Legal career/solicitor??? Please help

Holmsie_95

I have a level 8 degree in journalism and Spanish but I want to pursue a legal career. I am already 23, I hate journalism and my only income is a part time job in a grocery shop, but I would be willing to take out a loan to complete solicitor training. My reason for choosing this career path is because I took a few law modules in university and loved them and did very well in them.
Should I:
(a) do a one-year level 6 course in legal studies, do the FE-1 exams and get a job as a paralegal/legal assistant for a few years. After a few years when I've saved some money and I'm certain this is the career I'd like to take, I can start my solicitor traineeship.

(b) study for the FE-1 exams straight away without getting a legal qualification and then try to get a solicitor traineeship (or paralegal/legal secretary etc if I can't)

Basically what I'm asking is:
1) Should I get some sort of legal qualification before sitting the FE-1s (I know that all you need is a level 8 degree in any discipline but would it make the exams more do-able and make it easier to get employment in the long run if I had a level 6 or 7 in legal studies)
2) Is it next to impossible to get a solicitor traineeship with just the FE-1s and an unrelated degree under my belt, would the level 6 or 7 in legal studies make me more employable, or be a waste of a year? (I am already 23).
3) Is it likely that I could get a paralegal/legal assistant role if I had all 8 FE-1s and a level 8 degree under my belt, despite having no legal degree or any relevant experience (alternatively, is it more likely I'd get this job with a level 8, a level 6/7 in legal studies and the FE-1s)
4) how difficult is it to get a paralegal/legal secretary/legal assistant/legal executive job etc etc nowadays with no relevant experience (BUT with FE-1s passed--and a possible level 6 certificate in legal studies)
5) WILL I GET ANY LEGAL JOB WITHOUT A LEGAL DEGREE???

Any help/advice/comments would be greatly appreciated as I am in a bit of a crisis at the moment.

Yoop_

1) Should I get some sort of legal qualification before sitting the FE-1s (I know that all you need is a level 8 degree in any discipline but would it make the exams more do-able and make it easier to get employment in the long run if I had a level 6 or 7 in legal studies)

If you're just looking for a legal qualification to make the FE-1s easier, I would recommend doing a preparatory course instead. It's not a qualification in itself but it would be very helpful for someone without a law degree as they give you homework, go through past papers, show you how to answer questions etc. Basically they're geared toward helping you pass. However, they are very expensive.

2) Is it next to impossible to get a solicitor traineeship with just the FE-1s and an unrelated degree under my belt, would the level 6 or 7 in legal studies make me more employable, or be a waste of a year? (I am already 23).

Plenty of solicitors have qualified without any kind of legal course so I wouldn't think a level 6 or 7 would affect your employability either way. The most important thing would be FE-1s and some legal work experience.

3) Is it likely that I could get a paralegal/legal assistant role if I had all 8 FE-1s and a level 8 degree under my belt, despite having no legal degree or any relevant experience (alternatively, is it more likely I'd get this job with a level 8, a level 6/7 in legal studies and the FE-1s)

To be honest, from my own experience, it would be unlikely you would get a paralegal or legal assistant role at all. It is extremely difficult to get paid work experience of that sort. A solicitor I worked for told me that I would not be paid; if I didn't like it, there were plenty more where I came from.

4) how difficult is it to get a paralegal/legal secretary/legal assistant/legal executive job etc etc nowadays with no relevant experience (BUT with FE-1s passed--and a possible level 6 certificate in legal studies)

It's probably slightly easier to get into that sort of position with the larger firms (A&L Goodbody, Arthur Cox, Mason, Hayes & Curran, etc.) because they advertise those jobs every so often. Smaller firms probably won't pay and won't be looking as often.
Also, legal secretaries and legal executives have their own qualifications and a specific skill set for that job. You'll have more luck with paralegal or legal assistant positions.

5) WILL I GET ANY LEGAL JOB WITHOUT A LEGAL DEGREE???

Of course you will. The most important thing is to have some work experience before you go looking for a training contract. And definitely try to get some work experience before you even think about committing to the cost. Liking a few law modules in college is one thing, the practice of law is another. I suggest contacting a few firms in your area to see if they will give you a week or so experience. Try to get work in as many firms as you can to see if there's one area of law that appeals to you in particular.

Holmsie_95

Yoop_ wrote: »

1) Should I get some sort of legal qualification before sitting the FE-1s (I know that all you need is a level 8 degree in any discipline but would it make the exams more do-able and make it easier to get employment in the long run if I had a level 6 or 7 in legal studies)

If you're just looking for a legal qualification to make the FE-1s easier, I would recommend doing a preparatory course instead. It's not a qualification in itself but it would be very helpful for someone without a law degree as they give you homework, go through past papers, show you how to answer questions etc. Basically they're geared toward helping you pass. However, they are very expensive.

2) Is it next to impossible to get a solicitor traineeship with just the FE-1s and an unrelated degree under my belt, would the level 6 or 7 in legal studies make me more employable, or be a waste of a year? (I am already 23).

