One of the upsides of a period of time away from the treadmill of working or studying is that it gives you the chance to consider your future and what direction you want your career to go in. For many of you, a legal career has been the only career option you have considered since school and you may never have considered or explored alternative options. In truth, while the legal profession has not been shielded from the effects of the recession, the law degree, or qualification as a solicitor continue to be a desired qualification and will stand you in good stead in many other professions.
A law graduate, or solicitor, will develop a range of skills through their training and experience and these are attractive to employers from a variety of disciplines. Many careers are open to graduates of any discipline and a Scottish legal qualification will be attractive to a variety of employers because of the range of skills that a law graduate can offer. Skills you possess, such as communication skills (both written and oral), are fundamental to many careers, as is the ability to solve problems, work under pressure, manage time effectively and reach decisions quickly based on the facts before you. It may be worth considering, therefore, that a career outwith the legal profession, even for a short amount of time, can be an option that can utilise your valuable skills and provide you with experiences and opportunities you may not have expected.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of possible alternative employers:
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The Civil Service – law graduates or solicitors may be particularly attracted to the Inland Revenue, The Scottish Government, Customs and Excise or the Registers of Scotland. Each civil service department tends to carry out its own recruitment but the Scottish Government advertises most posts.
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Accountancy - this profession is open to graduates of any discipline and further study may be required. Further information is available from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland.
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Financial Services – opportunities may also exist in banking, building societies, insurance companies, stockbroking and related professions. A law degree or qualification can be an asset to these careers but will need to be combined with a high level of numeracy and business skills
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Industry and Commerce – many companies offer graduate training schemes and areas such as marketing, sales and management may be of interest. Another area to consider is that of Company Secretary
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Human Resources – knowledge of Employment Law is an asset in this area. Further study may be required to enter into this profession but it may be possible to do this while in employment.
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The media – a law degree and/or experience within the legal profession has obvious advantages for certain specialist areas of the media. There are several specialist legal publishers who recruit law graduates to their editorial staff.
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The Police – the police offer an accelerated promotion scheme for some graduates and knowledge of the law is of obvious value to the police force
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The Diplomatic Service – opportunities exist within the Diplomatic Fast Stream for graduates of all disciplines with at least a Second Class Honours Degree. Officers within the Fast Stream are involved in policy making
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Employment within the European Union - The European Commission sometimes advertises for law graduates to work within its directorates. Information will be available from your local European Commission Information Office. The Commission also offers placements lasting between 4 and 6 months in the European Parliament and Courts of Justice. Some knowledge of a European Language is usually required for these placements, called “Stages”.
You can read case studies of lawyers and law graduates who have moved into other areas here. Click on the following image to read the Case Studies:
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