Practice area lowdown: a staggering variety of options

Of the many hundreds of lawyers I have interviewed over the years for LCN and TCPH, I've never once come across two that were leading identical lives, with identical working patterns. The difference between, say, a corporate tax partner in London and a criminal lawyer in Hull is immense. It is almost as if they were doing entirely different jobs – which, in a way, they are. And the key determinant is the type of law they practice or, in other words, their specialism.

Although, you can broadly divide lawyers into two groups – those who work for companies (ie, do commercial work) and those who act for individuals – the more you learn about the different branches of the profession, the more you realise that the choice of practice area is not a simple one. And not made any easier by the simple fact that the law you learn about at uni in lectures and exams is usually entirely different to the exploration of that law in practice. I can't tell you how many people have told me they were bored senseless by land law at uni, only to go on to do real estate as one of their seats, love it, and forge a successful career in that very same field.

The other thing to know about different practice areas is that there is great variety even within a single heading. Intellectual property is an excellent example – within that, you may find yourself dealing with trademarks, copyright, patents, design rights, technology, life sciences and more. On the contentious side, it could be about defending a patent from exploitation, bringing a claim for trademark infringement in an international court, or pursuing someone who has failed to pay an author his/her royalties. Taking a view of the non-contentious side, you could be putting together a deal on the rights to use a footballer's image on merchandise, advising on the necessary information for the registration of a new computer programme, or negotiating royalty deals between a musician and their record company bosses. The array of work and type of client (another key determinant in the experience of wildly different careers) is vast.

Another example – you may think you've got a pretty firm handle on what a family lawyer does (more so than, for example, someone specialising in debt capital markets). However, family lawyers deal with absolutely anything related to marriage, separation, divorce, cohabitation and legal issues relating to children. You may find yourself working on complex financial matters, such as those to do with inheritance and prenuptial contracts. Crime is another example – the gulf between defending someone accused of white-collar fraud and someone facing a murder charge is significant.

Today's Feature delves deeper still into why the practice area you plump for is important, while the Oracle looks at what it means if you think you've made a wrong turn and want to change. And for a look at some first-hand accounts of what it's like to practice in a particular area from those who are already doing it, go to our Solicitors' Practice Area and Barristers' Practice Area sections – we've got everything from administrative & public law to technology, media & telecommunications (A to T, if you will). As ever, the more you read and research, the more solid your ability to get to grips with what it is that floats your boat.

Finally, don't close your mind to areas that you think wouldn't be right for you – preconceived ideas will limit your options and experiences, and could mean missing out on the specialism of your dreams.