To re-train as a solicitor?

[FithColumnist]

At the moment I'm a teacher, and I'm looking at alternative career options as I desperately want to get out. I was wondering about soliciting...

I graduated with a first in Modern Languages, and would be looking at doing a conversion course like a CPE or GDL. Has anyone done anything similar? I'd love to hear your experiences and stories if so- one thing that's preying on my mind is that I'm 34. Is that too old to be changing careers in this way?

If you want work-life balance, go into pharmaceuticals.

I work exactly 37.5 hours a week and my job is great.

My first ever internship was with a female equity partner who had SEVEN children. Yet, I am still to come across someone who has a lower sense of work/life balance than her. You'd have thought she would have understood that their was a life to live outside work, but nope, that only applied to her. Her motto was basically "get organized" which in her book meant having a stay at home husband, two nannies on a rota and a PA! And also a team of minions who would pull at least two all-nighters a week, run on cocaine, and when they could actually sleep would wake up at 4 am just in case she called.

So just to add to Lost's list of reasons for the terrible work/life balance - people who lack basic empathy are unfortunately quite common in the profession and often end up at the top of the food chain, ie in management positions.

I think be a dentist that's the best job for money plus work life balance. Sadly I was crap at science and squeamish

Dentistry is difficult yet boring at the same time though.
And your skills fade with your eyesight I think.

Sorry to derail a bit OP: I just saw that Newt you are an employment lawyer - there is a thread in Employment issues where the op could definitely use some appropriate legal pointers (sexual assault/harassment in the workplace). I practice employment law too but I am not U.K. qualified and therefore could not really help. But her circumstances sound pretty bad and she has been given a hard time with some posters engaging in victim blaming.

Here is the link: Sexually assaulted at work- what to do?
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/employment_issues/3091509-sexually-assaulted-at-work-what-to-do

Lostmymojo, I agree with every word of you 11.01 post.

lostmymojo,

does your dh think that the jd years are harder now than in the past though? There is all the stress of that to get through before you can choose a discipline.
My doc friends seem to choose unsociable disciplines that lead them to still be working nights in their 40s!

I'm a senior associate at a City law firm and mum-of-1, soon to be 2. I think things have improved in the 10 years I've been working in the City and think my work/life balance is pretty good most of the time. But it's not a career I would move to in order to get a good work/life balance.

It's possible to switch from teaching to law - my ex-boyf made the move when he was 32 but I would say that he probably applied for 60+ training contracts before he got one. I know other people who have started with law late and they have all had to put in so much effort - lots of applications, lots of vac schemes, lots of rejection. You have to really, really want it.

have PMd her unicorn

Fantastic news Newt

OP, there is another another parameter you might want to consider before retraining, and it certainly varies depending on practice areas, but if you are interested in criminal law/family law/employment law you should probably think about how much cases can affect you on a personal level. Because even if you do compartmentalize, there is no foolproof way to ensure that your work does not rub off on your private life, and some people struggle with it. I am actually starting to think about going back to my initial practice area for that very reason ; my rhino skin is getting thinner and thinner these days

Which parts of the UK are desperate for solicitors, to the extent that OP would definitely get a tc if she would relocate? Experienced lawyers maybe, but that hardly helps here.

Whilst I think we've put the OP off already, you're absolutely right unicorn. I have had people crying and shouting at me this week. I've also had very aggressive and confrontational behaviour in a meeting culminating in the person storming out and slamming the door having been right up in my face beforehand. It's nothing I haven't dealt with numerous times before but it is emotionally draining.

I find the human aspect of employment law emotionally draining indeed, and that was something I did not anticipate when I left the emotionless -albeit very much "door slamming" - transactional world. I would definitely tell my younger self to think long and hard before choosing a more "human" practice area. Some of my cases are miserable enough to become the next Ken Loach movie.

Firms in my part of rural Scotland cannot get solicitors. So there certainly are employment opportunities across most fields.

I'm not advocating op to retrain, faod, but there are jobs if one is open to relocating. And obviously you would either need to do a Scottish degree, or dual qualify.

Don't know situation re training contracts but I think still easier to get than elsewhere.

Pre 2007, rural Scottish firms had to fight to get trainees. Now they can pick because of competition elsewhere.

Pre 2008!

Yes - may seem exciting but spending time with criminals does drain away at your soul. And knew I wasn't cut out for child law when I got home, thought I was OK but started crying out about a case and couldn't stop. Corporate law duller from a human interest angle anyway, longer hours but way better paid.

DH is a junior, salaried partner at a London law firm, top 25. He leaves home 0810 and is back by 1850. Very occasionally does a bit from home in the evening, perhaps once a fortnight. Nothing at weekends ever. WFH when he wants/can, again about once a fortnight. Has never missed a school play or sports day. Money is fine, about 120 basic plus "points" worth 4k each. He is on his first year as partner sp has 2 points currently. His senior partner has no salary but 100 points, so the money can be good. Enjoys his work, occasionally it gets "stressful" but its all perspective really. No one does if he fucks up, unlike in my job.

So people do enjoy it and it can work.

Dies if he fucks up that should read

Thanks Mojo.