From Marketing to Law- Crazy?

GiraffeStyle

Hi All

I know there's probably been a lot of threads in the past with similar queries but I can't find a thread with specific answers to my question so I'm hoping someone could help me out.

Long story short, I'm a marketing professional, working in a permanent, reasonably high level and very secure role for 4 years. I studied Arts for two years in university but I never completed my degree.

Basically I have wanted to work in the legal field for a very long time and I've finally decided that now is the time to make a move. Ideally I want to qualify as a solicitor. I know it will be a very long process but I'm committed to doing it.

My question is, what is the best way for me to start making this happen? I know the party line of Blackhall Place, do prelim exam, FE1s, training contract etc but my question is: how feasible is this for someone in my position, ie without any legal qualifications or experience?

If someone could give some advice, or even say that's madness forget it, I'd really appreciate it. Also, I'd really prefer to not commence an undergraduate LLB as that will stretch the process out another 3/4 years, but if that's what it would take...

Mr. Incognito

Anyone with any degree can sit the Entrance exams. They are about a hundred a pop and there are independent learning courses you can take.

Getting the exams is a pain but manageable with work.

The tricky bit is securing an apprenticeship after the exams. Here your marketing and real life experience will definetly be a plus.

You could do the FE1s while holding down a job and decide at the end of that one/ two year process as hopefully the market would have picked up by then.

Being a solicitor is a good job but its long hours, the money is not mega and it really is a dedication. You have to want to do it

GiraffeStyle

Thank you for your reply. It's good to hear that a lack of legal background won't be an unsurmountable obstacle.

234

Many trainees in the larger corporate law firms did not do law at university. Most of what they do is rather removed from the first principles type of teaching you get in college.

Professional experience will always be a plus.

There's not really much to do apart from working towards the Preliminary Exam and the FE1s and see how it goes.

If you are working full time then it probably won't be feasible to do internships, but you might be able to get in touch with some of the firms or any solicitors you happen to know professionally or personally who could give you tips on how to show an interest in the profession at this stage so that in interviews you would have something to talk about other than learning about contract law in your spare time.

stringy

Worked in Marketing for 8 years (successfully), decided to give in to the niggling "what if..", and became a barrister.

Do I regret it? Sometimes. Am I glad I did it? Yes.

PM me if you want.

Manach

In parallel the OP might try one the night courses that give grounding in the law and lead to Diploma/Degree. It would provide a foundation for what the law is like and get into contact with others heading down the same path.

FreudianSlippers

I think people have sufficiently touched on the "how-to" above and I agree with the majority of it.

Perhaps the other question is the "should I?" - I've worked as an in-house lawyer for a few years and I would find it exceptionally difficult to go work as a trainee in a firm to be completely honest with you. I'm not sure what kind of hours marketing professionals work, but trainees at top 10 firms are not infrequently sending me emails at 11pm when I'm at home enjoying a tipple.

Only you can decide whether you want to give up relative job security and your salary to take a financial step back in order to do something you feel you want to do.