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Best advice for a graduate

  • 25-05-2013 12:10pm
    #1
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭


    Hi I just graduated last week with a BCL in Law. I'm going to sit the Kings Inn entrance exam this coming August. I know its a waste of time since most people end up leaving after they qualify. SO what's the best advice you can give a Law graduate since it doesn't seem worthwhile qualifying here?


Comments

  • #2
    LowKeyReturn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 934 ✭✭✭LowKeyReturn


    Apart from use the search function?

    Bar - It's not most its a large proportion. I know some very happy people who are recently qualified and who are making a living. Granted the same living could be made in a call centre but as you get older you begin to realise money isn't everything.

    There is the 'other' legal route through Blackhall to be come a solicitor.

    You could do the necessary conversion courses and try and get into the bar in Northern Ireland. I hear, although it might be bollocks, that due to the limited number system (20/30 each year) barristers are all minted there.

    You could do a masters in practically anything and pursue that career path.

    You could look at going into the legal department or convert to HR.

    If you do remain in education in some form, engage with the careers services, intern and take any opportunity that presents itself. Firstly fir the work experience but secondly so you have some idea what you like or don't.


  • #3
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    Hi I just graduated last week with a BCL in Law. I'm going to sit the Kings Inn entrance exam this coming August. I know its a waste of time since most people end up leaving after they qualify. SO what's the best advice you can give a Law graduate since it doesn't seem worthwhile qualifying here?

    Well, what do you want to do?


  • #4
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    NoQuarter wrote: »
    Well, what do you want to do?

    I want to be wealthy.


  • #5
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    LowKeyReturn wrote: »
    Apart from use the search function?

    Bar - It's not most its a large proportion. I know some very happy people who are recently qualified and who are making a living. Granted the same living could be made in a call centre but as you get older you begin to realise money isn't everything.

    There is the 'other' legal route through Blackhall to be come a solicitor.

    You could do the necessary conversion courses and try and get into the bar in Northern Ireland. I hear, although it might be bollocks, that due to the limited number system (20/30 each year) barristers are all minted there.

    You could do a masters in practically anything and pursue that career path.

    You could look at going into the legal department or convert to HR.

    If you do remain in education in some form, engage with the careers services, intern and take any opportunity that presents itself. Firstly fir the work experience but secondly so you have some idea what you like or don't.

    That sounds like a plan


  • #6
    LowKeyReturn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 934 ✭✭✭LowKeyReturn


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    I want to be wealthy.

    ...AND YOU PICKED LAW! Thank you so much for brightening up my day!

    You need to get yourself a good MBA and get good at networking. A bright future as a CEO beckons.


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  • #7
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    I want to be wealthy.

    Enroll in a Trinity College masters degree.

    Then completely discard the masters because its probably useless anyway and buy numerous lotto tickets every single day and that is your best chance in law of becoming wealthy this day and age.


  • #8
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,549 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    Hi I just graduated last week with a BCL in Law. I'm going to sit the Kings Inn entrance exam this coming August. I know its a waste of time since most people end up leaving after they qualify. SO what's the best advice you can give a Law graduate since it doesn't seem worthwhile qualifying here?


    If you want to make lots of money and have already determined that its not worth your while qualifying here then don't qualify here.

    Maybe go to wherever you believe it would be worthwhile for you to practise as a lawyer and qualify there.


  • #9
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    johnnyskeleton wrote: »
    If you want to make lots of money and have already determined that its not worth your while qualifying here then don't qualify here.

    Maybe go to wherever you believe it would be worthwhile for you to practise as a lawyer and qualify there.

    Where would you suggest Johnny Skeleton, Australia, Canada?


  • #10
    LowKeyReturn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 934 ✭✭✭LowKeyReturn


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    Where would you suggest Johnny Skeleton, Australia, Canada?

    Australia depends on the state - conversion can be easy to very difficult.
    Canada (with the exception of BC so I'm told) you pretty much have to start again and be proficient in French.

    US is where the big money is - so long as 100 hour weeks appeal to you. The competition is fierce and you will be competing with US graduates of some top law schools in the world.

    Define wealthy - 100K a year?


  • #11
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    LowKeyReturn wrote: »
    Australia depends on the state - conversion can be easy to very difficult.
    Canada (with the exception of BC so I'm told) you pretty much have to start again and be proficient in French.

