What is the best way for someone to get into legal work for corporations, NGOs, etc.?

Anonymous_Bosch

I have a bachelor's degree in a field outside of law but would like to get into the profession.

I have considered the diploma in legal studies from King's Inns with a view to completing the degree programme thereafter. Would this qualification be attractive to employers without having done devilling and so on? I don't have any interest in cape and gown and am more interested in acquiring the in-depth legal knowledge imparted during the course.

I'm also aware of a number of courses like the master's in legal science in NUI Maynooth and the PGDip Law in DIT. Are these qualifications attractive to potential employers?

Any information on this is happily accepted.

Edit: I should add that the job market at home is irrelevant; I live in Bangkok and am not tied to Ireland in any way so bear that in mind before telling me law is a bad career move.

Peregrinus

Well, I can' tell you anything about the the relative standing of Irish legal qualifications in the Bangkok job market!

You may not be tied to Ireland, but if you get an Irish legal qualification you are steering yourself towards a job in the English-speaking, common law, world. If you don't want that you should consider another profession, like accounting.

Having said that, if you are prepared to accept the limitations and would like to focus on working in the in-house lawyer sector, my feeling is that a professional qualification - barrister, solicitor - has a distinct edge, in an employer's mind, over an academic qualification like a masters or a postgraduate diploma.

As between the BL and the Solr, I think solicitor might have an edge over barrister, in the in-house world, but that's a more marginal thing. And in many non-Irish jurisdictions - Australia, the US - it's a distinction that they don't really have.

On the other hand, if you do get a BL or Solr qualification, of course its not a sufficient professional qualification for any jurisdiction outside Ireland, and there may be some degree of further work/study to be done or other hoops to jump through to be admitted in those other jurisdictions. And, even working in-house, it may be necessary for you to be professionally admitted in whatever jurisdiction it is that you end up working in.

nuac

Peregrinus has set it out well.

Most courses do not give "in depth legal knowledge". That takes gallons of midnight oil, and many years in office and/or court.

If you have the energy money and time for study, you are as well to qualify as a solicitor or barrister. Even if you land a job with some diploma or whatever you may find later that your employer is advertising for "Head of Legal Services" or similar - and that qualification in some jurisdiction as solir or barrister is required.

Good luck

Anonymous_Bosch

Thanks for the advice.

Do either of you know if people studying the diploma are eligible for free fees or grants?

Peregrinus

Anonymous_Bosch wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.

Do either of you know if people studying the diploma are eligible for free fees or grants?

No idea, I'm afraid.

nuac

Sorry no idea.

Check with the organisation providing the course or Susie

Cody Pomeray

Anonymous_Bosch wrote: »

Thanks for the advice.

Do either of you know if people studying the diploma are eligible for free fees or grants?

Kings Inns
Free fees, no.
Grants, yes, to partially offset fees.
There are a couple of bursaries in place if you're an exceptional applicant.

Similar for the Law Society I (tentatively) seem to recall. No idea about their bursaries, if any.