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.

You don’t need a law degree to become a lawyer – in fact, the modern legal profession is full of non-law graduates. The skills and experiences you gain from studying and working in other fields are assets that can make you a stronger candidate.

At Weightmans, we see the possibility in a different kind of leadership. One that’s not about power, age, background or ego. Find out how we can help make a real difference for your business.

'The Real Contract' celebrates what it’s really like to be a lawyer at Clifford Chance. We asked some of our lawyers to write a letter to their younger selves, reflecting on the start of their legal career.

Who is responsible for preventing online copyright infringement?

I thought now would be a good time to compile a list of resources I have consistently used these past few months to improve my commercial awareness.

The reasons that firms decide to merge are as varied as the firms themselves, but there are usually some key drivers – namely, the desire to expand, geographically or in terms of expertise, or to stay afloat. For the lawyers who find that the firm they joined is no longer the firm at which they work, there are normally a raft of opportunities and maybe especially so for trainees.

Why might firms in the same industry have diverse financial structures?

Private equity lawyers specialise in providing legal advice and assistance to private equity firms and their clients.

You may have seen the latest SQE1 results from July 2025 and if you're considering a career in law, particularly from a non-law background, they might’ve given you pause. However, in this article, I’ll be setting out how, with proper preparation and support, you can buck that trend.

Students on Manchester Metropolitan University's BTPC course and police trainees recently took part in a full-scale mock trial, offering both sets of aspiring professionals the taste of their career future.

The University of Law has opened submissions for its annual essay competition for students in years 10 to 13.

The lack of access to many key legal services during the coronavirus pandemic has created a build-up of demand that the legal sector is poorly equipped to handle, leading legal figures have warned.

Becky McLaren, early careers recruitment advisor at Norton Rose Fulbright, explains how you can stand out in your applications, the firm’s recruitment process and what to expect from its assessment centres in this Meet the Recruiter interview. 

Milk is the big news this week, and we’re here to spill it all. Plus, HSBC is facing an uproar from its largest shareholder, the music industry’s feeling threatened by AI, there’s a shortage of doctors and no one has faith in the UK’s political system. You want to be more commercially aware, and we’re here to make that happen with this week’s commercial news round-up.  

Find out how you can ace your Akin vacation scheme application with advice from the firm’s graduate recruitment manager Amy McCarthy.

Workers are striking over a number of reasons including wages, underfunding, pensions, job losses and contractual agreements, with each sector dealing with its own individual complexities. From the cost-of-living crisis to the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, strikes relate to a wide array of areas and in ways you may never have thought of, so let’s unpack their impact.

Plans to introduce online criminal hearings pose “a very real risk of unfair or disproportionate outcomes for the most vulnerable people in our courts,” the Magistrates Association has warned the government in leaked testimony not intended to be seen by the public.

Amid the building excitement around Halloween, don’t get so entirely caught up with how to be the most convincing zombie at the party that you forget what October is really all about – preparing to meet future employers at law fairs and wow them with your commerciality.

It’s worth mentioning that a legal career is competitive and expensive.