    US is where the big money is - so long as 100 hour weeks appeal to you. The competition is fierce and you will be competing with US graduates of some top law schools in the world.

    Define wealthy - 100K a year?

    ya about that


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  • #12
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,549 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    Where would you suggest Johnny Skeleton, Australia, Canada?

    I dunno. Saudi Arabia? Cayman Islands? PR China?

    I'm not sure that Australia New Zealand and Canada are significantly better for lawyer jobs than Ireland. The better paid jobs are often in places where no one particularly wants to live.


  • #13
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,549 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    ya about that

    There are 100k plus jobs in many places, including Ireland. Few of them are easy to get into and I would be amazed if any firm pays that to someone who is newly qualified, even in the US.


  • #14
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    johnnyskeleton wrote: »
    I dunno. Saudi Arabia? Cayman Islands? PR China?

    I'm not sure that Australia New Zealand and Canada are significantly better for lawyer jobs than Ireland. The better paid jobs are often in places where no one particularly wants to live.

    Will I have to go to Saudi Arabia to hand in my CV or are there specific search engines I can use to apply?


  • #15
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    Will I have to go to Saudi Arabia to hand in my CV or are there specific search engines I can use to apply?

    Aren't you wealthy enough already what with being from "The Rock"?


  • #16
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    NoQuarter wrote: »
    Aren't you wealthy enough already what with being from "The Rock"?

    Yes but I could be wealthier


  • #17
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    If your legal skills are anything like your crap trolling skills you wont be!

    2/10.


  • #18
    LordHaughHaugh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32 ✭LordHaughHaugh


    NoQuarter wrote: »
    If your legal skills are anything like your crap trolling skills you wont be!

    2/10.

    you already said that law isn't to way to go to accumulate wealth


  • #19
    NoQuarter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭NoQuarter


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    you already said that law isn't to way to go to accumulate wealth

    True. Maybe try investment banking, but you need a B1 in ordinary maths, are you good with numbers? ;)


  • #20
    johnnyskeleton
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 14,549 Mod ✭✭✭✭johnnyskeleton


    LordHaughHaugh wrote: »
    Will I have to go to Saudi Arabia to hand in my CV or are there specific search engines I can use to apply?

    To be honest, the extent of the advice I can give you is that if you're already certain there are no jobs for you in Ireland there is little point spending all that money on the kings inns. Likewise if you don't intend to do the ki course then don't spend your time and money on the exams.


  • #21
    impr0v
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,647 ✭✭✭impr0v


    johnnyskeleton wrote: »
    There are 100k plus jobs in many places, including Ireland. Few of them are easy to get into and I would be amazed if any firm pays that to someone who is newly qualified, even in the US.

    Prepare to be amazed, Monsieur Skeleton!

    A few of the London City firms - generally the London outposts of the major American operators - start their new meat on more than 100k euro. One (reputedly) pays 100k stg. (Linky)

    Starting salary at a white-shoe NYC firm is of the order of $160k, again in excess of 100k euro. (Linky - scroll down to the New York City section.) NYC firms pay better generally than other US cities to reflect the cost of living, but one can get similar salaries elsewhere. I believe that Austin, Texas, is a salary hotspot at the moment because of all the energy work and money, and because nobody wants to live in Austin, Texas. A $100k salary obviously goes a lot further there.

    Neither of the above figures includes bonus. In the US the culture used to be for a spring/mid-year bonus and a year-end bonus. In a slower market with less lateral hiring taking place, most have moved to year-end only. Again, most of the big factories adhere to a similar scale, with the pace traditionally set by a top-tier firm called Cravath Swaine & Moore - see here.

    If one is really after the big money - as the OP clearly is - one should wrangle a position as one of the forty odd clerks at the US Supreme Court and then join one of the above-described firms. That will reportedly get you a hiring bonus of the order of $250k to add to your generous starting salary (link).

    Unfortunately, and as someone else has intimated, US firms will expect one to earn the money. Billing two thousand hours is a good, but not a great year. Dublin big firm targets vary but are generally in the fourteen hundred to sixteen hundred bracket for junior and mid-level associates. A two thousand hour year is not a fun experience.

    Go get 'em, OP.


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