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Law is a popular and competitive sector for graduates. As well as being a solicitor or barrister, there are other roles to consider, such as:
Research the sector, keep up with current issues and find out about online law fairs and SQE preparation courses from Legal Cheek.
Listen to our What do you actually do? podcast:
The Solicitors Qualifying Exam is now the final, centralised assessment for qualifying solicitors (Law and non-Law graduates). You will also have to complete a total of two years' qualifying work experience (QWE). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) provides detailed information about the SQE, including dates and costs.
Many jobs in legal services involve long hours and heavy workloads. On top of this, you’ll be expected to have these skills:
Think about how you can demonstrate these skills, using examples from your own experience. If you feel you need to develop any of these skills, go the What can I do at York? section on this page.
You don’t need an undergraduate degree in law to become a solicitor or barrister. There are a range of postgraduate courses on offer to help you prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) to be a solicitor, or the Bar course to become a barrister. As a non-Law graduate, you may choose to do a conversion course followed by SQE preparation, or you may find a course offering a combination of the two. Research different institutions and courses offered carefully to decide which is best for you, and explore law firms to find out their preferences too.
Both Law and non-Law graduates need:
You must complete both the QWE and SQE before applying to the Solicitors Regulation Authority for admission as a qualified solicitor.
Read more about the Solicitors Qualifying Examination from LawCareers.Net
Articles from Target Jobs
It can cost a lot to become a qualified lawyer - read about ways to fund your studies. Some law firms will sponsor your training, and qualifying Masters courses may be eligible for the government's postgraduate student loan. LawCareers.Net produce a guide on the costs of law course fees. Some law firms are now offering a graduate solicitor apprenticeship, and cover the cost of SQE preparation and exam fees.
Routes into other legal careers are less structured and don’t normally require a law degree, but it is likely you’ll have to undertake further qualifications on the job:
There have been improvements in diversity in the legal sector, but it is still true that applicants from higher socio-economic groups are more likely to have good connections and work experience. Here are details of some schemes and organisations offering support to under-represented groups:
Make the most of the careers support available to you. Law students have their own Careers and development programme and can contact Chris Wilkinson, Employability Tutor in York Law School. All students can access appointments with the Careers and Placements team.
If you’re interested in becoming a solicitor or barrister, gaining work experience through these routes will help you:
If you’re interested in another area of legal services, also consider:
Note that the kind of work experience listed above does not equate to the Qualifying Work Experience needed to qualify as a solicitor (which would need to include providing legal services, developing specific competences, and having your work signed off by a solicitor).
Aspiring solicitors can find training contracts on:
Make sure you check the deadlines for training contracts. Many commercial firms recruit two years ahead, though smaller regional law firms may recruit one year in advance. Law students can apply from second year onwards; non-law students apply during your final year. See key dates from TargetJobs.
Aspiring barristers can find pupillages on:
Work experience may be via vacation or insight schemes, virtual work experience programmes, or experience in other sectors, see Prospects: law work experience
Use specialist job websites for legal vacancies:
Recruitment with a large legal firm may include any or all of the following:
See the Applying and interviewing pages for further information. Make sure you research Law firms thoroughly; their website is a good starting point but you need to look beyond that, for example where are they in the news at the moment?
Pupillage recruitment is usually more traditional, with a single or multi-stage interview process and an assessed task on the day. Read TARGETjobs’ How to ace your pupillage interview.
Law firms vary in their approach to the use of AI in applications. Shoosmiths have some advice on their website about Why AI matters in your job application; other firms may have different views about whether or how it should be used.
Combining your love of Art and cultural history with an interest in Law or business could lead to a number of different careers within the legal field.
This is a niche area, so you can't train specifically as an "Art Lawyer" in the UK - it's likely you would specialise in property, intellectual property, copyright or tax law and then work in a law firm which has art-related clients (like museums/galleries/private investors). A starting point for this could be to look at law firms affiliated with the Institute of Art and Law
There are specialist companies who work specifically with private collectors, museums, galleries, local authorities or commercial companies. You could help ensure collectors, buyers and sellers work responsibly by working for them. Looking for junior underwriter positions, ideally within a fine art department, may be the best way to get into this area of work:
Organisations that implement (and potentially influence) government policy, make decisions on funding applications from museums, galleries and artists. Some examples:
Private companies, government bodies, local and national law enforcement organisations help advise on crime prevention and research restitution issues. Some examples:
Working at a local, national or international level:
There are many things you can do while studying at York to prepare for a career in legal services:
Find out more about the sector from theses multimedia resources.
supplied by Withers & Rogers LLP
You can use Shortlist.Me to prepare for job interviews. Try these interviews with employers working in legal services:
Find out more about interview prep on the Applying and interviewing pages.