions, a lawyer may not know enough to cover adequately the client's requirements for divorce proceedings, for instance. For this reason, the vast majority of today's lawyers are specifying the types of clients and cases which they will serve. It is important to understand, however, that even though the legal profession itself is specialising, the law school and pre-legal education remain general in nature.

Any specialisation you choose to follow must take place after you graduate from law school and enter the professional world. The type you choose to practice may depend upon employment conditions when you enter the profession, your personal interest and background, the amount of money you want to earn, the area of the country in which you want to live, as well as other factors. For example, if you have a great concern for the welfare of society, you would probably be well suited to Environmental Law.

Will I enjoy working as a Lawyer?

This is difficult to answer, generally speaking, because there are many different avenues of law. Many lawyers in large corporate firms concentrate their efforts in mastering one particular area of specialisation within the law, e.g. the intricacies of tax law. These solicitors often serve primarily as advisors to corporate clients, rarely being involved with taking a case to court.

Litigation lawyers, on the other hand, prepare and present cases in court or negotiate to settle the case before the scheduled court appearance.

Practicing law in a small town or with a small community-based firm often means taking whatever cases walk through the door. This kind of practice tends to focus more on the daily legal needs of individuals - drawing up wills or deeds, filing for divorces, getting someone out of jail on bond, settling personal damage suits in court - rather than the more technical and specialised needs of corporate clients. Success is often due more to the quality of your personal interactions and persuasiveness than to your intellectual capabilities.

If you are a well organised, intelligent person who likes to analyse and interpret information and produce an accurate and informed answer to a difficult question, the law would be good for you. Exactly here you choose to work within the legal field will be affected by your personality, your career goals, and the amount of value you place on money and what you want to earn.

Types of Law

It is impossible to list and explain all of the various types of law practiced 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.

Becoming a Solicitor

What does a Solicitor do?

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

Most large law firms offer a Training Contract to graduate hires. A Training Contract is an agreement between you and your firm that you can come and work for them for two years after successfully completing your LPC. During this time you will receive further training and a decent starting salary, although you won't be considered to be a fully qualified solicitor.

Firms differ as to when they offer this contract to graduates. For some firms, particularly the Magic circle firms, you will need to apply two to three years before you plan to begin work with them. For other firms, you can apply one to two years before work, and others just a few months before.

Firms require candidates to make such early applications because of the overwhelming competition for places and because many firms offer a subsistence grant to graduates studying the GDL and LPC. For example, Magic circle firms tend to pay all GDL and LPC fees for graduate hires, whilst also providing approximately £10,000 per year as a grant for living costs.

Getting a training contract (TC) can be a difficult job, especially if you plan to study the GDL/CPE conversion course or have a limited legal background. The standard of applicants for TC's is always high and the competition fierce. It is not uncommon for applicants to outnumber TC's by 25 to 1 for the best and most prestigious firms. Candidates without the right A-level grades, a good 2:1 and a gleaming résumé full of relevant work experience will be at a serious disadvantage.

The good news however, is that according to BPP Professional Education there are enough training contracts available each year to accommodate almost every qualifying law student, although the majority of these aren't with the top firms.

Qualifying Without a Degree

A training contract is not normally required for anyone qualifying without a degree; non-graduates typically advance toward qualification by passing exams administered by the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) – all the while working under the supervision of a solicitor.

GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law)

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.

LPC (Legal Practice Course)

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 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.

As soon as you qualify you are eligible for partnership, something for which almost all aspiring lawyers aim.

Partnership

Every law firm is run by a small group of "partners" who make decisions on important issues. The best lawyers in a firm are offered "Partnership" after outstanding performance. This is the best promotion available to solicitors as it means you will be getting the very best job at your firm, unrivalled privileges, a salary of somewhere between £250,000 and £1,000,000 and a bonus of anything up to £10,000,000.

Salaries and 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.

How to Get a Training Contract

Before you Apply

Decide what is right for you

Before you embark on the long and drawn out process of applying for a Training Contract you need to do your research, and decide exactly who you want to work for. Practicing family law in a small regional firm will be very different from handling billion pound mergers and acquisitions. If you’re not cut out for the corporate world, be realistic and don’t apply to corporate firms, but if this is what you've always dreamed of you need to start considering the Magic circle.

Choose the Type of Firm that suits you best

Think about the culture of the firm in question and whether you would fit into it, socially, culturally and academically. Don’t let rich firm's glossy brochures sway your judgement. The best way to find out what is right for you is to embark on work experience, or even better a Vacation Placement. Recruiters and HR at top law firms see the benefits of experience as unrivalled. It’s not a prerequisite to work at a firm, but you will get a practical insight on the job and the company and learn what’s right for you by working with different teams, social groups and specialised work areas.

