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Perhaps you have aspirations to become a Partner in a law firm or picture yourself as the next Judge John Deed. But before you start practising your soliloquies and trying out a range of wigs and gowns, you need to start your career somewhere. And that means gaining invaluable experience from the ground upwards.
No one enters the legal sector at the top of their profession, if they did we’d all be doing it. So whether you are starting your new career as a newly qualified graduate or someone armed with a handful of GCSEs and ‘A’ Levels, here’s a quick look at the path your career could take in some of the most popular jobs within the legal profession.
Solicitors undergo an initial training period and upon qualification trainees become known as associates or assistants, depending on which title the employer uses. As they take on a greater degree of solicitors can then choose to continue dealing with a variety of legal issues or opt to specialise in certain areas such as employment law, tax or litigation, for instance. Thereafter the path is open to partnership which usually follows after around six years of so after qualification.
Barristers, à la Rumpole, are the chaps who don their wigs and gowns whilst presenting cases in court under instruction from a solicitor. Upon completion of your pupillage you must then apply for tenancy in an existing set of chambers where you assume the title of Junior Barrister. After that the path your career takes is down to you. For many barristers the ultimate ambition is to ‘take silk’ by becoming a Queen’s Counsel (QC) entering the judiciary as an assistant recorder prior to becoming a judge.
Legal Executives have to go through a minimal five-year qualifying period and having gained experience, many executives could end up running their own departments, supervising other legal executives and acting as support for solicitors. Some opt to undertake further study and become qualified as solicitors themselves.
Regardless of what role you take it is likely that you will start your career working for a large commercial law firm - many of which have operations throughout the UK and some overseas - as they are the one with the highest intake of new entrants each year. Smaller high street practices tend to recruit in response to the needs of the business whiles the Government Legal Service and local authorities also offer training contracts to newbies.
Wondering what to do now? Check out our expert career advice, find out more about the Legal industry or search for the latest Legal jobs.