Career Options In Law
A law degree can lead to a wide range of careers that offer outstanding salaries and significant opportunities for continuing education.
A law degree is the best way to enter a rewarding legal career in the US or Europe. There are many options outside of these nations, but it is usually not financially viable to pursue these careers as they may require long periods away from your home base.
You can choose one of the following job fields:
- Judicial Assistant
- Corporate Lawyer
- Intellectual Property Attorney
- Legal Translator
- Legal Document Assistant
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A new source of legal jobs is provided by the growing number of private companies working in the field of recruitment. Private companies are not subject to the same restrictions as law firms, so they are able to offer a wider range of opportunities, including jobs in non-law related fields and other areas outside the UK.
There are many options for legal careers outside of the UK. While it is possible for some people to manage their career from abroad, it may be difficult and costly to pursue non-UK careers at the start of your career due to the expenses involved with relocating. These include large professional registration fees, higher living expenses, and possible visa requirements that may be difficult or costly to meet.
Some minority groups in the UK may not be able to pursue careers outside the UK and thus may face limited employment opportunities within their own country. These include ethnic minorities, women, disabled people and gay or bisexual people.
In many other countries it is not possible to start a career in law without a degree from an English-speaking institution. However, there are several countries that have laws of their own and which allow non-English graduates to practise law without holding an English degree.
Most professional organisations for lawyers require a foreign qualified lawyer to take an approved course of study before joining membership in the organisation and this is popular choice for a career change in many countries all over the world such as Columbia Africa or China.
As with most careers in law, the pay varies depending on your experience and the location of the practice. In large cities, salaries can be very high, although with a small firm pay is often less than what other lawyers in similar positions earn in more affluent areas.
In general salary levels are usually higher for younger lawyers as many people tend to choose to enter the profession at a young age.
The non-life insurance aspects of being a lawyer have often been difficult to measure, yet account for between 10-15% of all lawyer incomes across the UK and US. There are numerous opportunities for non-insurance income from working within law firms, such as legal aid cases and public interest advocacy.
While there are many different branches of law available, finance is not among them. Law degrees are not required for careers in the financial sector other than those that specifically require legal knowledge.
While you do not have to have a law degree to work in the finance industry, most investment banking firms and commercial banks prefer to hire people with both a graduate degree and at least two years experience working in the legal field. This means that you will be competing with law graduates for these entry level positions. In addition, many companies prefer candidates who have already worked towards a postgraduate qualification.
Attorneys typically are not involved in the initial stages of mergers and acquisitions, which are usually handled by investment bankers. However, you may still be able to work your way up to the level of an investment banker by going through financial management training at a school such as Oxford.
You will need to spend a significant amount of time working in the legal field before you can have a real shot at becoming a patent attorney or other specialist.
The legal process is extremely complicated and requires specialized knowledge that cannot be gained through on-the job experience alone. This means that it is often necessary to take an approved course of study before being granted membership in the organisation.
Some lawyers specialize in a field of law that is not available in other areas. Whilst there are no guarantees, these specialists are generally more likely to be in high demand and offer greater employment opportunities.
The following information provides some useful guidance on the most common occupations that involve law:
Professional legal qualifications within the Commonwealth include:
As well as degrees, some professions require a particular level of experience before they will allow suitable candidates to become members of their organisation. For example, before being eligible for membership with The Law Society of Ireland or The Law Society of Australia you need to have been practising at least two years in relevant fields such as family law or litigation.
Unlike many other professional bodies, the Law Society does not publish a list of partners or associates for individual firms. Many law societies across the globe have member directories that are available online.
A degree in law is not required to work as an attorney in both England and Wales. If you wish to work as an attorney either within England or Wales then there is no official minimum experience requirement. However, it may be necessary to spend a substantial amount of time practising law before you can be considered for partner status at a firm. Although there are no formal requirements, experience working at least two years as an attorney will also help applicants with their chances of finding a role.
The Law Society of Ireland will appoint full members to a firm after two years of experience working as a trainee solicitor. Appointments are subject to both formal and informal requirements. It is necessary to have completed the relevant Chartered Institute of Legal Executives examinations before becoming a full member of the Law Society, which takes an additional two years to complete. In addition, you will also need to be recommended by at least two other members of the society. After being appointed, it is then possible to apply for partnership within your firm after another ten years or so of experience. It is generally considered that the training process for a career in law can take ten years in total.
The Law Society of South Africa does not have a specific requirement for attorney qualification as there are over 15,000 attorneys and solicitors in the country. It does require that you spend at least two years working within the profession before you may apply for subordinate membership of the society.
Law degrees are regulated through independent bodies which freely establish their own criteria without any legal requirements necessary. This means that there are many different types of law degrees available with varying curricula and admissions processes.
The most common degree is a bachelor's degree in law (often known as a LLB). These courses require you to study a variety of subjects such as contracts, civil law, criminal law, land law and legal theory. In general, the degree lasts between three and four years depending on the specific programme. Many schools also offer postgraduate options that may be required if you wish to work in a certain field.
A LLM is a master's degree in law that will usually be focused firmly on one particular subject area. It offers an opportunity for those who have completed their undergraduate degree with a high grade point average to pursue an academic career without having to complete further undergraduate degrees.
You may also study law through an online program or through televised classes at home.
Conclusion
With the right degree and academic performance, it is possible to pursue a career in law. While there are no guarantees that you will enjoy your chosen profession, choosing a law degree as an undergraduate can offer a wide range of options after graduation.
From its beginnings as interlocutors for clients of the royal court system, legal education in England developed into professions of advocates (who appeared before the court from 1414) and attorneys (who prepared cases for trial). In the modern system, barristers do not trial cases themselves but prepare them for presentation to the Senior Courts. They can advise on technical aspects of points of law and represent people who bring appeals against decisions made by lower courts.
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Career Options In Law