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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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 Your non-law student hub Education hub Discover your options

Kickstart your legal career with these upcoming events!

LawCareers.Net and Baker McKenzie masterclass: private equity and funds

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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

Galina Usorova

Galina Usorova shares her journey cross qualifying as a solicitor in the UK after practising in Russia and provides insights into her role in the fraud and asset recovery team at Stephenson Harwood LLP. Plus, she outlines a high-profile case where she acted for a Russian businessman who was resisting a claim brought by two banks.

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

Hebe Thorne

We chat to family lawyer Hebe Thorne about coming to law from a non-law background, the sort of work she gets up to at Burges Salmon and the characteristics that make the firm stand out.

Meet the Recruiter

Georgie Lewis

Find out about Michelmores’ application and recruitment processes, the firm’s D&I strategy, frequent application mistakes and how to discuss non-legal work experience as Georgie shares her advice for candidates.

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

Vacation Scheme Insiders

University of Oxford

Law

Summer 2023

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Amber Fisher

University

Queen Mary University of London

Subject

English and European law

Started

Summer 2022

Vacation Scheme Insiders

Jason Crooks

University

London Metropolitan University

Law

Summer 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

Let’s break down the top stories that made headlines in 2024 and consider what you should look out for in 2025. Commercial awareness is a vital skill for all lawyers. For candidates applying for vacation schemes and training contracts, becoming commercially aware involves building an understanding of how law firms and their clients work as businesses, and how the wider world impacts them. This guide rounds up a range of commercial stories and talking points and considers their impact on the year ahead.

Ask the Oracle

City law firms: what are the different types?

I want to join a City firm, but the various categories have confused me. What are the different types of City firm?

LCN Says

Sophie Wilson - Life as a trainee

Sophie Wilson

As the deadlines for training contracts all come crashing in on you, and the emails flood in about whether you’re moving on to the next stage or not, it’s hard to focus on what life might be like as a trainee solicitor, so here’s a glimpse into my life as a trainee.

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

Top law firms say SQE graduates lag behind LPC counterparts in key legal skills

Trainees who qualified via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) are said to be underperforming in core legal skills compared to those who completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC), according to new research by Legal Cheek.

News

Your commercial news round-up: positive UK economic turn, Burberry job cuts, footballers’ personal data, cyberattacks

The country sees a surprise surge in the economy in recent statistics, while footballers fight to protect their data and moral positions. Meanwhile, the quintessential British fashion house Burberry makes job cuts, and the cyberattack saga continues for M&S. Read on to find out more!

News

University of Westminster Law Society launches commercial awareness competition

The University of Westminster Law Society launched its commercial awareness competition on 12 May 2025, with this year’s focus on the important role AI is playing in the legal sector.

News

Consultation commences on potential £92 million criminal legal aid funding boost

Today, the government officially launched a significant consultation on criminal legal aid, with the aim of addressing the legal aid crisis.

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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