Reality check
It’s worth mentioning that a legal career is competitive and expensive. So, without wanting to detract from the exciting and challenging career on offer, here follows some food for thought…
Finances With more than £9,000 per year undergrad fees, plus postgrad study in 2024/2025 costing up
Academics There’s real competition for training contracts and pupillages. You must get strong grades from
to £19,950 for the LPC, up to £19,250 for the Bar course, and the new SQE assessments costing £4,790 from September 2024 (excluding the fees for preparation courses), the road to qualification isn’t cheap. In addition, some firms at the smaller end of the market may pay trainees no more than the national minimum wage. Your ability to afford the courses and a potentially low starting wage must be a factor in deciding whether to pursue law as a career. Keep an eye out for funding options – our ‘Finances’ page on LawCareers.Net has lots of information and advice.
your first year of university onwards. Your A-level grades are also important. However, many firms have adopted contextual recruitment to look beyond A-level grades to assess academic potential and identify candidates they may otherwise miss.
Time You must spend time researching firms/ chambers you like; planning how to get
experience; and filling out, refining and checking your applications. In every case, start early, have a schedule and be strict with yourself. Last-minute, rushed efforts are almost worse than no effort at all.
Online Set up a LinkedIn profile to connect with employers and other contacts and start to build up the
‘professional’ side of your social media presence. You can even learn about the profession and begin building your knowledge through Instagram, TikTok and X!
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