Get a Vacation Placement

It will be highly competitive to get a Vacation Placement (sometimes even more so than getting a Training Contract - there can be thousands of applications for less than 20 places. For this reason firms are very interested by candidates with work experience. It shows that you have something special to offer, and above all that their rivals (if you’re done work experience at different companies) are interested in hiring you.

Partake in Extra-Curricula Activities

Anything you do that is supplementary to studying shows that you are willing to learn new things and put yourself out. It also shows team work, organisational skills and that you might be a worthwhile person to have on board. So if you ran a marathon for charity, set up a break-dancing group or volunteer at the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau, use this to your advantage when applying for a job. If you still have the opportunity to get involved and do these things, the earlier you start the better.

Find out about the firm you are applying to

It is important to know what's happening right now within the firm you’re applying to. If a firm is in a phase of expansion it's likely to be a more dynamic and exciting place to work than one which is downsizing and losing clients. Search for press coverage to see if there is anything significant to note when you are thinking about your applications.

Be clear about your specialist interests

Make sure you clearly understand the industry into which you want to go. For example, corporate law is very different from environmental law. You should have an understanding of how the firm to which you are applying fits into the industry, who its main clients are, and what substantial cases they have been involved with.

Do you have strong enough grades to apply?

If you get a 2:2 when the firm requires a 2:1 then get in touch with the recruitment department before making your application and explain your circumstances. Get your personal tutor from University to confirm your situation and use any other collaborative sources of evidence that you can find. Law firms are not heartless and do understand that students do suffer from serious problems during their exams. Furthermore, law firms are clever. They want to interview the brightest candidates. They understand that there may be times when the best candidates are affected by issues out of their control and may consequently under perform. If you have other grades, qualities and attributes to back up your poor degree grade you are still likely to be called for interview.

On the other hand, if you do not have the best University grade, or even past grades, it might be a better idea to adjust your sights and apply outside the [Magic circle] and national firms. If you are constantly making unsuccessful applications, try applying to some firms in the tier below.

Vacation Placement

A vacation placement is a term usually used to describe periods of internship at law firms. Vacation placements are a good way to find out whether a career in law is right for you and what type of firm will suit you best. It also looks great on your CV as it shows your commitment to law and that law firms are willing to hire you (even if it is just for a week or two).

Many firms take the opportunity during placements to assess your potential as a trainee. They are looking for people who will fit into the firm academically and socially. The way you interact with other people and use your skills in a working environment is far more revealing than a paper-based application and consequently recruiters will be judging you throughout your placement. If you do well, there is a chance you may be offered a Training Contract at the end of it.

Vacation placements usually last two to four weeks and offer remuneration, which can sometimes be quite good. Firms in London can pay up to £300 a week plus expenses (£200 outside London).

Apply for Vacation Placements at various types of firm. Choose different size firms, and firms who work in different fields. This should help you make an informed choice regarding the type of firm you would like to work for.

During Your Placement

Most Vacation Placements require you to do some work for the firm, although most of your time will be spent work shadowing. You may do basic tasks such as drafting, taking minutes at client meetings, writing letters and undertaking legal research. There will almost certainly be a social side to the placement, where students can get to know each other in an informal situation. There will also be opportunities to meet other members of staff such as current trainees, HR and partners. You should use these opportunities to build relationships and contacts with these people, mingling can significantly improve your chances of getting hired.

Vacation Placement Applications

Vacation Placements are highly competitive so make sure you make your applications early. If you are currently studying law at university, you should try to secure a scheme during the summer before your final year; if you are reading other subjects, apply during the summer following your third year. Many firms use the same application structure as for training contracts applications, with interviews and assessment days.

Although high street solicitors have not generally taken up the idea of vacation placements, it's still worth applying to smaller firms if you can’t get a placement with a major firm. The Government Legal Service (GLS) also offers vacation placements working in, for example, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Transport, the Ministry of Defence or the Treasury. Commercial banks, investment banks, oil companies and other large companies run placements in the summer, and you may be able to work-shadow in their in-house legal department. Many law firms regard such general commercial experience favourably. Shadowing a judge or undertaking a mini-pupilage is also good experience of the legal world, and can help you to decide which career path to go down. Such work is usually unpaid but is experience worth having. If you don’t manage to get a placement, don’t give up. Many firms run open days for those who have been unsuccessful, with lectures, training sessions and a taste of work shadowing.

Applications

Application forms determine whether or not you will make it to the interview stage of the recruitment process and are therefore very important to you. There is little point sending poor quality applications to law firms. There is even less point sending a large number of poor quality application forms to law firms. Candidates should focus on making a small number of intelligent, insightful and outstanding applications to firms they have a strong desire in working for. As far as your applications go, it is certainly better to produce quality rather than quantity.

