In case you are considering law as your career path, but you have little to no idea on what it means, then this guide might help you understand some matters concerning your legal career. We will try to provide information about the different types of legal practice and some of the courses that you will need to complete to be qualified.
The Types of Careers in Law
Perhaps one of the key concerns when you want a career on the legal practice is considering what kind of legal representative you want to be. Some people will choose between becoming a barrister or solicitor. For those who want to generate income while learning, becoming a legal executive would be a great option.
To make it simple, the barristers are basically the lawyers that will appear in court trials, while the legal entrepreneur and solicitor are working under the law firm. They can all be called lawyer, but the differences are bit complicated. There are some people who believe that the barristers are more of individualists while the latter are known to be a good team player. While this may be true to some extent, this does not necessarily apply on all occasions. Barristers can also be involved on teamwork, and there are legal executives who will spend hours alone in their room while drafting legal documents.
The decision on what careers in law will be best for you will depend upon multiple factors such as your abilities, financial circumstances, and temperament. The average lawyer salary of the solicitor can start from £38,000 and can increase to £65,000. The novice barrister salary will be around £12,000 that may swell to £60,000. Finally, the legal executive average salary is about £35,000-£55,000.
Career Path
Your careers in law will start from GCSE; this will serve as the foundation of your career. Ensuring that you have good grades will allow you to move in the advance studies about law. After this, you should complete A level which is an academic phase that is higher than GCSE but lower than the undergraduate degree. Completing this will allow you to apply as a solicitor apprentice. This is a 6-year full-paid OJT that will enhance your qualification to become a solicitor. The basic requirement on becoming an apprentice is at least 5 GCSEs and 3 or more A Levels that have a grade of A-C. This is a perfect opportunity to learn law while gaining skills needed for legal practice.
There are some instances when you can become a lawyer by taking a non-law degree. You just have to secure a GDL (Graduate Diploma in Law) after. For those who want careers in law, they can also take a law degree that covers 7 essential topics such as UK law, equity, and trust, property, contract, criminal, tort and public. You may also take a legal apprenticeship in case solicitor apprenticeship is not right for you. After finishing your degree, you will be completing an OJT at the law firm. Entry requirements are similar with solicitor apprenticeship.
Hopefully, by reading this guide, we helped you understand which careers in law are ideal for your situation. For more information about careers in legal practice, we encourage you to visit PassionforLaw.
