Law Law Committing to a Law degree gives every indication you will be pursuing a legal graduate career, but there are still options to consider. The exact area you want to develop your skills to suit rests on what role appeals most. Becoming a Barrister A barrister is a legal specialist trained in advocacy – the presentation and arguing of a client’s case in the high courts. After a conversion course or a law degree, prospective barristers must join one of the four Inns of Court – Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple or Inner Temple. After this, the next step is the Barristers Vocational Course (BVC) which is a year’s course of study and there are 8 BVC providers in England, and 1 in Wales. All applications are made online at www.bvconline.co.uk. On passing your BVC, the final stage of training before a barrister can be called to the Bar is a 12 month pupillage which is where the trainee gains practical experience under the supervision of a practicing barrister. Once this period pupillage is complete, a barrister is finally called to the Bar by his or her Inn of Court. But, in order to establish yourself, you then need to find a tenancy in chambers. However, these are fiercely sought after and only around 30 percent of those who pass the BVC will be successful in securing a tenancy. As you can see, the cost and competition are high in this area but to help prospective BVC applicants decide whether this is the right career for them, many chambers offer mini-pupillages that last about two weeks. Becoming a Solicitor Solicitors are legal specialists who advise and help their clients on all matters of the law and the training for this begins with a two year Legal Practice Course (LPC) which can only be taken after completing a law degree or a law conversion course. After the LPC, solicitors must undertake a two year apprenticeship with a solicitor called the training contract which involves another course called the Professional Skills Course (PSC). This builds on previous training and finishes with an exam. After passing this, the trainee then becomes a qualified solicitor. Funding Funding is often a problem for prospective lawyers as it is a long and costly qualification. Visit the Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information about what you need to apply for these courses and a comprehensive list of places that offer this qualification. Other career choices Other legal careers include paralegals, who have similar tasks to that of a trainee solicitor, legal executives who carry out work very similar to that of solicitors, legal publishers of law materials such as textbooks, reference books and periodicals and law teachers who normally work in further or higher education. Although many graduates end up after their law degree as legal professionals, there are still many options for work after completed degree. According to the 2009 Law graduates group, over 10 percent started working in the commercial, industrial and public sector, whilst also clerical and retail positions were highly covered by Law graduates. Further study A normal route for Law students is to undertake higher qualifications. Of the 2010 law graduates, seven percent continued to study for an higher degree, while 26.4 percent went on to train for their legal qualifications. Figures are taken from the 2011 edition of "What Do Graduates Do?".

Law

Committing to a Law degree gives every indication you will be pursuing a legal graduate career, but there are still options to consider. The exact area you want to develop your skills to suit rests on what role appeals most.

Becoming a Barrister
A barrister is a legal specialist trained in advocacy – the presentation and arguing of a client’s case in the high courts. After a conversion course or a law degree, prospective barristers must join one of the four Inns of Court – Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple or Inner Temple. After this, the next step is the Barristers Vocational Course (BVC) which is a year’s course of study and there are 8 BVC providers in England, and 1 in Wales. All applications are made online at www.bvconline.co.uk.

On passing your BVC, the final stage of training before a barrister can be called to the Bar is a 12 month pupillage which is where the trainee gains practical experience under the supervision of a practicing barrister. Once this period pupillage is complete, a barrister is finally called to the Bar by his or her Inn of Court. But, in order to establish yourself, you then need to find a tenancy in chambers. However, these are fiercely sought after and only around 30 percent of those who pass the BVC will be successful in securing a tenancy. As you can see, the cost and competition are high in this area but to help prospective BVC applicants decide whether this is the right career for them, many chambers offer mini-pupillages that last about two weeks.

Becoming a Solicitor
Solicitors are legal specialists who advise and help their clients on all matters of the law and the training for this begins with a two year Legal Practice Course (LPC) which can only be taken after completing a law degree or a law conversion course. After the LPC, solicitors must undertake a two year apprenticeship with a solicitor called the training contract which involves another course called the Professional Skills Course (PSC). This builds on previous training and finishes with an exam. After passing this, the trainee then becomes a qualified solicitor.

Funding
Funding is often a problem for prospective lawyers as it is a long and costly qualification. Visit the Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information about what you need to apply for these courses and a comprehensive list of places that offer this qualification.

Other career choices
Other legal careers include paralegals, who have similar tasks to that of a trainee solicitor, legal executives who carry out work very similar to that of solicitors, legal publishers of law materials such as textbooks, reference books and periodicals and law teachers who normally work in further or higher education.

Although many graduates end up after their law degree as legal professionals, there are still many options for work after completed degree. According to the 2009 Law graduates group, over 10 percent started working in the commercial, industrial and public sector, whilst also clerical and retail positions were highly covered by Law graduates.

Further study
A normal route for Law students is to undertake higher qualifications. Of the 2010 law graduates, seven percent continued to study for an higher degree, while 26.4 percent went on to train for their legal qualifications.

Figures are taken from the 2011 edition of "What Do Graduates Do?".