To be surprised how posh most lawyers are?

[eggtat]

I grew up in a mining area in the north east. Not a poor background but parents never had much money. I was the clever kid in school, worked my socks off and got a law degree from cambridge. Then moved to London for work.

I thought that law firms would be full of people like me and some posh people. In my office I’d say a an overwhelming majority of people come from what I’d consider a posh background - parents who are professors, diplomats, barristers, partners at law firms, senior accountants etc.

People who grew up privileged, good private schools, academic households, then onto a top uni.

@Sparklywhiteteeth I'm not sure that comment is so daft. Barristers don't switch accents from posh to rudeboy depending on who they are talking to, but it is pretty much accepted that lots of barristers are frustrated actors. And a lot of the job is acting.

I’m not a lawyer but I know many lawyers socially in London and they are so homogenous it’s unreal.

All expensively educated then off to a Russell Group or Oxbridge for uni. All long for three kids (why always three?!) and a nice house in Dulwich. They enjoy renovating homes in their spare time as an outlet for their creativity.

I’m not even kidding - they’re all so incredibly similar and don’t even know each other. Good on you for breaking into such a closed world (hope that doesn’t sound patronising - it wasn’t intended like that)

I think you make a good point OP.

I am a lawyer who went to Oxford, but came from an ordinary comprehensive school. The college I went to in Oxford was overwhelmingly full of posh boys (and yes, mainly boys as it was 80:20 in my year).

City law firms are full of posh people, as is much of the Bar.

I don’t think it’s that way across the board but perhaps a posher background still opens a lot of doors, especially in more lucrative areas of the profession.

Three because it’s very expensive to have three

No, Bobby is right.

No they aren’t, don’t be so silly you can’t possibly think lawyers put on some cockney accent when speaking to a criminal then switch to speaking posh to a barrister. How ridiculous

More of a London/big city thing than a lawyer thing surely? If you worked in a legal firm where you grew up then i imagine most people would be from a similar background to you

Nope.

They enjoy renovating homes in their spare time as an outlet for their creativity.

This is so true! Your post is funny and very true.

But most are unlikely to have been very privileged, other than the fact that we had been able to get into good universities. Law schools can be funded on loans. I mean, back in the sixties most of us would have been considered working class and only allowed in the working class part of pubs. Quite a lot has changed since then thank goodness.

I spent most of my career in a large international firm. In my team of 15 only two went to private school but I’m 50 and worked in a regional office.

i have two voices though. My lawyer voice for high value clients I’ve just met and for court and my Midlands comp voice for clients I know very well.

Exactly!

@Sparklywhiteteeth do you see what I mean?! I rest my case (ha)

What were you speaking in court for? From the witness box you mean?

Barristers are for advocacy. Since solicitors have had rights of audience the country’s gone to hell in a handcart.

I’d be very surprised if connections are now necessary or even particularly helpful in getting a training contract at top law firms (though can’t speak for the bar). My firm would go out of its way not to hire someone with a relative, family friend etc. at the firm. We are not even allowed to give work experience on that basis. Maybe other firms are different but I wouldn’t want someone to read this thread and think they need connections to get into law - this isn’t the case for the vast majority of trainees.

Financial support from parents is helpful in getting through the qualification but most larger firms provide good financial support if you can get through their gruelling application process.

I suspect the barrier is in education, polish, work experience etc. I interview for training contracts myself- we have 2000 applicants
for around 30 places. Almost all are well qualified on paper. It’s really hard to give someone a chance in that context if they don’t have much work experience or lack confidence or don’t have perfect academics.

Not surprising that children of lawyers are more likely to be lawyers . It will be a career option they naturally consider and know a lot about (though I wouldn’t particularly encourage my children into it). Same way that medicine often runs in families.

A lot of the "intel" on this thread is woefully out of date.

Wow

I have had a very successful legal career thanks.

"posh in Antipodean terms"... a tautology???

Anyway, enough Aussie bashing. A good thing about City law is that, once you get working, it's pretty meritocratic. Well connected parents might get you work experience but can't wriggle round needing to perform on very little sleep, 48 weeks a year. In my experience, if someone's lazy or thick they get found out, even if they went to Cambridge and their uncle's got a title.

With your fake posh accent, 😂

What exactly is it that you do?

I wasn’t being serious! I know a lot of superb solicitor advocates.

And I respect my sols. They win the cases.

The legal profession make and maintain the rules. Families at the top have more to lose - everything even. To keep at the top, those families need to keep enlisting 'friendlies'. It is as simple as that.

Same. Some I've encountered I don't know how they got the jobs. A couple of them didn't know the law (I've more than once had to read out relevant legislation to them on the phone).

With backgrounds, I knew someone who was a partner at a Magic circle firm. He definitely wasn't from a 'posh' background. Working class, grew up on a rough London council estate.

However he did go to grammar school (he's older than me and grew up before comps became the norm). I think that gave him opportunities.

He did say, at the time he started working (not recent) there were very few other working class Londoners in City firms, and even fewer who were barristers. Many were 'posh' and originally from the shires.

Barristers might've traditionally tended to have more 'posh' people than solicitors, because it can be expensive to become one. Pupillages were (and still are) quite low paid, so it helps to have family financial support. I understand there's widening access schemes now though.

I know several solicitors my age or younger. Only one is 'posh'. Two work in London in high street firms. Neither are posh, nor are many of their colleagues.

Depends on law firm and area. Top firms in the North are not necessarily like that...more predominant in London I reckon.

All the real posh ones are at the Bar!

It does not really matter. Go with the flow and if you enjoy the job, do it and be merry with the pay and that is that.