To ask you what you ended up doing with your law degree

[caramelonion]

Namechange but been on here for a while (not that i've ever posted anything exciting anyway). Pinky promise I'm not a lazy journalist.
Almost all of the careers stuff at uni pertains to corporate law, which I don't think I'd fancy. We were also recently set a piece of reading about depression amongst femal lawyers which was... disheartening...!
I have no clue what I'm aiming for, really.
So AIBU to ask what career you ended up in after doing a law degree and why?

[Cyclebird]

I'm a solicitor and a few months ago I started a new PT role in a high street practice after 10 years out. A lot of the staff are PT and it's rare for anyone to be in the office after closing. I've started mentoring with a partner so I can clearly see what I need to do to progress towards partnership (if I want it) and I feel it's achievable PT. I have friends who are partners in high street firms, another who is v senior in the CPS and they work PT too. Also friends who have given up and gone into other things - maths teacher, florist, actress, art historian, tax advisor (the last one works from home and now sets and marks papers for ATII and STEP - well paid and flexible).

[Dashper]

Worked in high street practices then a stint at a utilities provider (only mat leave cover unfortunately- I loved it). Post DS I work for a licensed Conveyancer. They were the only ones willing to offer PT in our town.
Friends I met through law have become an accountant, partners of high street firms, a health and safety officer (after another degree) and work in the legal department of our local council.
The council solicitor seems to have a good balance. Can be very busy at times but also has flexi-time and works from home a lot.

[jennymac31]

Completed law degree and LPC but wasn't successful in gaining a training contract. In hindsight I'm very glad as I have been able to use my qualifications in a variety of fields. Initially worked in the civil service before moving in the private sector. Have been working in the financial sector for the last few years and am currently on mat leave with baby no 2. Work has been fairly family friendly but hope to slightly adjust my hours on my return so will see if this is still the case!

[Paperplain]

Qualified, 2005 - private practice and love it. Work for a big firm and moved overseas with same firm and re-qualifying in a different jurisdiction Long hours and it is stressful but love the work and I'm very driven. Have 2 kids and DH works full time as well so a balancing act between us but it works for us.

[edwinbear]

Maybe I’m lucky with my firm or my practice area My DH is a partner in the same firm*

Yep, I reckon if your DH is a partner you probably would find your own career going OK

[Pigeonpost]

Law! Well, for a bit. Solicitor for 15 years then jacked it in after DD3 as it all got a bit shit and I’d had enough to trying to claw my way up the ladder and parent 3 kids. Was a SAHM for a couple of years and then set up my own totally different and entirely non law related business and have the same income but WAY less stress. And the stress I do have is MY stress, not someone else’s.

[BrambleandCuthbert]

I was another one who knew very early into my law degree that i’d made the wrong choice. Not being good at facing up to mistakes led to the Bar and then a decade at a Magic Circle firm. Am now a writer. Feel like i’ve finally got where I was meant to be - although the journey definitely had its highlights.

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

Corporate law. Trained at a MC firm and moved to a silver circle firm at 4 years PQE. Work a 4 day week and am home by 6:30pm pretty much every day. I log in once ds is asleep if I need to. I love it 98% of the time!

[Rebeccaslicker]

(I mean I do, not you should!)

[Rebeccaslicker]

Soliciting in a magic circle firm. Juggle long hours by having a stay at home partner.

[Muffintop101]

Barrister. Not family friendly at all but change is coming (very slowly). Really diificult to manage with kids. One needs a very supportive partner and to have sufficient clout to ask your clerk for time to prepare cases rather than being in court all day every day and prepping all night and all weekend (not unusual).

[MooseBeTimeForSnow]

Spent 10 years working as a family lawyer in a high street firm. Emigrated to Canada 7 years ago. I’d have to start pretty much from scratch to practice here.

I was working as a legal secretary here (ironically earning more than I did as a Solicitor) and my firm offered to help me qualify. I then found out I was pregnant.

I didn’t work for a few years. When my son went into Kindergarten I got a part time job managing a private preschool. I’m also on the Board of our local Airport.

[hermoninny]

Insolvency lawyer at an MC firm

[flirtygirl]

Nothing. Well I worked in housing and welfare rights, then became a carer and sahm.
Would like to be a lecturer or 6th form law teacher, but i may just retrain as a plumber as money seems to be in trades nowadays.

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

This is fascinating. Am very tempted to start a “maths degree” version.

[namechangedtoday15]

Lawyer in the regions. It can be family friendly as a job (have been part time for a number of years to fit in with children and it's been relatively manageable apart from in the run up to big trials etc) but I don't think it's family friendly as a career. I'm in my 40s now and comparatively speaking, my peers in other professions (accountancy, management) who have taken the same approach - part time hours but committed - don't seem to have been overlooked quite like my legal peers.

[longestlurkerever]

Government law. Would recommend. Family friendly and intellectually satisfying. Am pondering the judiciary too.

[TheRattleBag]

Law degree, solicitor's finals (showing my age there!!), two years training, three years post qualifying in regional firm doing personal injury law......... then gave it all up to work in IT for one of the high street banks. No regrets at all!

[Doobigetta]

Jacking it in half way through! It really wasn't for me. The hours in the library seemed to achieve nothing. I never loved learning for its own sake and it pissed me off, in all honesty, that I couldn't coast through and get top marks for very little effort like I had done at school. Also, there seemed to be two types of student on my course: spoilt little cokeheads who weren't that bright and didn't care because Daddy would be setting them up in chambers anyway, and the scared, swotty ones who were petrified of failing and competed with each other over who slogged the hardest. I didn't fit in with either of those groups, and I figured if I couldn't stand studying next to them I didn't particularly want to spend my career with them either. However, dropping out was easily the stupidest decision I ever made, and it took my confidence a very long time to recover. Twenty years later I'm probably earning as much as or more than most people on my course for less effort, but I definitely went about it the long way around.

[RosyPP]

Worked at a huge American corporate firm, loadsa money, felt very important, enjoyed it but wanted kids and to see them. Now in house at a huge American co and have three kids, work three days but I am the only one in a dept of hundreds doing that, work is pretty interesting, hours good, money good but no promotion prospects or ability to get another job pt and I think I want to be pt forever so not sure what to do...

There’s lots to be grateful for but if I had my time again I would do something easier to do pt eg GP or dentist

[Snuper]

I did GDL and LPC after kids, 10 years after science PhD. Work in Information Compliance (data protection, FOI) in HE - loving it! My governance colleagues almost all have law degrees.

[DaenerysismyQueen]

I'm a housing lawyer. Earn peanuts but do enjoy it. Am lucky enough to work for an employer who is good about child care commitments.

[Thisisme123]

I’m surprised by this thread, or perhaps the title makes it self-selecting.

I’m a lawyer in a top 100 firm in a regional city. I work 3.5 days a week. I returned from mat leave after my second child about 8 weeks ago and I’m just about to go for a promotion.

Maybe I’m lucky with my firm or my practice area, but the PT thing is ok. I’m very, very organised though and there are obviously pinch points either at home or at work at various stages. Tbh I just get on with it. My DH is a partner in the same firm and it good at doing his share of the nursery runs (mostly, he’s very busy and important ) and housework.

[Pandoraphile]

Set up my own copywriting business. It's a hefty degree that has opened a lot of doors for me. I'm bloody lucky to be able to make a living by freelance writing from home.

[Racmactac]

Family solicitor. I work 9-5 in a high street practice. It’s ok. I don’t know what else I’d do these days.