Law

I object! Law doesn’t have to be a boring profession of itchy wigs and ridiculous robes. Law careers are pretty darn exciting; think more Legally Blonde than Mr Smith Goes to Washington. Um…actually, maybe not! But law is a fabulously varied sector which has a profound impact on every part of our lives; from our registration at birth, through every other major decision in our lives, such as buying a house, to settling your estate after your death. There are many, many different areas of law that you can specialise in, such as family law, environmental law, contract law and property law. Consequently, it’s all about finding an area of law that really grabs your interest.

So you’ve heard all about solicitors, barristers and judges, did you know that there is a delectable selection of other careers in law? There are legal journalists, legal secretaries, human resources personnel, coroners, paralegals, court clerks and plenty of other options available. Solicitor advocates have some of the same responsibilities as barristers and there’s a great amount of overlap between the roles of a legal executive and a solicitor. You don’t have to have a degree to work in the law sector either; you can get stuck in straight after secondary school.

Plus, it isn’t just the solicitors and barristers earning all the dosh; it’s not unlikely for a human resources professional in the law sector to be earning in excess of £70,000 a year. There is a lot of scope for career progression. You could end up sitting in the Supreme Court, or you may progress from a novice paralegal position to become an associate solicitor.

It goes without saying that getting into law is pretty tough. Training can be lengthy; to qualify as a solicitor or barrister will take upwards of five years. A popular misconception is that law is completely dominated by white, middle class men, but over 60% of new lawyers are female and, according to the Law Society, over 20% of people in registered training contracts are from ethic minority backgrounds.

So what we’re really trying to say is that law is open to a variety of people, whatever your gender, ethnicity or academic background.