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The legal profession involves lots of hard work and studying. The industry is known for paying exceptionally well (legal tend to be some of the highest earners in the UK!) and the work can be extremely fulfilling.

The industry is primarily made up of lawyers and legal administrators. The route you choose can depend on your strengths, ambitions and interests.

What is a lawyer?

The work of lawyers includes conducting lawsuits (civil or criminal) and providing legal advice. There are two types of lawyers, solicitors and barristers.

Solicitors provide legal advice to private or commercial clients. They carry out legal research and represent clients in court where necessary. Solicitors tend to work for a law firm and spend most of their time in an office environment.

Barristers spend the majority of their time representing clients in court. They can be self-employed, yet affiliated with a chambers, or hired in-house by either a law firm or large commercial businesses.

A quick way to spot the difference between the two is the dress code. Barristers wear the traditional long back robe and wig, whereas solicitors have no uniform, they're likely to be wearing a suit.

Both roles are well-positioned to progress to a position as a Judge in the future, whose job it is to preside over matters that are brought to court.

What jobs are there in legal administration?

Legal administration involves the work of paralegals, clerks and secretaries. They keep records updated, prepare court forms, assist in legal research, make appointments and attend court.

N Written by Navdeep

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Skills required for a career in the Law industry

The skills in the law industry vary across each job type. However, all professionals working in the legal field require a high attention to detail, strong communication skills and long concentration span.

If you want to work in the legal sector, demonstrate evidence of extracurricular activity, team working, strong oral and written communication skills, self-awareness and time management in your applications.

Typical Law career progression routes

Sitting at the very top of the hierarchy is the Lord Chief Justice, followed by high court judges then Judges. To become a judge, you'll need at least seven years of full-time experience in the industry, working as a fully-qualified solicitor or barrister.

According to The Lawyer Portal, an apprenticeship can take six years to complete. You will become a fully-qualified solicitor once it's completed.

Alternatively, you can opt for applying to study a Law Degree at University or a non-law degree plus a law conversion course, such as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). Either of these paths will take three to five years to complete, at which point you'll be faced with making a decision between qualifying as a solicitor or a barrister.

From here, you'll need to carry out work experience and various professional training courses. You'll then be required to complete one year of Pupillage if you're a fledgling barrister or complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC) if you're preparing to be a solicitor.

For administrative roles, many people go straight into assistant level roles after finishing school. Clerks can progress to senior clerks and secretaries can work up to being a PA or office manager. You can also start out as a typist or paralegal.

There are also courses you can do if you plan to specialise in a certain area of the law.

How much do Law professionals get paid?

The legal profession is known for paying exceptionally well. Although this might not be true at the very beginning of your career. The higher paying firms tend to reside within the City of London.

The average salary for a legal secretary is £18,921 per annum, with top earners making around £30,000 per annum.

Apprentices at law firms may earn considerably higher salaries than the National Minimum Wage (£12,000 to £20,000 being a typical range for an apprentice lawyer).Upon completing your apprenticeship, you will typically earn the same as a trainee lawyer at your firm (£25,000 to £45,000 depending on the firm).

The salary of qualified solicitors can range from £25,000 to £100,000, depending on the type of employer.

Qualified barristers earn anything between £25,000 - £300,000. Salaries in private practice for those with more than ten years experience can be up to £1,000,000 per annum!

What qualifications do I need for a Law career

If going to university doesn't appeal to you, you can do a law apprenticeships. However, an apprenticeship isn't quicker or easier!

The solicitor apprenticeship is a Level 7 programme and still takes five to six years to complete. It's aimed at those who have completed their A-levels, a Level 3 paralegal apprenticeship or a chartered legal executive apprenticeship.

You'll typically obtain the equivalent of an undergraduate law degree (LLB) before progressing onto the Legal Practice Course (LPC). There are also options to complete fewer years' study, which will result in you becoming a part-qualified lawyer.

Professional organisations such as the The Law Society, as well as colleges, can provide these qualifications, or give you advice on what to pursue.

Law industry bodies

The Bar Council
The Law Society
The Institute of Paralegals

Law further reading

Legal Futures
All About Law
Chambers Student
The Lawyer

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