Reality check
updated on 05 September 2025
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 undergraduate fees, plus postgraduate study in 2025/26 costing up to £20,085 for the Bar course, and the new Solicitors Qualifying Exam assessments costing £4,908 from September 2025 (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.
Academics
There’s real competition for training contracts and pupillages. You must get strong grades from your first year of university onwards. Your A-level grades are also important. However, many firms have adopted contextual recruitment systems like REALrating to look beyond A-level grades to assess academic potential and identify candidates they may otherwise miss.
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! Follow LawCareers.Net on these platforms to get started.
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.
