JobsAndCareers_Winter2021/22 - 213

LEGAL
" Solicitors act for a client,
whether they are an individual
or an organisation, on a
massive range of legal issues
from divorce to debt recovery.
You could work in a private
practice, a commercial
office or for the CPS "
Wellness in
the legal sector
Working in the legal profession
can be fulfilling and financially
rewarding, but it does come
with challenges
What qualifications do I need? You'll need a degree (2:2 or
above), either an approved law degree or a degree in another
subject, followed by the common postgraduate examination/
postgraduate diploma in law (CPE/PGDL). There are then two
more steps to qualification. Firstly, a vocational step to achieve the
bar professional training course (BPTC), which takes one year
full-time or two years part-time. Finally, barristers take what's called
a pupillage: one year working in an approved legal environment.
How much can I earn? Barristers doing pupillage earn a
minimum of £16,601 outside of London, or a minimum of £18,960
a year in London, although some chambers will offer substantially
more. Within a few years, you could earn up to £200,000,
depending on what sector you're specialising in. Working in the
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will land you from between
£27,393 to over £70,000 a year with experience. Top barristers in
private practice can earn in the region of £750,000 or more,
although most earn substantially less!
SOLICITOR
Solicitors act for a client, whether they are an individual
or an organisation, on a massive range of legal issues from
divorce to debt recovery. You could work in a private practice,
a commercial office or for the CPS, deciding whether cases
should go to court. You'll give legal advice, research new cases,
write legal documents, liaise with other legal professionals
and represent clients in court. Working hours are usually long,
especially when it's busy, or you're dealing with a tough case.
What qualifications do I need? If you have a law degree, you
can take the legal practice course in England and Wales, and
the diploma in professional legal practice in Scotland. If you
have a degree in another subject, you can take the CPE/PGDL
in England and Wales, or an accelerated degree in Scots law. If
you're not a graduate, you can join the Chartered Institute of Legal
Executives (CILEx) and qualify while working in the profession.
How much can I earn? The average trainee solicitors wage
is between £18,000 and £35,000 outside the capital and up to
£48,000 if you're working in London. Starting salaries for newly
qualified solicitors in larger city law firms range from £50,000
to £70,000, with some law firms paying up to and in excess of
£100,000. Starting salaries in regional law firms and high-street
practices tend to be slightly lower, ranging broadly between
£22,000 and £45,000-plus. A partner at a law firm can expect to
earn from around £100,000 per year. Depending on the size and
type of law firm, this figure could exceed as much as £1,200,000.
Right from the start of your legal
career, you'll be competing with
your peers for placements and jobs.
And when you land a role, the stress
of deadlines is never far away. The
practice of billing clients by the hour
means those who stay in the office
the longest get the highest rewards
and most recognition, plus clients
often expect you to be available at
all times too, responding to their
queries without delay and out of
hours. Your caseload can also be
emotionally challenging, especially if
you work in family or criminal law.
To help legal eagles cope with
the stresses and strains and
promote good mental health, many
practices have in-house wellbeing
programmes. For those who don't
feel comfortable talking to their
employer's HR team, Lawcare, an
independent charity that supports
the legal community (lawcare.org.uk)
has a helpline and live chat service.
Run by trained staff and volunteers
who have worked in the law and
understand the demands of legal
education, training and practice,
the charity offers practical support
to anyone working in the law
who is concerned about their
mental health and wellbeing.
Find out more
* Chartered Institute of
Legal Executives cilex.org.uk
* Civil Mediation Council
civilmediation.org
* Institute of Legal Secretaries
& PAs institutelegalsecretaries.com
* Institute of Paralegals
theiop.org
* The Law Society
lawsociety.org.uk
jobsandcareersmag.com /// JOBS & CAREERS /// 213
http://lawcare.org.uk http://cilex.org.uk http://www.civilmediation.org http://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com http://www.theiop.org http://lawsociety.org.uk http://www.jobsandcareersmag.com
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