Law

This page has been designed to give a starting point for those looking into careers in Legal and related occupations and includes information for graduates with or without Law qualifications.

• What are careers in the law?
• How do I get into it?
• Finding a job or employer in this sector
• Further information and useful links

What are careers in the law?

The justice sector is one of the key determinants of the social environment. There are three different legal systems in the UK: Northern Ireland and Scotland have separate systems from England and Wales. These differences give rise to different training requirements and routes to employment (source - Prospects).

• Chambers and Partners Student Guide
  This site includes salary guides, CV and application advice.
• The Law Society
  A Career in Law from The Law Society
• LawCareers.net
  For anyone considering a career in law. Sign up to MyLCN and create a personalised account to track your jobsearch, create a library of your researched information and record your impressions of employers. You can sign up to receive an e-newsletter that contains information on all things Law; employer profiles, jobs, news, pupillage and placement opportunities and more.

How do I get into it?

General

• Legal Education.org.uk
  Information on legal education in the UK, where to study and guides to becoming a Solicitor or Barrister.

• Prospects
  Types of jobs - Legal profession
  Detailed profiles of various job roles.
  Industry insights - Law
  An overview of the sector with information on job roles, recent legislative changes and future prospects in the industry.
  Options with your subject - Law
  Analysis of the skills typically acquired by law graduates and links to information on careers which utilise those skills.

• Skills for Justice
  Skills for Justice is the dedicated sector skills council and standards setting body for the justice sector. You will find a comprehensive careers section detailing industry trends as well as qualifications and financial help. 

• Targetjobs
  A graduate careers website with the following sector information:
  Law - Barristers
  Law - Scotland
  Law - Solicitors
  

Barrister/Barristers' Clerk

• The Bar Council – General Council of the Bar
  Includes details on qualifying as a barrister and contains profiles of barristers and their work.
• Faculty of Advocates
  Advocates in Scotland perform the same role as barristers in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, although the law and practice in the three separate jurisdictions of the United Kingdom are quite different.
• Institute of Barristers' Clerks (IBC)
  Careers information on becoming a barristers clerk. Includes vacancies.
• The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX)
  Contains information on career opportunities and training.

Solicitor/Lawyer

The shortest route to becoming a solicitor is by studying for a degree in law. Graduates in a subject other that law must undertake one of the following:

• Common Professional Examination course (CPE)
• Graduate Diploma in Law course
• Senior-status degree in law

All candidates then undertake a Legal Practice Course (LPC). This provides professional instruction for prospective solicitors. On successful completion candidates enter into a training contract with a firm of solicitors (or other organisation) authorised by the Law Society as a training establishment.

Competition is fierce – it is advisable to begin applying for contracts in the second year of a law degree.

More information on this process including courses and funding is available from the Law Society.

• Law Society of Ireland
  Careers and training information for Solicitors in Ireland.
• The Law Society of Northern Ireland
  Guide to training
• Law Society of Scotland
  Information of qualifying as a Lawyer in Scotland.
• Trainee Solicitors Group (TSG)
  Lots of information on training and education for Solicitors.

Legal Executive

On a day to day basis the work of a legal executive is similar to that of a solicitor - so much so that vacancies often specify that a legal executive or an assistant solicitor is required. Although being a legal executive is a career in its own right, it is possible to continue the ILEX training route to become a solicitor.

An added advantage is that Fellows are exempt from the two years training contract which is required before admission as a solicitor. See the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) for more information on how to qualify as a Legal Executive

• Applying for law courses
  Central Applications Board Information on LPC and CPE courses.
  www.lawcabs.ac.uk
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers
  Contains information on becoming a Licensed Conveyancer.
• Law Costs Draftsmen
  The usual method of entry to the profession is via a Solicitors office where a general legal knowledge can first be obtained. Many law costs draftsmen are self employed but rarely employ untrained assistants.
• Look for courses at the university
  See the courses databases for the University of Brighton courses in this area.
• Opportunities for non-law graduates
• What can I do?
  This is a guide to volunteering opportunities available in the criminal justice system.

Other

• Launchpad to Law: careers information for non-law students
  Are you considering a career in law but are coming from a non-law degree background? Understanding how, and on what timescales, law firms operate is essential.
• Law Careers Forum
  The Law Careers Forum is a biennial event hosted by the Careers Service and Brighton Business School and offers students the opportunity to find out from professionals in the field about the routes into the legal sector and what it is really like to work in a legal profession.
• Law for non-lawyers
  Information on the paralegal profession, part of ILEX.

