To be a teacher who is now looking for a career as a barrister or a solicitor

[Amammai]

I’m posting from a point of the complete unknown.

Would a move from being a primary school teacher (18 years experience) to a solicitor or barrister be a completely ridiculous move?

An Instagram recruitment post from the CPS caught my eye and I’m now down a rabbit hole of research. Something about these roles has really caught my interest and I think this could be a potential career pathway for me.

There are many aspects of teaching I still love but after 18 years, I am questioning how much more I can give to the role.

So, has anyone trained as a solicitor or barrister at a ‘later point’ (I’m 40!) Would the move from teaching be doable? Am I kidding myself I could actually do it??

Solicitor here.

You may be overestimating the salary (compared to a senior teacher) and underestimating the workload. There are solicitors in the public sector (not just CPS but local authorities etc) and the workload and conditions are decent but the pay is a lot less than commercial lawyers in the City, where the hours are commensurately excessive. To be fair though, I don't know much about the public sector so it might be worth researching further.

I work in the City but for mainly insurer clients. Pay is OK at my level (salaried partner - £130k) but I sometimes think not amazing for 20+ years experience, high responsibility and high hours/stress. Often 60+ hour weeks at busy times and no less than 40 at less busy times and no school holidays for reprieve. I do enjoy it though. I think you really have to love this job to keep going. My friend who is a bilingual PA for a financial organisation in the City strictly 9-5, earns nearly the same salary as me. Are you fluent in another language OP? Just saying ...

We have real trouble recruiting and retaining juniors though as pay has really stagnated because insurance firms have not increased rates for getting on for 20 years. A NQ salary of £50k sounds good until they realise they have to bear the cost of commuting to or living in London and work a 50 hour week.

We did have a trainee a few years ago who had been a teacher. She did qualify but then went back to teaching as she found the hours and commuting (she had a primary school aged child) too difficult.

I'm a solicitor and I would not do this.

You could apply for the civil service, perhaps in an education related role to start with, and then over time try to engineer a move to another policy area which interests you.

I’m currently trying to recruit for around 0-4PQE, up north, and the applications are from people expecting 60-75k, when in most cases they only have six months real experience and would require very heavy supervision. I’m amazed anyone would accept 50k in the city!

I don’t think they do! DD has friends working for city solicitors (2 with American firms), they are very soon on £150,000 plus and then swiftly upwards. My God they work though!

You are right, and they mostly don't accept it, hence the problem! Insurance law work was traditionally a nice mid point between high street and proper city work but it's no longer sustainable due to the rates. Roll on retirement!