Plenty of solicitors have qualified without any kind of legal course so I wouldn't think a level 6 or 7 would affect your employability either way. The most important thing would be FE-1s and some legal work experience.

3) Is it likely that I could get a paralegal/legal assistant role if I had all 8 FE-1s and a level 8 degree under my belt, despite having no legal degree or any relevant experience (alternatively, is it more likely I'd get this job with a level 8, a level 6/7 in legal studies and the FE-1s)

To be honest, from my own experience, it would be unlikely you would get a paralegal or legal assistant role at all. It is extremely difficult to get paid work experience of that sort. A solicitor I worked for told me that I would not be paid; if I didn't like it, there were plenty more where I came from.

4) how difficult is it to get a paralegal/legal secretary/legal assistant/legal executive job etc etc nowadays with no relevant experience (BUT with FE-1s passed--and a possible level 6 certificate in legal studies)

It's probably slightly easier to get into that sort of position with the larger firms (A&L Goodbody, Arthur Cox, Mason, Hayes & Curran, etc.) because they advertise those jobs every so often. Smaller firms probably won't pay and won't be looking as often.
Also, legal secretaries and legal executives have their own qualifications and a specific skill set for that job. You'll have more luck with paralegal or legal assistant positions.

5) WILL I GET ANY LEGAL JOB WITHOUT A LEGAL DEGREE???

Of course you will. The most important thing is to have some work experience before you go looking for a training contract. And definitely try to get some work experience before you even think about committing to the cost. Liking a few law modules in college is one thing, the practice of law is another. I suggest contacting a few firms in your area to see if they will give you a week or so experience. Try to get work in as many firms as you can to see if there's one area of law that appeals to you in particular.

Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I really appreciate it. I've read a lot of different and contradictory stuff online so I was very confused about the best route to take!

I was looking at the Griffith College prep course as it is only in the evenings four times a week and only lasts 14 weeks. However there is no price listed online, have you any idea roughly how much it costs?

So, in summary, your advice would be to do the FE-1s while also getting some unpaid work experience to see if this career is suited to me? Is it difficult to get legal work experience with no legal degree, even if it is completely unpaid?

Also, you think it is likely that I would get paralegal/legal assistant paid work once some or all of the FE-1s are completed? Would the 2:2 degree in journalism be of any advantage to me? (i.e. communications skills--I have done six months work placement in a newspaper)

Yoop_

Holmsie_95 wrote: »

Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I really appreciate it. I've read a lot of different and contradictory stuff online so I was very confused about the best route to take!

I was looking at the Griffith College prep course as it is only in the evenings four times a week and only lasts 14 weeks. However there is no price listed online, have you any idea roughly how much it costs?

So, in summary, your advice would be to do the FE-1s while also getting some unpaid work experience to see if this career is suited to me? Is it difficult to get legal work experience with no legal degree, even if it is completely unpaid?

Also, you think it is likely that I would get paralegal/legal assistant paid work once some or all of the FE-1s are completed? Would the 2:2 degree in journalism be of any advantage to me? (i.e. communications skills--I have done six months work placement in a newspaper)

No problem, happy to help.

The Griffith prep course is €395 per subject, or €350 if you do it online. They do offers as well if you're taking a few subjects. There are other colleges that do the prep courses as well and I imagine they'll also have different offers so you can see which suits you best.

Yep, I think it's best to get some experience while you're doing them. You might find it difficult at first; I had more luck with replies once I had a few passed. You also tend to get a bit more responsibility (not just photocopying ) when you've got a good few of them under your belt so you definitely get a real feel for whether it's right for you or not. I have a law degree and I didn't find it particularly difficult to get unpaid positions. I'm not sure how it is for someone without a law degree but I know of a couple of people who got work experience with an unrelated degree and without FE-1s either. It's definitely doable. I would suggest trying smaller firms first. Most people tend to flock to the larger firms because they pay well, but I've always had the best responses from small firms, sole practitioners etc.

Yeah, I think solicitors are a lot more likely to give people positions once they have a few FE-1s completed as it's less likely to be a waste of their time. Any degree is going to be advantageous and most skills gained from the completion of a degree are transferrable to other areas. You obviously have pretty good written communication skills. If you have worked with a newspaper you've come into contact with lots of different people. I imagine you're familiar with different IT systems. You're probably very good with deadlines and time-management and all that lovely stuff. Regardless of what degree you have, everyone has to get that first bit of legal experience where you're starting off from nothing.

Holmsie_95

Yoop_ wrote: »

No problem, happy to help.

The Griffith prep course is €395 per subject, or €350 if you do it online. They do offers as well if you're taking a few subjects. There are other colleges that do the prep courses as well and I imagine they'll also have different offers so you can see which suits you best.

