Law graduates who intend to practise law must go on to further study and vocational training. Intending solicitors in England and Wales must complete the legal practice course (LPC), succeeded by a paid training contract with a law firm. Slightly different patterns prevail in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Barristers in England and Wales undertake the bar vocational course (BVC) followed by one year as a pupil barrister. There are variations in Scotland, where advocates normally qualify as solicitors before specialising, and in Northern Ireland. Legal executives (England and Wales) normally obtain a trainee post and study for The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) exams. Eventually, they may do the LPC and qualify as solicitors. In 2008, six months after graduation, over 40% of law graduates had gone on to further study. Most of them did indeed progress to relevant professional training courses, but others went on to study subjects such as criminology, business, human resources, international relations, journalism and education. These trends show only what previous graduates in your subject did immediately upon graduating. Over the course of their career - the first few years in particular - many others will opt for some form of further study, either part time or full time. If further study interests you, start by thinking about postgrad study. Find courses and research of interest to you; you can also apply for courses online. Look at funding my further study for details relating to finance and the application process.
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