My journey to law as a career changer and mature candidate

Here’s the thing about a law career in the City – the general rule is that you (or mum and dad) will decide in your youth that you’re going to be a solicitor. You’ll attend a good school; captain the rugby team; go to a great university; join the mooting group; pass your exams at the top of your class; add a sprinkle of pro bono; a dash of training contract and Bob’s your uncle – a solicitor is born! 

But what if you spend all of that time doing something completely different? What if you study, say, media, and get a career behind the camera in television, go backpacking around the world and then, once you’re well into your thirties, decide that you want to work in law? Well, you package all of that up and sell it as experience (and some wrinkles) that sets you apart from the crowd. 

It’s not all easy though; there are challenges along the way. Here are some of mine…

1. Taking the plunge

The first step is to be absolutely sure it’s what you want to do, because it’s a long road ahead. For me, it was an early midlife crisis. I was earning decent money as a researcher in television (one step away from producer). I’d spend my days running around random locations with a bag full of tapes on my back and a tripod under my arm, working on reality TV shows such as Big Brother and Britain’s Next Top Model. Then, in my early thirties, I started to get a niggly feeling that I wasn’t really doing anything worthwhile. So in true prime-time drama style, I dropped everything. I got a relatively low-stress job in a marketing company to tide me over while taking the GDL in the evenings.   

2. Opening your heart to the “L” word

I didn’t take to law at first. It went way over my head and I predicted failure in all of my exams. Then one day… it just clicked! I suddenly realised what it was all about. By ‘it’, I don’t just mean the GDL, I mean life in general. I know that sounds over the top, but bear with me. 

When you think about it, law finds its way into every aspect of our lives. Understanding law means understanding your life, your rights, the way things work and the reasons behind all of the things you had never even questioned before. I’d argue this has a greater impact on a person entering law in their mid-thirties as opposed to a 22 year old who has barely experienced life. For me, it was like taking off sunglasses and seeing things clearly for the first time. I was hooked.    

3. Not being afraid of the deep end

I was hired as a paralegal for US law firm Morrison & Foerster LLP. Going from wearing flip flops on the job and interviewing Z-list celebs to wearing a suit and greeting clients is not easy. I’d sit in these meetings with the blood rushing to my head while trying to understand people who may as well have been speaking another language. But don’t be dissuaded, because this shock to the system will keep you on your toes and become the point at which you will learn the most. If you can relax and enjoy the ride, it can also be one of the most rewarding periods of your life. 

4. Starting a family

This is generally more of a challenge for women who may feel pressured to decide between a career and babies. Well, I’m a single gay man who had a son with a surrogate, so I had a few bumps on my road too! But that’s a whole different article... The point is that when you embark on a new career at this age, you need to reassess your options. 

I knew a training contract in any City firm was bound to mean all-nighters on a regular basis and I had to accept that I was no longer at that point in my life. I discovered a new route via the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) whereby a person could complete the vocational stage of training with CILEx law school. Then, the ‘industry stage’, which would conventionally be achieved with a training contract, could be completed by working in law for three years in a CILEx-approved capacity, for example, as a paralegal or in a similar law-oriented role. This qualifies a person as a Fellow of CILEx and then, upon subsequent completion of the LPC, as a solicitor. 

The rationale behind this relatively new path is that work experience gained in non-solicitor legal roles is often as in-depth as experience gained through trainee work, thereby counting towards legal training. This was the best option to becoming qualified without all of the sharp elbows and late nights, but still getting a bit more time with my son.   

5. Being open minded about the future

I think the point to take away from this is that there are other options out there for us ‘mature’ folks. They’re not ideal – I work during the day, study during the night and don’t see my son anywhere near as much as I’d like. But I suppose the trick is to stay focused and keep your eyes on the prize. 

In taking the CILEx route, having a GDL under my belt meant that I could jump to the Graduate Fast-Track Diploma, which I completed in two years. I am now 38 years old, dad to a beautiful baby boy, a graduate member of CILEx and in the process of completing my final year of qualifying employment while simultaneously studying the LPC. If all goes according to plan, I’ll be a Fellow of CILEx and qualify as a solicitor next year – not bad for an old man!