Finding a job or employer in this sector

Barristers

• Chambers and Partners
  This site includes application information as well as jobs database searchable by region
• Pupillages Portal
  Comprehensive site providing you with access to all pupillage vacancies in England and Wales.

Solicitors

• The Lawyer - Jobs section
• Legal executives
  Legal executive recruitment
• Simply Law Jobs
  Legal Executive, Paralegal, Solicitor, Partner, Practice Manager, Temporary and Locum, Legal Accounts, Legal Secretary/PA, Barrister positions.

Clerks

• Clerksroom

All legal professions

• BCL Legal
  BCL Legal offers a comprehensive legal recruitment service for lawyers, law firms and businesses at all levels, across all disciplines and across all sectors.
• The Law Society Gazette
• Legal Executive Journal
• Legal Job Spot
  Includes vacancies within law firms and other legal organisations for solicitors, legal secretaries, and legal support staff.
• Legal Services Commission
  The Legal Services Commission has an online resource to address questions about working in Legal Aid. Also contains links to other careers and professional websites.
• Legal Week Jobs
  Legal Week Jobs is a specialist website for all types of jobs in law including Paralegal, Legal Executive, Trainee Solicitors and graduate vacancies.
• The Lex 100 on Facebook
  The students' guide to the top 100 UK law firms now has a page for discussions on the search for a training contract.
• National Law Journal
• Opportunities
  Public sector jobs database
• Total Jobs
  Contains a comprehensive Legal Jobs section.

Civil Service employers include:

• Court Service
• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
• The European Commission
• The Financial Services Authority (FSA)
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
• Government Legal Service

Further information and useful links

Barristers

• The Bar Council
  The Bar Council is the regulatory and representative body for barristers in England and Wales. Contains an extensive links section.
  www.barcouncil.org.uk
• The Bar Council and Bar Library of Northern Ireland
• The Bar Council of Ireland Law Library
  The Irish Bar aims to provide its clients with a high level of expertise in all areas of law combined with skilled advocacy by persons of integrity and independence.
  www.lawlibrary.ie/default.asp
• Faculty of Advocates
  Website of the Scottish Bar.

Solicitors

• The Law Society
  Regulatory and representative body for 116,000 solicitors in England and Wales.
• Law Society - Junior Lawyers (TSG)
  Represents PGDL, LPC and CPE students, all trainee solicitors, paralegals up to two years post-completion of the LPC and newly-qualified solicitors up to one year post-qualification.
• Law Society of Ireland
  Educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in Ireland. Includes training vacancies.
• The Law Society of Northern Ireland
  Governing body of the solicitors' profession in Northern Ireland.
• Law Society of Scotland
  Governing body for Scottish solicitors.
• Scottish Law Commission
  Law reform in Scotland.
• Society of Solicitor Advocates
  Suitably qualified solicitors in Scotland can be granted rights of audience in the Supreme Courts in Scotland as well as in the House of Lords and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Property law

Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC)
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is the regulatory body for Licensed Conveyancers who are qualified specialist property lawyers.

International law

• The Court of Justice of the European Communities
  
• International Court of Justice

Paralegal groups

• Institute of Barristers' Clerks (IBC)
• The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX)
  ILEX is the professional body representing over 22,000 members and is a leading provider of legal education.
• Scottish Paralegal Asscociation

Charities

• The Legal Action Group
  National, independent charity which campaigns for equal access to justice for all members of society.

Other information sources

• ELIXIR (European Lawyers' Information eXchange & Internet Resource)
  Project based at The University of Birmingham Law School with information on the different legal systems in all the EU countries, including training requirements, and an introduction to the EC Law on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications in EU countries.
• Inside Buzz - 2013 Law Rankings
  1,089 trainees and solicitors give their thoughts and comments on what it’s like to work for their firms and share their perceptions of other law firms in the UK market.
• The Law Society
  Extensive legal information including details of policy, training advice on dealing with solicitors.
• LawCareers.Net: More than the law - skills that future employers will value
  LawCareers.Net article on employability skills for a careers in law
• The Lawyer online
  The Lawyer.com is the leading online information service for the legal profession. Delivering news, analysis, jobs and training.
  www.thelawyer.com
• Legal 500
  International Centre for Commercial Law produce information on major law firms in Europe including the UK