Spelling

Correct spelling, structure and clear expression are the most basic and most important prequisite of any application form. Every year an impressively large number of application forms are received with a sub standard use of grammar, and most are immediately rejected. If people can’t express themselves within a written application they have had an unlimited amount of time to produce it implies they don’t check their work or care about the work they do - not great characteristics for future lawyers.

Recruiters get rather bored with the same old generic responses lifted from form to form so it is important to make yourself standout. At the same time you need to get the balance right: coming across as too "zany" will not benefit you. You want to demonstrate the same professionalism you would show to your job on your application form.

If you won an award at university or achieved the highest A-Level marks in the country, put it on your application. What about your summer spent as a children’s entertainer at a holiday camp?

Before you let your form leave your sight, have someone read it over for you. They may be able to spot mistakes you missed or advise you on how to phrase something better. Ask your tutor, careers advisor, lawyer or even your mother for advice.

Never lie on your application form. Interviews are designed to be probing and are likely to catch you out if you fabricate your answer. Lawyers must be exceptionally honest and accountable, so any sign of dishonesty will be looked upon severely. If you are offered the position, you will be required to provide references and original certificates of your qualifications.

Interview

If you have been asked to an interview, it is because the firm is interested to find out more about you, so well done.

Your body language is incredibly important. 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.

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. 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.

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.

Plan and Prepare for Your Interview

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.

Assessment Days

Offers and Registering Your Training Contract

Once you have been selected as a prospective trainee, your firm must send you an offer letter setting out the terms and conditions of your employment, including:

• any conditions to which the offer is subject
• the dates on which the contract will start and finish
• the starting salary, and how this will be reviewed
• holiday and sickness benefit entitlement
• the areas of law in which you will gain experience and the skills you will practise
• any arrangements for re-employment when the training contract finishes

It is good practice and common courtesy to accept the offer in writing. Registering your training contract

Within three months of starting your training, you and your firm should complete and sign the training contract form, and your firm should send it to be registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) within 28 days of being signed. The registration fee is covered by the firm. Until the contract is registered you are not regarded as a trainee and are not protected by the Training Contract Regulations 1990, so it is in your own interests to ensure that it is done. If your firm refuses or otherwise fails to register your training contract, think very carefully about whether you want to stay with them.

Within 30 days you will receive a letter from the SRA confirming the registration and the date of expiry of the contract.

Your Training

During your training at a firm you should be given experience in at least three distinctive substantive areas of English law, including both contentious and non-contentious work.

If your firm is unable to provide the requisite training, it must arrange a secondment for you to another training establishment, ensuring that the terms of the training code and contract are met during this period.

As well as giving you work experience, your firm must allow you to attend the Professional Skills Course fees: the firm will pay the course fees and grant you study leave to attend.

Appraisals

It’s a good idea to keep a record of your daily activities during the training contract, not only because it will document your work and progress but also because the SRA may ask to review it.

Your firm is required to conduct at least three formal appraisals with you during the two years of your training contract (one in the first year, one in the second year and one at the end of the training period). Ideally, however, your performance should be reviewed in every seat or every six months. If you have any concerns about your training, you should raise these with your training principal at the earliest opportunity.

UK Law Firms

There are five (sometimes six) London based law firms considered to be the very best in the UK. These firms are referred to as "Magic circle" firms, an informal term used to describe them collectively.

Becoming a Barrister

What does a Barrister do?

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

Becoming a Paralegal

What does a Paralegal do?

Qualified legal executives provide specialist technical support to solicitors, offer support and advice, and can act on behalf of clients in a similar way to solicitors. Although the work may be similar, the range of experience is generally more limited than that of a solicitor. However, legal executives have considerable responsibility and are offered the appropriate financial rewards to accompany it. Legal executive positions can be found in bigger cities, although competition is as fierce as for many other options.

Paralegal work typically involves chasing paperwork, handling documents and other administrative duties. The role is flexible and really depends on what your employers want you to do - it's a good idea to check what sort of work paralegals do at your chosen firm. Often people are hired as general assistants and work up from here.

A legal PA offers admin and back-up services to a solicitor or a barrister. Like legal assistants, the role and work vary. In a small firm, you may work mostly as a secretary. In a larger firm, the role may be more demanding. You may be responsible for everything except detailed and technical legal tasks.

Paralegals already working within the firm are often chosen to be legal personal assistants once they have proved themselves. Applications from law graduates with good organisational and IT skills are usually welcomed.

Career path of a Paralegal

A professional training route is offered by the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX).

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.

Not everyone who successfully completes the academic stages decides to go into private practice. Many go on 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

• Accountancy
• Barrister's Clerks
• Chartered Secretaries
• 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