The Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Law

Welcome

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

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First-year opportunities

Find out which firms have open days and insight schemes for first-year students

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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

Visit the Education hub

Discover your options

Find out about the various legal apprenticeships on offer

Kickstart your career in law

Welcome First-year opportunities Your non-law student hub Education hub Discover your options

Kickstart your legal career with these upcoming events!

LawCareersNetLIVE 2025 – the prestigious legal conferences

Apply now for a chance to network with top law firms in London, Manchester or virtually this winter!

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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 Recruiter

Laura Hartigan

Find out what Shoosmiths’ emerging talent team is looking for in its new Discover programme for underrepresented groups, how the firm is adopting the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and Laura’s advice for those contemplating a career at the firm.

Meet the Lawyer

Ugo Ebhogiaye

Experience, whether legal or not, is invaluable Ugo Ebhogiaye, an associate at Trowers & Hamlins LLP, tells us. Learn about Ugo’s time as a paralegal, her remote placement in Oman during the pandemic and what her role as chair of the firm’s Race Ethnicity and Heritage Network involves.

Meet the Lawyer

Elizabeth Zang

Associate Elizabeth Zang explains what life as a cyber and tech lawyer involves, the variety of her work and her advice for aspiring lawyers struggling with training contract rejections.

Meet the Recruiter

Iffat Hussain

Iffat Hussain outlines the importance of DWF’s early careers programmes, the skills the firm wants to see from candidates in their applications, the assessment centre structure and more!

Videos

See more videos

LawCareersNetLIVE Manchester 2024: trainee panel

Practice Area Profile | Indhu Birdy - Baker McKenzie

LawCareers.Net masterclass: commercial awareness

Meet the Lawyer | Hebe Thorne - Burges Salmon LLP

Masterclass | researching law firms – identifying the firm for you

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Newcastle University

Law

Spring 2024

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Josephine Kroneberger

University

King’s College London

Subject

Law

Started

Summer 2023

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Christina Newall

University

University of Edinburgh

Law

Spring 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

Useful content!

Feature

Starting a legal career from a non-law background – a step-by-step guide

Curious about becoming a lawyer without a law degree? Here's everything non-law students need to know about legal careers, qualification routes and getting started.

Ask the Oracle

What career choices do I have with a law degree?

I’m about to graduate from my law degree but don’t want to work at a law firm. What are my options?

LCN Says

Dimitar Dimitrov - Five tips for flawless LawCareersNetLIVE applications

Dimitar Dimitrov

To secure a place at one of our prestigious LawCareersNetLIVE student conferences you must submit a top-class application. These applications are similar to training contract applications – but don’t let that intimidate you.

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

Shoosmiths addresses pay compression and raises NQ pay in summer salary surge

Shoosmiths is the latest law firm to implement summer pay rises, increasing its London newly qualified (NQ) solicitor salaries to £105,000.

News

Gowling sets new diversity partner targets as part of Inclusion for All strategy

International law firm Gowling WLG (UK) LLP has set new diversity targets as part of its Inclusion for All (IFA) strategy, including reaching 18% ethnic minority partners and 40% female partners by 2030.

News

Law Society proposes minimum pay rise for trainee solicitors

The Law Society of England and Wales has recommended a 2.45% salary increase for aspiring solicitors who are completing qualifying work experience or a training contract.

News

Cost-of-living crunch prompts legal sector workers to seek employer aid

New research by employee benefits technology provider Zest showed employees in the UK legal sector were leading calls for greater financial support, with private medical insurance the most in-demand benefit among law firm employees.

Beginner's Guide to a Career in Law

Kickstart your legal career with these upcoming events!

Beginner's Guide

Videos

"Where should I start?"

Useful content!

About the legal sector

More insights

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Podcasts

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