Should I even try to qualify as a Solicitor?

loftypants

I graduated with a 2:1 back in 2008, right as the recession started, and didn't have many prospects at the time. I couldn't really afford (time and money) to qualify, and after a few years I just stopped thinking about it.

For that last few years I've (mostly) been doing **** job after **** job for no money, and I'm really sick of it. It's not even the lack of money that annoys me the most, it's the fact that nothing I'm doing matters. I'm working in jobs that require no education or training, and it's making me depressed.

I am in my mid-30's, I have a degree in computer science, a degree in law, and a masters in IP law. Is it even worth me studying for the FE1's? Do I actually have a real chance of getting an apprenticeship anywhere? Or, should I just forget about having a legal career?

NUTLEY BOY

loftypants wrote: »

I graduated with a 2:1 back in 2008, right as the recession started, and didn't have many prospects at the time. I couldn't really afford (time and money) to qualify, and after a few years I just stopped thinking about it.

For that last few years I've (mostly) been doing **** job after **** job for no money, and I'm really sick of it. It's not even the lack of money that annoys me the most, it's the fact that nothing I'm doing matters. I'm working in jobs that require no education or training, and it's making me depressed.

I am in my mid-30's, I have a degree in computer science, a degree in law, and a masters in IP law. Is it even worth me studying for the FE1's? Do I actually have a real chance of getting an apprenticeship anywhere? Or, should I just forget about having a legal career?

That is a very good academic grounding which would probably make you desirable property - professionally speaking - across a few specialisms.

There is only one way that you are going to find out if you have a potential legal career - just go for it.

The law has it's share of late vocations which allows those people to bring a lot of acquired knowledge to bear and makes them good practitioners.
You might consider the bar as well as the solicitor option.

Now would probably be a good time to get away from playing in those lower division jobs and to go for the first division.
The longer you play in the lower divisions the more deskilled you will probably become.

Hopefully, if you go for it you will find an element of self generating enthusiasm and motivation upon realising what is there.
It will be tough going but it would also be a shame to waste the qualifications that you have probably worked hard to acquire to date.

BTW if you qualify as a solicitor it does not mean that you are doomed to practice in a firm for the rest of days.
If you can add solicitor to your CV you might well find good opportunities in the private sector for that skill mix.

Mr. Incognito

Never too late to do what you want to do.

I was 32 when I qualified. I certainly was no where near the oldest either.

I'd sit the FE1s and try to get a training contract.

loftypants

NUTLEY BOY wrote: »

That is a very good academic grounding which would probably make you desirable property - professionally speaking - across a few specialisms.

There is only one way that you are going to find out if you have a potential legal career - just go for it.

The law has it's share of late vocations which allows those people to bring a lot of acquired knowledge to bear and makes them good practitioners.
You might consider the bar as well as the solicitor option.

Now would probably be a good time to get away from playing in those lower division jobs and to go for the first division.
The longer you play in the lower divisions the more deskilled you will probably become.

Hopefully, if you go for it you will find an element of self generating enthusiasm and motivation upon realising what is there.
It will be tough going but it would also be a shame to waste the qualifications that you have probably worked hard to acquire to date.

BTW if you qualify as a solicitor it does not mean that you are doomed to practice in a firm for the rest of days.
If you can add solicitor to your CV you might well find good opportunities in the private sector for that skill mix.

Most of my time has been wasted in call centres and stuff like that. I did have a stint working as an IT consultant in the UK (for a company with a horrendous reputation), and got some experience doing fraud detection for a major bank, but that's about the only real professional work I've done. I am an Oracle Certified Java Professional, but while I like programming as a hobby, I hated doing it in practice.

I really liked the idea of being a barrister when I was in college, but I don't have any money behind me. The reality of tuition fees, rent in Dublin, unpaid Devilling, etc, really put me off. If I knew I only had to do the BL, and would go work privately after that, I'd absolutely jump at the chance, but I'm not sure I'd be willing to take the financial risk at this stage.

I've managed to save a bit of money over the past few months, and I randomly saw a flyer for the FE1 prep course in Griffith a few weeks ago, and it's just been rattling around my brain since. I keep thinking "maybe I should give it a go", but I've been burned so many times I'm really apprehensive about it.

loftypants

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Never too late to do what you want to do.

I was 32 when I qualified. I certainly was no where near the oldest either.

I'd sit the FE1s and try to get a training contract.

I've been thinking about doing the Griffith FE1 prep course while working. I would definitely need the course, as I am quite rusty.

I mostly work nights at the moment, so I've loads of free time during the day to study, and it gets really quiet at work most nights, so I could study then too. I'd probably do 4 and 4. Not sure I'd wanna attempt all 8 in one go.

I'd just hate to have passed the FE1s and be in the same job this time next year going "well, that was a ****ing waste of time and money!" You know what I mean?

I'm not really looking to get into a top 5 firm or anything. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to work for one of them, but I'd take almost any offer that came my way just to get the qualification. It's just hard to look ahead positively at the moment.

Mr. Incognito

Why dont you look for a job as a legal executive somewhere.

https://www.lawsociety.ie/legalvacancies/

Plenty of them available and you will get to know the career as you as studying.

loftypants

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Why dont you look for a job as a legal executive somewhere.



Plenty of them available and you will get to know the career as you as studying.

It's something I've been considering, but I've only started thinking about it recently.

In the next few months I'd love to be sitting the FE1s and transitioning over to a position in a law firm.

I'd take any position really, just to get my foot in the door.

At the moment, I'm just not in a position to move to Dublin, which is where the majority of these jobs are.

LeVaterIzVet

I think you should absolutely consider sitting the Fe1s. Life's too short to find yourself wrestling with the "what-ifs". Get yourself your first 4 manuals and get cracking! The sooner you begin, the better. Realistically you have nothing to lose? Shoot me a message if you need help with anything.