Lucy - BQ Magazine EditorAre you looking for a new career? Maybe you’re opting for a mid-life career switch, or perhaps you’re a student considering their future job. In either case, you’ve undoubtedly stumbled upon the legal sector. You’ve liked the look of legal jobs for some time, and the prospect of being a lawyer intrigues you. Many people enjoy successful careers in this industry, though it’s important to know what a typical career path looks like.
Career paths help you map out your possible future and see where a certain career can take you. The good news is that legal careers tend to be full of new and exciting opportunities – so let’s look at what might be in store for you!
Extensive legal education
Like most jobs, before you think about advancing your career, you need the relevant education. For lawyers, this will involve a specific law degree from a recognised university, followed by at least one specialised training course. The exact course you take depends on what type of lawyer you want to be, and it also involves on-the-job training. Most lawyers spend time as paralegals while completing their post-degree qualifications.
Become a trainee solicitor
Before you become a fully-fledged lawyer, you’ll need to be a trainee solicitor. This allows you to work full-time at a legal firm and develop your understanding/experience of the field. You won’t be given full control of cases, though you will provide lots of assistance to the solicitors there.
Upgrade to an associate solicitor
After finishing your time as a trainee solicitor, you upgrade to an associate. As a result, you’re qualified to apply for a host of legal jobs. Use a legal recruitment specialist like Origin Legal to find appropriate jobs in your dream area. Your job will be a lot more serious, and you’re likely to work one-on-one with more clients. Who knows, you may even have a trainee solicitor under your wing!
Become a senior associate solicitor
After working as an associate and proving yourself for a few years, you may be approached to become a senior associate solicitor. This gives you more responsibilities and often lets you focus on one specific aspect of the law. As the title suggests, it’s a more senior position, and so you’re paid a lot better. Glassdoor reports you could earn close to £70,000 a year in this role.
Advance to partner status
Finally, you reach the pinnacle of a legal career: becoming a partner. It’s the main goal for all lawyers, as you part-own the legal firm. This puts you in charge of everyone and means you handle all of the biggest cases. Most partners earn over a hundred thousand pounds every year, so it’s a highly lucrative role.
And that’s it; after achieving a partnership, there’s nowhere else for you to grow. The cool thing about this career path is that it’s pretty highly achievable. Granted, not every solicitor will become a partner, but most can work their way from paralegal to trainee to associate and then senior associate. It’s something to think about when choosing your career – if you want one with a guaranteed growth and development system, then perhaps the law is right for you.