Options with law
Most law degrees cover the foundation subjects that are prerequisites for entry to the legal professions, enabling you to develop discipline-specific skills. In addition to gaining a thorough knowledge of the law, you also develop a range of other skills valued by many employers. These include:
Employers may perceive law as an academically tough subject, which can put you at an advantage, but it is still vital to articulate your strengths clearly and to state the full range of skills you can offer.
Employers from a wide range of industries seek the skills acquired through the study of law. An understanding of legal implications and obligations, combined with the ability to apply this knowledge in practice, is valuable in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Furthermore, all the skills listed are highly transferable and desirable among graduate recruiters who aim to select well-rounded graduates. Employers, both inside and outside the law profession, will also be interested in your experiences beyond your studies and what these prove about your abilities.
The law affects every aspect of our lives, so you could put forward a strong argument for the knowledge gained through your studies enhancing performance in virtually any job. For example, understanding and being able to apply health and safety or employment legislation would be equally helpful for a restaurant manager, healthcare administrator or construction project manager.
Research the career area you are interested in thoroughly. Some careers, for example, teaching or accountancy, will require further vocational or professional training. For other careers, such as marketing, journalism or human resources, you will need relevant work experience. It may also be useful to take a postgraduate course to develop specific skills and knowledge.
Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.
Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.
A 2012 HESA survey of 2011 graduates indicates that six months after graduation just over 40% of law graduates were in paid employment in the UK or overseas, while a further 42% were undertaking further study or training, or combining work with further study.
Of those who had gone directly into work, 15% had moved into the legal profession. However, a further 13% were working in other clerical and secretarial occupations, some of which will be in a legal setting or ancillary legal professions, with scope for progression.
Almost 10% were working in commercial, industrial and public sector management and a further 10% were in business and financial management. Other popular career areas included marketing, sales and advertising and social and welfare professions. This demonstrates the range of employers that value the skill set developed through studying law.
If you qualify as a solicitor, there are openings in many different types of legal practices. High street solicitors' practices offer the widest range of caseloads, from criminal and family to probate and business law. Local and national government also provide opportunities, and many large organisations employ in-house legal teams.
The majority of barristers are self-employed and typically become tenants in a set of chambers. Organisations that employ barristers include the Government Legal Service (GLS) , the Armed Forces legal services and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) . Barristers are also employed on a non-practising basis within industry and commerce, as well as in solicitors' firms. For more information see legal services.
For more information on potential career areas, see:
For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors.
Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do? and your degree...what next?
In 2011, six months after graduation, 42% of law graduates had gone on to further study or a combination of work and further study. Most of them progressed to relevant professional training courses, but others went on to study a variety of subjects such as criminology, business, human resources, international relations, journalism and education.
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), then a paid training contract with a law firm. Slightly different training routes exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Barristers in England and Wales undertake the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) followed by a one-year training period called a pupillage. There are training variations in Scotland, where advocates normally qualify as solicitors before specialising, and in Northern Ireland.
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 postgraduate study in the UK and search courses and research to identify your options.
For details relating to finance and the application process, look at funding my further study.