Yep, I think it's best to get some experience while you're doing them. You might find it difficult at first; I had more luck with replies once I had a few passed. You also tend to get a bit more responsibility (not just photocopying ) when you've got a good few of them under your belt so you definitely get a real feel for whether it's right for you or not. I have a law degree and I didn't find it particularly difficult to get unpaid positions. I'm not sure how it is for someone without a law degree but I know of a couple of people who got work experience with an unrelated degree and without FE-1s either. It's definitely doable. I would suggest trying smaller firms first. Most people tend to flock to the larger firms because they pay well, but I've always had the best responses from small firms, sole practitioners etc.

Yeah, I think solicitors are a lot more likely to give people positions once they have a few FE-1s completed as it's less likely to be a waste of their time. Any degree is going to be advantageous and most skills gained from the completion of a degree are transferrable to other areas. You obviously have pretty good written communication skills. If you have worked with a newspaper you've come into contact with lots of different people. I imagine you're familiar with different IT systems. You're probably very good with deadlines and time-management and all that lovely stuff. Regardless of what degree you have, everyone has to get that first bit of legal experience where you're starting off from nothing.

Once again, thank you for your informative reply!!!

I'm a bit worried about the timeline and my age, considering I'm already 23. I obviously don't have enough time to study for the October FE-1s at this stage so I would have to sit them next March and October. I assume that would mean I'd have to wait until the following September to start PPC I?

That would put me at 25 starting the PPC I and then 24 months after that would put me at 28. I could be 30 before I get my life together and get a real job. That doesn't leave a lot of time for saving money, getting married, starting a family etc. Bear in mind I'm female so I'm going to need to be in a position where I'll have a proper job and be able to take maternity leave when I want to start a family.

I know it sounds silly worrying about all of that at 23 but how do young solicitors manage to give almost ten years of their lives between an undergrad degree and then all of the stuff that follows, and still manage to do all of the other stuff???

Zoinks

I'm a bit worried about the timeline and my age, considering I'm already 23.

You raise good points, but you're not alone. I'm pushing 30 (as are most of my peers, if not older) and am unlikely to have a cushy permanent job any time particularly soon. Time is an investment, and patience is rewarded.

Caveat though, I am neither a legal professional, or female, so our positions are different. That said, you're still very young, and you've got a professional plan! If you execute it in your suggested timeline you are still doing very well. 30 is not old, I hope, and still leaves plenty of time to start planning a family!

Yoop_

Holmsie_95 wrote: »

Once again, thank you for your informative reply!!!

I'm a bit worried about the timeline and my age, considering I'm already 23. I obviously don't have enough time to study for the October FE-1s at this stage so I would have to sit them next March and October. I assume that would mean I'd have to wait until the following September to start PPC I?

That would put me at 25 starting the PPC I and then 24 months after that would put me at 28. I could be 30 before I get my life together and get a real job. That doesn't leave a lot of time for saving money, getting married, starting a family etc. Bear in mind I'm female so I'm going to need to be in a position where I'll have a proper job and be able to take maternity leave when I want to start a family.

I know it sounds silly worrying about all of that at 23 but how do young solicitors manage to give almost ten years of their lives between an undergrad degree and then all of the stuff that follows, and still manage to do all of the other stuff???

No worries

Most people graduate college at 22/23. Some will then do a Masters. They might travel etc. A lot of people, unless they already have a training contract, don't go straight into the FE-1s after finishing final year. I was 22 when I did the FE-1s and I was definitely one of the youngest there. I know it doesn't help with your particular concerns but the age range of FE-1 candidates is early 20s to over 40s. There's a lot of people in the same situation with regard to being in their late 20s or older when they qualify. I used to feel terrible because a lot of my friends who did teaching or science or whatever, had 'proper' jobs really soon after graduating, and I was still studying away with qualification years away. If you really want the career, don't let the age issue put you off. Most solicitors spend their 20s with FE-1s, Blackhall, all that.

Just to make you aware; the FE-1s seem to have a high failure rate. It's possible to get them all done in two sittings, but it very often takes people three, four or even more sittings to pass everything. And you're right, if you pass in the October sitting you have to wait for the next year's PPC1. I would suggest allowing some leeway with your PPC start date as well. Obtaining a training contract is almost more work than the FE-1s. It's very hard to get one, although it seems to be getting easier now that firms have started hiring more again. There are more trainee positions being advertised than a year or so ago, so things might be looking up a bit. Just be prepared of a bit of a slog with getting a training contract. The FE-1s are 'valid' for five years after you pass all 8, so you have five years to get a training contract and get into PPC1.

Holmsie_95

Zoinks wrote: »

You raise good points, but you're not alone. I'm pushing 30 (as are most of my peers, if not older) and am unlikely to have a cushy permanent job any time particularly soon. Time is an investment, and patience is rewarded.

Caveat though, I am neither a legal professional, or female, so our positions are different. That said, you're still very young, and you've got a professional plan! If you execute it in your suggested timeline you are still doing very well. 30 is not old, I hope, and still leaves plenty of time to start planning a family!

Zoinks, long gone are the days of getting a nice job straight out of college unfortunately. Im assuming if you're almost 30 that you graduated bang in the middle of the recession so well done on making it this far! Good luck with your career and thanks for the reassurance