The Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Law

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The Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Law sponsored by The University of Law

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Your non-law student hub

You don’t need a law degree to become a lawyer - visit LCN's non-law student hub!

Your non-law student hub

Education hub

Find your undergraduate or postgraduate law course

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Discover your options

Find out about the various legal apprenticeships on offer

Kickstart your career in law

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The Beginner's Guide to a Career in Law

Your essential first step to a career in law

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Key law career questions

Find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about a career in the legal sector

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Key law career deadlines

Discover several key events and deadlines that you need to diarise

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Reality check

Without wanting to detract from the exciting and challenging legal career on offer, here are some things to bear in mind

Beginner's Guide

First steps checklist

Here's what you can do even before you start university

First-year checklist

Find out what you should be doing in your first year at university as a law or non-law student

Meet the Lawyer

Read how today's lawyers went from student to qualified lawyer

Legal career paths

Take a look at our simple career timetable

Solicitor versus barrister

What's the difference and which career would suit you? Use this guide to get you started

Meet the Lawyer

Krishna Patel

Krishna Patel, managing associate at leading national law firm Stevens & Bolton LLP, shares details of his journey into the legal profession, his area of expertise and the type of corporate finance work he takes on, including M&A, and his advice for you. Read Krishna’s insights in this Meet the Lawyer profile.

Meet the Recruiter

Philippa Wilson

Philippa Wilson explains how Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) LLP’s vacation scheme is run, outlines the firm’s stance on the use of AI in applications, provides insights into what the firm is looking for from its future lawyers and more in this Meet the Recruiter profile.

Meet the Lawyer

Christopher Weale

Christopher Weale provides fantastic insights into life at Kirkland & Ellis International LLP, from the qualification process and his experiences as a trainee to his day-to-day work as a corporate/M&A associate.

Meet the Recruiter

Molly Hill

Graduate resourcing advisor Molly Hill offers a detailed and practical insight into the application process at leading City law firm White & Case.

Videos

See more videos

LawCareersNetLIVE London 2023: trainee panel

Five top tips for FIRST YEAR LAW STUDENTS

First steps for those considering a LEGAL CAREER

Masterclass | Legal apprenticeships

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Newcastle University

Law

Spring 2024

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Durham University

Law

Spring 2024

Vacation Scheme Insiders

University of York

Law

June 2023

The Law Apprenticeships Guide 2025

"Where should I start?"

Practice areas

Find out what life is like in practice

Becoming a solicitor

Find out what becoming a solicitor involves

Becoming a barrister

Find out what becoming a barrister involves

Becoming an in-house lawyer

Find out what becoming an in-house lawyer involves

Feature

Law fairs 2024: all you need to know

Law fairs are an important stage of the recruitment process, offering you the chance to meet recruiters, trainee solicitors and partners from the law firms you could be joining in the future. Find out more about the opportunities available in our guide to law fairs.

Ask the Oracle

How can I get work experience in my first year of university?

I’m a first-year student – how important is legal work experience and do you have advice for securing some?

LCN Says

Nadine Allen - The power of networking: your key to success in the legal profession

Nadine Allen

For aspiring lawyers, building a robust professional network isn’t just beneficial – it's essential.

About the legal sector

What lawyers do

Learn more about the branches of the legal profession, areas of law, and practice areas

Types of lawyers

Read our table of key facts to help you distinguish between the different types of lawyers

Paralegals

Find out about this distinct group of legal professionals

Work experience

Find out about the various work experience opportunities available for aspiring lawyers

News

Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca set to merge to form legal “powerhouse”

Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca are among the latest law firms to pursue rapid expansion by merging. The “powerhouse” merger will offer clients enhanced capabilities across practices and sectors, along with access to a broad geographic network.

News

England and Wales recognised as legal centre of the world in new Law Society report

England and Wales have been hailed as the leading legal centre for arbitration and commercial dispute resolution, with English law governing trillions of pounds worth of international transactions and deals.

News

Record-high prison population spurs emergency measures

The prison population in England and Wales has reached a record high, increasing by nearly 1,000 people in just one month. The number of jail sentences given to individuals involved in recent riots is said to have contributed to this spike.

News

Three-quarters of top 20 UK law firms now promote use of AI to clients

Larger law firms are more advanced in their integration and promotion of AI within their services compared to mid-tier firms, according to research from Thomson Reuters.

Beginner's Guide to a Career in Law

Beginner's Guide

Videos

"Where should I start?"

About the legal sector

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