If you have ever found yourself saying ‘I’m
studying law but I don’t want to be a
lawyer’?, don’t panic. The competencies you
are developing during your law degree and
legal work experience are relevant in many
alternative careers. Analytical and research
skills, for example, are needed by not just
solicitors or barristers but most other
professions. Likewise, good communication
and problem-solving skills are directly
transferable to many careers including
management, town planning and consultancy
work. There are also roles where legal
knowledge as opposed to skills, is particularly
useful – such as HR or tax advisory work.
As company secretary Donald McPherson
recommends: 'Think of your legal
qualification as the start of your learning,
rather than the end of it – always grab
opportunities to learn new skills and broaden
your experience.’
1. Qualifying as a chartered/company
secretary
Company secretaries ensure organisations
comply with company law and regulations.
Their work includes maintaining records
about an organisation, preparing reports and
keeping directors up to date with legal
developments. They are likely to work with
directors and senior staff and may be
involved in planning, finance and arranging
insurance. Chartered secretaries are
experienced company secretaries who have
qualified through ICSA (the Institute of
Chartered Secretaries and Administrators).
Vacancies are advertised in the national
press and their respective websites, and
through specialist recruitment agencies.
Donald McPherson, company secretary at
Alliance Trust PLC, told TARGETjobs Law: ‘I
have found that a legal background provides
a framework for approaching issues
dispassionately and thinking through all the
implications before acting.'
2. A graduate role in the Civil Service Fast
Stream
The Civil Service Fast Stream offers
approximately 700 graduate vacancies each
year in a wide range of Civil Service
departments. Those who join the Fast Stream
are guaranteed a series of intensive job
placements designed to prepare them for
senior managerial positions. Fast streamers
move between projects and sections within
their departments and take up postings in
other departments and agencies. Application
is via an online process with an annual
deadline in early November, and recruiters
are looking for an ability to work under
pressure, attention to detail and commercial
awareness – all traits which are encouraged
on a law degree course.
3. A clerkship in the Houses of Parliament
A small number of clerkships are available in
the House of Lords. Clerks work in the
various offices of the House of Lords
administration; they give advice on practice
and procedure in the House and support
committee work – committee office clerks
organise inquiries and draft reports, for
example. Appointments are made via the
same Civil Service Fast Stream programme
described above. Other roles at the Houses of
Parliament are recruited separately and
vacancies are advertised in the national
press and their respective websites.
4. Joining the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
As well as its traditional work of collecting
tax, HMRC is responsible for making sure the
national minimum wage is properly paid,
paying tax credits and collecting student
loans. Graduates can apply for the
department’s graduate programme, which
offers a four-year training scheme leading to
accountancy, management or tax inspector
qualifications. To work in this field you’ll
need a logical mind and the ability to apply
the law to different scenarios. You’ll also
need an eye for detail and the ability to spot
inconsistencies.
5. Working as a tax consultant…
Sitting on the other side of the fence to the
HMRC, tax consultants offer advice to
businesses or private clients on particular tax
problems or ongoing cost-effective tax
solutions. Each year’s Budget brings with it
new legislation so a background in analysing
legal changes is useful. Tax consultancies,
including the Big 4 accountancy firms, seek
graduates in law as well as accounting, tax or
business. They look for evidence of problem
solving, persuasion, gaining the trust of
clients and organisational skills during their
recruitment process. Your law degree may
exempt you from some of the exams tax
practitioners sit to gain the professional
qualifications to become a tax consultant.
6. …or a chartered town planner
Planning is another career option
recommended for those with a law degree,
according to the Royal Town Planning
Institute (RTPI). You can qualify as a town
planner by taking a RTPI-accredited
postgraduate degree after any degree.
Attention to detail, communication and
negotiation skills are relevant in town
planning too.
7. A law degree can open doors in legal
publishing
Specialist legal publishers (both print and
online) often employ lawyers looking for a
change or seek applications from candidates
with a law degree. The editor of TARGETjobs
Law, for example, has a law degree and the
LPC, and came to TARGETjobs via roles as a
sub-editor, editor and then commissioning
manager at a legal publishing company.
There are a few training schemes available
and most posts will be advertised individually
when they become vacant. A background in
law nurtures good attention to detail, an
ability to write succinctly and good research
skills – all useful attributes in publishing.
Check out the Guardian’s media site and
investigate specialist recruitment agencies.
8. Investment banking and other ‘City’ careers
Intellectual rigour, diplomacy, stamina and
negotiation skills are all important in City
careers and can be demonstrated by law
students. The City is a honey pot for
graduates, with most graduate opportunities
found in investment banks (covering
corporate finance, markets, fund
management, private-client services, and IT
and operations), insurance broking and
accountancy. As with many graduate roles,
City careers involve a stringent recruitment
process. Application deadlines differ and
you’ll need to be prepared for interviews,
assessment centres and online testing. Read
our investment banking and finance advice
to help you narrow down your options.
Georgina Davidson, investment banker at
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International,
explained in an interview with TARGETjobs
Law: ‘My law degree gave me transferable
skills that I didn’t even know I had.
Experience of debating and mooting at
university gave me confidence when giving
presentations and speaking to clients. Being
able to anticipate both sides of an argument
is useful when recommending a stock.’
9. A graduate job as a management consultant
Legal knowledge is useful for many areas of
consulting. Management consulting requires
analytical thinkers who can work with
everyone, from the chief executive to the
operative, to help an organisation achieve its
objectives or implement substantial changes
to its working practices. Good research skills
are essential in consulting: your clients
expect you to get up to speed with their
industry and business in record time. While
some consultancies recruit continuously,
many have application deadlines between
October and December – see the employers
listed in our consulting section to apply.
10. Insurance roles, particularly in loss
adjusting
Loss adjusters are called in by insurance
companies to verify claims. Graduates can
enter loss adjusting careers with many
degree backgrounds , although some
employers such as GAB Robins tell us that
they particularly welcome applicants from a
law background. Many of the skills developed
on a law degree and during legal work
experience transfer well to this field: having
an eye for detail; an analytical mind; good
negotiation skills; and being good with
people from all walks of life.
11. Compliance officer: ensuring organisations
comply with rules and regulations
Compliance officers take care of a company’s
financial conduct (ensuring it complies with
regulations and principles) and its reporting
(providing financial information to the
regulator). Read our graduate area of work
on regulation and compliance and you’ll see
that graduates can find compliance work
with all types of finance organisations as well
as some solicitors’ firms. Most employers
prefer a numerate, business or law-based
degree.
12. Management training in a range of sectors,
including retail
Large corporate and financial organisations
offer a variety of management training
schemes. General management training might
involve spending time in different
departments including human resources
(HR), general management (at branch or
department level, for example), and sales and
marketing. More specialist programmes cover
financial management and IT. There is often
the opportunity to work towards professional
qualifications, such as a Chartered Institute
of Management Accountants (CIMA)
qualification. Visit the TARGETjobs employer
hubs to research potential employers and
make applications.
https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/law-solicitors/420106-twelve-jobs-you-can-do-with-a-law-degree

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