Career opportunities Law
In the UK many graduates enter employment where a degree in any subject would be acceptable. In this instance what they offer the employer is evidence of the range of competencies which have been developed through their academic study, rather than the specific subject content of their degree.
As competition for graduate positions increases, it's important to consider a range of occupational areas. Bear in mind that many careers require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.
The Open University Law School offers the undergraduate Law degree (LLB). This degree covers the Foundations of Legal Knowledge needed to become a barrister in England and Wales, or a solicitor or barrister in Northern Ireland. There is also an option to prepare you for Part 1 of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).
If you're already a graduate in a subject other than law, you can study for the LLB at the OU by starting modules at level 2. Read more about our graduate entry LLB degree.
If you intend to become a solicitor in England or Wales, there are currently two routes to qualification:
- If you started your LLB after September 2021, your qualification route will include the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) Part 1 and Part 2 and two years’ qualifying work experience. Further details can be found in the SQE section of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) website.
- The second route is the Legal Practice Course (LPC) followed by a two-year training contract. This route is only available to students who started the LLB before 1 September 2021.
For full eligibility criteria, check the transitional arrangements section of the SRA website.
If you intend to become a barrister in England or Wales, the next stage of training is the vocational stage. This currently consists of the Bar Training Course, which is preceded by the stringent Bar Course Aptitude Test. From 2020, all LLB students will have the opportunity of selecting providers offering alternative professional courses. Non-LLB students will still be required to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law. The Bar Standards Board will keep you informed of these changes.
The OU LLB law degree will not enable you to become a lawyer outside England and Wales. For instance, if you want to become a solicitor or advocate in Scotland, you'll need an LLB in Scots Law followed by a Diploma in Legal Practice, offered by several universities in Scotland. See the following websites for information on qualifying for the legal profession in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The three lawyer roles in England and Wales are Chartered Legal Executive, solicitor and barrister. For information about what is available and the training routes required, you’ll find further information on the Law Careers.Net website.
Lawyer roles can be found in private practice, in central or local government, commerce, industry, the armed forces or in professional bodies. You should be aware that competition has greatly increased in recent years and it's likely to take longer for prospective solicitors and barristers to find training and work than was the case a few years ago.
Those wanting to qualify as lawyers need to gain as much relevant work experience as possible while studying and use networking and creative job-hunting skills. Increasingly, once their postgraduate studies are over, intending solicitors without much hands-on experience are taking work as paralegals to compensate for this deficiency. They then move on to Periods of Recognised Training (still referred to by some sources as ‘Training Contracts’) once they've built up the necessary applied background.
Other job roles that will make good use of your legal knowledge include Citizens Advice Bureau caseworker, Crown Prosecution Service caseworker, magistrates' court legal adviser, court reporter or administrator, licensed conveyancer, patent attorney or trademark agent, teacher or lecturer in law.
A law degree can open up many career options for you beyond the legal profession. The Civil Service, local government, marketing, human resources, advisory work, general management and business and financial services are all areas that can make use of your legal knowledge and skills. Law graduates and those with legal vocational training are very marketable in all these areas.
Law graduates are also found working in the emergency services, health services, insurance, personnel and advisory work, and in many other fields. Employers recognise that studying law gives you the chance to develop yourself beyond the boundaries of your normal work environment, giving you skills and knowledge that you can readily put into practice on a daily basis in your job.
Character and suitability requirements
To work in law you're often required to meet professional legal standards that may include suitability tests and character checks. You can check this list of professional bodies' websites and make informal enquiries to see which guidance might apply to you.
Solicitors
Barristers
Further useful links
These resources will help you explore careers areas in further detail.
You'll also find information about general job vacancy sites, work experience and volunteering at:
Postgraduate Study
Many graduates undertake further study on completion of their first degree and/or after gaining relevant work experience. Reasons for doing so include wanting to explore an aspect of their studies in more depth, to further or change their career, because a specific postgraduate qualification is either an entry requirement for their career of choice or would be an advantage if entry is competitive.
In general, postgraduate study can provide opportunities to work in higher education and/or broaden knowledge of law in a global society.
It's important to research further study options comprehensively by exploring the range of postgraduate courses and research opportunities on offer and funding possibilities to ensure you make the correct choice, for the right reasons and importantly that you can afford it, as funding for postgraduate study is very different to the undergraduate system.
