To consider retraining as a solicitor at 33?

[northernbella]

Hi all,

Just hoping for some advice about retraining as a solicitor (I'm most interested in immigration or human rights law). I am researching other sources too but thought I might try and tap into the huge wealth of experience on here!

I graduated 5 years ago (languages degree). I am now at civil service middle management level in a role I find very interesting with prospects.

However, i have been thinking seriously about law as a career since uni. I did a couple of internships with law firms (immigration) and free advice centres. I found the work really interesting and rewarding.

Also, lawyers I know personally have said that they think i would be well suited to the job (when asked for their objective advice on retraining, not fishing for compliments!!). I worked in some immigration roles with the civil service.

The reason I didn't train straight away was that I wanted some time out of studying for health reasons but this is largely stabilised.

Currently single but would like a family.

Does anyone have any experience or views on retraining at this point, is it realistically too late? It would need to be part time for financial reasons. Any advice on funding sources would be helpful.

Would law firms be likely to favour younger candidates for training contracts? Also my degree was a 2:2 as I had health issues during finals (I could prove this). Is this likely to put employers off?

Many thanks in advance!

Out of the five female solicitors who worked in my team ten years ago (we are all now mid 40s):

I am still practising but have set up my own firm
Friend 1 left and works in HR
Friend 2 didn't return after DC2 and now has 3DC and no intentions of returning
Friend 3 now works in-house
Friend 4 works very part time as a Professional Support Lawyer

I really wouldn't see law as being future proofed, especially if you're not at the top of the tree. As we've all said, it's hugely competitive and very dependant on what the economy is doing as a whole.
Most of the magic circle firms have made big cut backs and redundancies in the last few years and few are over investing ahead of brexit just in case.
What's more, if a particular department stops making money or in this case, funding dries up, woomph. Entire teams gone overnight.

Yes happened at my magic circle firm. One year big team of 50 fee earners - change in economy whoosh 12 partners down to 2, 40 fee earners down to 8. In the olden days I think you got "a profession" and felt safe but don't think the world works like that any more.

I've worked alongside various law firms over the years and have been shocked at the scale of redundancies and dramatic falls in income that have taken place. It's really not the secure profession it can be perceived to be.

I think you'd be better off trying to add more strings to your bow in your current role. Both for your own interest and fulfilment, and to improve your security and marketability.

Its not very well paid. 16k in london on a training contact if you can get one unless its one of the big firms. Dh boss laughed and said lucky hes being paid anything. Everyone is leaving. However if you enjoy the money, dont care about money go for it. Id advise work experence.

Aaah the magic circle firm has cropped up.

I'm always shocked at how many mumsnetters work for one of the 5 magic circle law firms when a law thread pops up. It's pretty... well... magical.

Aaah the magic circle firm has cropped up.
I'm always shocked at how many mumsnetters work for one of the 5 magic circle law firms when a law thread pops up. It's pretty... well... magical.

I don't know why you'd be shocked. Most lawyers will work for a few firms during their careers and the magic circle firms employ many hundreds of lawyers

You'll probably never be on 42k ever in human rights law OP.

I understand from friends who work there that the Government lawyers are on close to £50k within a year of qualifying (although they then stagnate at that level and never see a pay rise, but that's another story). It's not what most people think of when you say human rights lawyer but could be interesting.

I don't think it's too surprising that on MN you'd find a few ex MC lawyers, given the demographic of the site and the rate women tend to drop out of those roles at when they become mothers....

Why don't you look at the Government Law Service and routes into law within the civil service? If you have policy experience (?)
And/or experience of dealing with legislation with your current role then that is work experience worth something and may make up for the lower grade degree. There are sometimes internal routes to GLS aren't there? Could be wrong, but I'm sure I've seen things in some depts (civil servant here of 10+ years who has worked in various depts).

I would reiterate that the easiest stepping stone would be to volunteer at a law centre and train as an OISC advisor (initially level 1 and then at least 2). This would give an insight about the work (and contrary to other views immigration law is booming because of Brexit rush for settlement) .

Pay though is not good; you will be looking in the 20-35k area a an immigration advisor.
Human right law does not really exist- rather you specialise in public law, community care, housing, immigration, discrimination and then use human rights arguments

Sleepyslops what do you think would be the motivation behind someone pretending on a careers advice thread to be a Magic Circle lawyer? (I trained and stayed 2 years PQE in a MC firm by the way so here I am fuelling your incredulity). They are massive operations with a lot of employee churn.
If I was going to invent a new online persona for my self I’d go for something a helluva lot more interesting than an ex corporate lawyer.

Yes I just made up my 7 years at a magic circle firm . Actually I trained in a very dodgy high street firm, a few years at a decent mid level then ended up in the City where I did long secondments in house so actually have tried all the options

I'm A F.C.I.L.Ex. and I wouldn't recommend it either! I have been practicing for 28 years and in private practice the hours are long and the work life balance and renumeration isn't great. You would have a problem getting a training contract if you go the solicitor route and the Cilex route gets you little respect from the rest of the legal profession until you've established your reputation which can take years.

I think it will be very difficult for you to requalify and get a job in private practice - you would be better trying to explore the options in your in house legal team at the CS.... can you ask one of the solicitors to mentor you? Are there any options to get relevant work experience with the CS legal team - either on a secondment or by dropping your hours to 4 days a week in your paid role and doing a day a week unpaid as a paralegal? That way you can make some contacts and get a true idea of whether you will enjoy the work.

Also - go and volunteer at a law centre or CAB, get as much experience as you can and try to make relevant contacts.

Identify local firms who do the type of work you want to do and contact the partner who heads up that team - ask for unpaid work experience, take holiday to do it.

Build up your experience first before you even think of investing your time and money in requalifying.

In terms of requalifying, one option to look at is whether the CS would use the apprenticeship levy to pay for you to do the solicitor apprenticeship?

You could perhaps get a traineeship in your current industry.

NicEv the mentoring idea is a really good one, thanks. I was looking to find a more senior mentor anyway so someone from Legal could be a good contact whatever I do. I will also ask about shadowing informally at first.