Legal Recruitment

A law student in the UK typically has to study for up to 3 years to get his or her law degree and one year for completing the LPC. It is a quite expensive and time consuming process. After going through this expensive academic process, the prospective solicitors start their hunt for the training contract. For this they rely on various recruitment agencies and legal vacancies published in newspapers and magazines. But at present scenario a 2:1 at degree makes solicitors eligible for training contracts. Law graduates, who do not fulfill this condition, may find it difficult to get a training contract.

Training contracts are now mostly awarded to prospective solicitors two years in advance. Moreover, legal firms have more options and they can now pick the best. In this scenario, it has become mandatory for solicitors to get work as paralegal. It means that it will take a solicitor another 2 to 4 years after graduating to actually start a training contract. A paralegal job outside London can get anything between £15-20000 per annum. But it will take you a number of years to get £20-30000 per annum and that too depends on the area of law he or she is practising.

So what does a prospective law student should analyze in this situation? One can say for certain that to study and make a striking career in law is not for those, who are faint hearted. You have to expend a lot of money in law colleges and put in tremendous effort to complete with fellow graduates. It is better to look for other areas in law, which pay better and have plenty of vacancies. Corporate and commercial law and commercial litigation are such areas. A recruitment agency can better tell which area you should choose after going through your credentials.