Options for Mature Student with a Law Degree

jacknife

I'm hopefully due to graduate this year with a law degree done part time. I initially started the study of law to help me with a situation i was in, and to be honest it did and i learned a lot and did a lot of charity work along the way.

I'm in my late 40's in a E60k a year job with a family.

The solicitor route is not an opinion due to age, i was thinking about the Kings Inns route, there is the cost for a start and after lots of thinking i cant help wondering is there much work at the bar for a newly qualified barrister?

I was thinking about doing a postgrad and seeing from there before i make the investment i want to be sure that i can get a return and a job at the end.

What other options are available for a law graduate besides the lawyer route, i would love to do some part time lecturing, most of the part time academics are also lawyers

Can anyone offer guidance or advice

Thanks

hullaballoo

I don't understand why you've discounted becoming a solicitor because of your age. Ok, you will be unlikely to get into the top 5 firms if that's what you're after but there are plenty of small and medium firms who do not have the same hiring policies in relation to trainees etc.

The bar is a long haul and is overcrowded. There is simply not enough activity in the courts to justify the numbers qualifying and it has been that way for a long time now. Outside of a handful of people who have contacts ready and willing to brief an inexperienced barrister, there really is no way to hit the ground running at the bar. Specialising is not a silver bullet but it helps if you have some particular niche that has a gap in the market. Unfortunately, most of these niches are desperately dull.

It used to be the case that if you made it past around 3-5 (and later, 7) years without bankrupting yourself, you would probably be ok but that has changed for a number of reasons - further saturation of the market and less economic activity (which has a delayed impact on litigation lawyers for reasons too varied to discuss here) meaning less work available. You would have to be prepared for 10+ years (particularly if the trends continue and there is no sign of abatement) of penury unless you hit it extremely lucky early on.

You will obviously be giving your decision a great deal of thought and are probably only just putting out feelers at the minute to help guide you but if I was in your position, I would be looking very studiously at the employment market and seek out others with experience of taking to both professions at your age or similar and listen to their stories.

Really Interested

jacknife wrote: »

I'm hopefully due to graduate this year with a law degree done part time. I initially started the study of law to help me with a situation i was in, and to be honest it did and i learned a lot and did a lot of charity work along the way.

I'm in my late 40's in a E60k a year job with a family.

The solicitor route is not an opinion due to age, i was thinking about the Kings Inns route, there is the cost for a start and after lots of thinking i cant help wondering is there much work at the bar for a newly qualified barrister?

I was thinking about doing a postgrad and seeing from there before i make the investment i want to be sure that i can get a return and a job at the end.

What other options are available for a law graduate besides the lawyer route, i would love to do some part time lecturing, most of the part time academics are also lawyers

Can anyone offer guidance or advice

Thanks

Solicitor route unless it's top 5 firm do not expect to exceed 60k for at least 5-10 year if you are lucky.

The bar I am assuming still have the 2 year part time BL degree so you can stay working. The problem will be deviling year expect it to cost 3k and earn 500 the vast majority will tell you to hope you will earn more than 60k after 10 years.

Mr. Incognito

Law is overcrowded.

That's the truth of it.

Anyone thinking that barristers or solicitors are cleaning up is misguided.

If you are interested in the law continue your studies.

If you want to qualify and practice as a solicitor or barrister you will need three to five years to invest and another five years or so before you get back to where you are now financially.

The bar off the bat is insane. Unless you have substantial savings, family connections or support then you are in for a tough time. It is a meritocricy down there however. People are judged by their peers on ability not means or social standing. The modern route for a lot of barristers is to qulaify, wash out and change to being solicitors. Some solicitors practice, build contacts and then go to the bar.

It's a crap shoot really.

Having said all that, God I love my job. It's so varied and interesting and really is mental gymnastics.