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Original poster

solictors and lawyers,why did you choose your career....

208 replies

brimfull · 30/10/2007 11:10

and are you happy with it?

DD considering this but would like to know

what qualities do you need?
what subjects at a level did you do?
tia

OP posts:
Dinosaur · 30/10/2007 11:19

Drifted into it after Oxford. It is well-paid but rather soulless (well, what I do is anyway, I do corporate law).

You need an enormous capacity for hard work and no sleep.

Doesn't really matter what subjects you do at A level or even what subject you do your degree in as you can do a conversion course afterwards.

Piggy · 30/10/2007 11:23

I loved it. Was a corporate litigator for a magic circle firm for about 10 years. Did loads and loads of massively high profile stuff and got to travel a lot. You need the stamina of an ox and balls of steel.

I'm now doing much more genteel stuff on my own terms and in my own time which is enjoyable too and suits me well with 2 toddlers.

Dinosaur · 30/10/2007 11:24

You do need a lot of front.

irises · 30/10/2007 11:26

I quite like being a lawyer (specialise in family), partly I must admit because I only work part time so feel that I have a life outside work. I have always worked in small to medium sized high street practices, never a big corporate firm which would be another planet altogether.

A levels I did at night school, having left school at 16 to work in a factory (family expectations). did English, History and German at Alevel while working full time, and qualified as a legal executive on a distance learning course which took 4 years while working firstly as a legal secretary then within the court service, then as a trainee legal exec.

So far as the qualities you need for a family specialist, firstly people skills as the people you're dealing with are always traumatised to some extent, patience, attention to detail but also able to see the bigger picture, ie what the client can realistically hope to achieve, and the best way of getting there.

The pay for a qualified, experienced legal exec is on a par with a solicitor (in rural areas about £50k pa), and is a good way of earning whilst learning, tho' extremely hard work in the early years.

Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 11:26

sounds like hard work,she's definately not afraid of that,although the soulless bit is worrying.
Do you mean the minutiae of all that relentless paperwork?

MAgic cirlce sounds quite exciting though

OP posts:
irises · 30/10/2007 11:27

Obviously if your dd wants to earn mega bucks, she'd be best going into one of the big London corporate firms.

Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 11:29

irises -your type of work sounds more like her,although she does hanker after the city life.

OP posts:
Anchovy · 30/10/2007 11:49

I disagree with Dinosaur (sorry!) I do corporate law and don't think it is soulless at all. I think it is huge fun, actually - challenging/annoying/absorbing/entertaining with the odd bit of dullness thrown in to calm things down from time to time.

I have a degree in English literature, so just sort of fell into it.

TBH, there are virtually no A levels that are off limited, although they do need to be "proper" ones (and interestingly we don't count law as a proper A level)

Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:31

that's interesting anchovy

they don't offer law Alevel at her school anywya,all pretty basic ones except for the psychology

OP posts:
pouchofdouglas · 30/10/2007 12:32

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Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:41

good idea
is she old enough?

maybe a criminal lawyer would interest her.

hmm,how do I find one of those?

OP posts:
pouchofdouglas · 30/10/2007 12:43

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pouchofdouglas · 30/10/2007 12:44

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Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:44

she did work experience last year
she trailed after docotr,then decided she definately did not want to be dr.
will see about magistrate court thing on school half term or something

OP posts:
pouchofdouglas · 30/10/2007 12:46

Message withdrawn

Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:46

is magistrate court open to public them?

OP posts:
pouchofdouglas · 30/10/2007 12:47

Message withdrawn

Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:48

so you just turn up then

OP posts:
Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:49

with popcorn

OP posts:
pouchofdouglas · 30/10/2007 12:49

Message withdrawn

GooseyLoosey · 30/10/2007 12:51

Hi ggirl, I just decided at 11 I was going to be a lawyer and then never questioned career choice again as it seemed to make everyone happy and I had nothing I wanted to do more.

I would definitely encourage work experience, I know a lot of unhappy lawyers (know happy ones too though). I think what it is like depends hugely on what kind of law you do and what kind of firm you work for.

I too have worked for a magical circle firm (the highest profile 5 corporate firms) but in a highly techy specialism. Didn't like the ethos in that firm so now work for a slightly smaller corporate firm with a strong team in my field. Much better. Work part-time and have a home life.

Work experience in as many different types of firms as possible is a good idea I think.

irises · 30/10/2007 12:53

Only prob with criminal is that the money is really really crap.

Also the clients were horrid! Criminals, the lot of them! One of them nicked my purse, another nicked the office kettle on his way out.

Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:54

yes have seen loads of mumsnetter moaning about being solicitor .

dumb Q ; is there a diff between solicitor and lawyer and what is it?

OP posts:
Original poster
brimfull · 30/10/2007 12:54

what is really really crap ££

OP posts:
irises · 30/10/2007 12:55

Lawyer is a generic term for solicitors, legal executives and barristers.