Any lawyers about? Qualifications/practicing question

[KanyesLunchbox]

I've always been interested in law, should have done it after my leaving tbh, but I didn't. I work in the community and voluntary sector and a grounding in law would be helpful in a lot of what I do and in opening more opportunities. I really don't think I have the commitment for a 3(+?) year law degree though. I could probably manage 18 months to 2 years of bloody hard work so I'm trying to figure out of doing the FE1 (or even kings inns) exams but not going any further would be a stroke of genius or a Muppet move. I have no plan to ever practice.

As I'm sure is obvious, this is the very early stages of my thinking around this so happy to be told if it's a terrible idea!

Oh god, I wouldn't do the FE1s! I did a law degree and the stress that the FE1s put my classmates under was something else. (I decided after the law degree that law wasn't for me as a career although I loved studying it).

Would you consider something at non-degree level? I'm pretty sure Griffith College and places like that do 1 or 2 year courses, often aimed at people interested in Law but not able to access the degrees straight away (mature students/not enough points etc etc)

Something like this?

www.ait.ie/courses/certificate-in-constitutional-and-family-law-nfq-level-6

I'm sure places other than AIT will do similar. Try googling NQF Level 6 Law

Or rather NFQ. (I always get that wrong)

The King's Inns do a form of a preparatory course for people interested in law but not necessarily going on to be lawyers.
Do not do the FE1s unless you are committed to being a solicitor. They are horrible and are quite academic, not practical law at all. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for the replies. I was speaking to a solicitor who nearly keeled over at the suggestion of doing the FE1s if I absolutely didn't have to, so I guess that's confirmed your opinions!

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have a look further. I came across something about mediation during the week which looks interesting, if entirely different to my original thoughts!

Do you have any type of degree? The law society offer post grad diplomas that are usually from September to April

I have a pretty poor BA so I could so some of those, law society courses.

Think I need a proper think about what I should do.