Alternative job opportunities in law

If your search for that elusive training contract has yet to come to fruition, or you are undecided whether you want to spend your long-term future working as a lawyer, then it is important to first remember that there are still a range of other career options available within the law and outside the law, such as in commerce and industry. Legal careers come in all shapes and sizes, so it's crucial to figure out what and where will offer you the most career satisfaction 

Law graduates are extremely valued by employers, largely due to the portfolio of transferable skills that are developed whilst studying this discipline. So what opportunities are there available? 

Paralegal

Paralegals are employed on either temporary or permanent contracts. Paralegals often undertake a wide range of tasks and are generally recruited into specific departments. The work a paralegal undertakes can vary from legal research to proofreading legal documents, drafting and preparing agreements and organising trial bundles. Paralegals at some firms will do similar work to trainees, but much of the work will largely revolve around due diligence and elements of investigation and discovery, document management; involving heavy administrative duties and logistical tasks, such as filing documents, photocopying, facilitating efficiency and providing support for lawyers during transactions. 

Becoming a paralegal is a good way of getting the type of legal experience that will help you decide whether you are suited to a career in law, and the experience at a law firm will add value to your CV by increasing your marketability to prospective future employers. Students who do not manage to secure a training contract by the end of their studies could perhaps consider working as a paralegal as well. You may consider this as a way to use and develop your legal skills and find out if you really enjoy a particular area of the law. 

It is not uncommon for people who have worked as paralegals to be subsequently offered training contracts at the law firm where they work. At some of the largest city firms, we came across a number of trainees and associates who managed to get themselves noticed by impressing some of the partners they had undertaken work for while working as paralegals. If you decide to apply to a firm where you are "paralegalling", the firm will still require you to apply through the standard channels, i.e. application form, assessment day, case study and interview. 

A word of warning; becoming a paralegal is a not a panacea to securing a training contract. We spoke to some paralegals that had been rejected for trainee positions at their firms, due to the firm's policy of not recruiting paralegals from within the firm's ranks. The onus on the student wanting to apply for a training contract through paralegal work experience is to research the prospects of eventually becoming a trainee at the firm first, so that accepting a job offer does not necessarily frustrate or delay your ambition to qualify as a solicitor. 

Some people enjoy their role as paralegals a great deal and decide to make it their long-term career. Paralegals in large City and US firms earn good salaries and have good opportunities to work overtime at an increased rate of pay. If you decide to paralegal as a possible career option, acquiring work experience is the key to boosting your prospects of employment. 

Paralegals are usually required to be law graduates (or those who have converted to law) who have also completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Vocational Course (BVC). The National Association of Paralegals also offers a post graduate diploma in paralegal practice, which is a formal paralegal qualification. You should carefully research the paralegal qualifications available and speak to recruiters first in order to get an informed and balanced view before deciding whether to undertake a formal paralegal qualification. 

Our Top Tip: You can apply to firms who take on paralegals through speculative applications or through recruitment agencies. If you decide to make speculative applications, ensure that you find out the name of the person who deals with paralegal recruitment before applying. In addition, there are numerous paralegal agencies who will register suitable candidates. 

• For further information on paralegals - click on our Hays Legal guide on the paralegal market (PDF)

 

• Please contact Hannah Jackson, a senior recruitment consultant at Hays Legal specialising in placing paralegals if you are interested to find out more about the opportunities currently available in the market. Hannah.Jackson@hays.com

 

Outdoor Clerk

The work of an Outdoor Clerk involves assisting lawyers by preparing court documents and delivering them to court, attending hearings and visiting clients. Much of the work is litigation-based, so is a possible means for future litigation lawyers to gain experience clerking. You can normally secure these positions through legal recruitment agencies. 

Legal Executive

Legal executives are legally qualified professionals, but the training and qualifications are different to conventional solicitors, although in many respects their jobs can be very much similar. Qualified legal executives provide support to solicitors and do fee earning work that is charged to clients making a direct contribution to the income of a law firm. Legal executives earn generally less than Solicitors do, but we know experienced executives working at leading City law firm's earning in excess of £45,000.

Legal Executives can work in private practice, local government or in-house positions, and normally specialise in Conveyancing (Property sales and purchases), Civil litigation (such as Personal Injury; Debt recovery; Housing; Employment) and Criminal litigation, Family law and Private client (such as wills and probate).

One benefit of choosing the ILEX qualification is that you can earn while learning. Students have to pass the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) examinations in order to qualify as a legal executive. The qualification is recognised throughout England & Wales, and law graduates are exempt from the academic parts of the ILEX professional training and qualification. In addition, aspiring legal executives will need to complete a qualifying employment period of a minimum of five years in order to qualify.  Also see ILEX's website for further details on this route into the legal profession www.ilex.org.uk. 

Legal Executive lawyers have the option to become solicitors in one or two years after becoming Fellows (successfully qualifying as a legal executive) and are usually exempt from the training contract graduates must complete to qualify as solicitors. However, new emerging rights means that the role and standing of Legal Executive lawyers and solicitors is moving ever closer. 

For more information on Legal Executives - click on our Hays Legal guide 

 Company Secretary

The title is often mistaken for a clerical role as opposed to a managerial or professional role. A Company Secretary will help the company to implement the developments and new legislation in company law and will deal with much of the corporate filings in relation to the company. They will be responsible for making sure directors comply with their obligations and that shareholders are kept updated. It is generally a varied role which will involve corporate governance, insurance arrangements and executive share schemes and also dealing with confidential information. This role will provide valuable commercial exposure. In order to progress to a successful career you will be required to pass the ISCA exams to get chartered status. 

For more information check out the website of the Chartered Institute of Company Secretaries: www.icsa.org.uk