Law career advice please

[pseudonymity]

I'm thinking of a career change to law. I'm in my late 30s, currently work in the arts freelance and as a (visiting) university lecturer. I have a first class degree in art, a pg dip in art and a masters in writing. I feel like I'm in need of an intellectual challenge and law attracts me because of my interest in language and research. I'm also looking to earn more money, I'm making a pittance at the moment, not enough to have a decent quality of life. I'm more a studious/academic person than a ruthless go-getter, sometimes lawyers are seen as the latter. I'm trying to work out if law is for me, considering the expense of retraining and the fact that Im not necessarily attracted to the commercial side of law. How can I make some inroads with this without going on work experience? I'd be really grateful for any advice.

Is it the case that you need to have had a particular education (public school/Oxbridge) to get into law? Reading through some of the careers threads, they do tend towards that view.

I am not a lawyer but I do work in a law firm.

I would say that most aspects of law are less cerebral than you envisioned and depending on the firm/area of law, you may struggle to retain a good work life balance.

In terms of salaries, most solicitors aren't paid as highly as you would imagine (obviously this doesn't include the City firms), and most don't earn the big bucks until you've hit partner/equity partner level. I certainly know IT developers who earn the same as partners for a LOT less stress and effort.

Getting experience is hard, you either have to exploit any contacts or apply for vacation schemes with the firms you like (and go through an application process usually!). I would say apply for paralegal work, if you can afford to take the pay cut, to get an idea if it's what you're looking for.

It's such an expensive and tough area to qualify in to these days (the LPC is over £10k and I would imagine the GDL is about the same) that not many people I work with would recommend it anymore. Plus it takes about 10/11 years, at a minimum, to get to partner level before you earn what I would class as great money.

Obviously, none of this applies to City firms - some of our paralegals have gained TC's in London and their training salaries are close to £50k

I have a law degree and have never pursued a career in it, although I do work in a field where it is beneficial.

Decent universities - I went to a Russell group one - push students towards corporate firms. The hours there are extremely long and business focussed, rather than research based, from what I've seen. Some of the top firms only take trainees who are graduates of a small number of very prestigious universities.

You don't need a law degree to be a solicitor - as a graduate you can do a conversion course and then the legal practice course. I'm not sure about whether the bar requires you to have a law degree. You could also look into qualifying as a legal exec as a route in - I don't know what the salaries are like; low in the early years I guess.

I am artistic/creative rather than academic although I did well at school. I took the view I would not be well-suited to a corporate law career. Best decision I ever made! It is also incredibly competitive so a high flying career is not open to all by any means. I wonder whether you would get what you are seeking from a career in law.

There are plenty of careers in law that are not corporate - public law, family, crime, local government, high street solicitors, for example. In the public/social welfare law field, firms tend to be looking for relevant experience rather than public school backgrounds. However, they aren't necessarily that well paid and, as said upthread, you would have to think about whether it is worth your while spending all that money and doing all that work to requalify.

Also, it is increasingly difficult to find training posts and often you have to spend time first as a paralegal before you get within sniffing distance of a traineeship. That inevitably inrceases the period during which you are earning a pittance.

You just need to be very good but it doesn't have to be Oxbridge. I didn't go there and my daughters (also lawyers) didn't.

However it has always been the case that some areas of law which are not commercial the pay is not always very good and commercial law can be the most intellectual interesting and best paid so please don't dismiss it.

If your A level grades are in good subjects and high grades, ideally As and particularly if your first degree was at say a top 10 university then that would be a good start. Ideally you'd find a law firm to pay your GDL and LPC fees and then you'd work for them as a trainee solicitor (if that is your aim). As well as paying the fees they pay you an allowance too over those two years of the GDL and LPC course. However it is very competitive to get that sponsorship as it's in effect about £150k invested in you over those 2 years and your two year training contract. So they don't hand it out like smarties.

I changed to law in my 30s after having previously worked in financial services. I had a non-law degree.

2008-2010 I did the GDL conversion course part time whilst working.

2010-2012 I did the Legal Practice Course part time whilst working.

2013 I got a paralegal role which has led to a training contract which I started this month.

Salary as a paralegal and trainee at a regional firm is low £20,000s. Upon qualification it will rise to about £35k.

It's hard work, training contracts are like gold dust and you won't get rich but if you are passionate about the law go for it!

I went straight from school to Uni to LPC to training contact, then qualified when I was 24. I'm now 7 years PQE and I would say it's only in the last year that I've been earning what I am happy with, although it is by no means big bucks, I'm still on less than a City trainee would be. I work for a corporate/commercial firm with offices in the City and regional offices (I don't work in the City). The hours are long and it's very stressful. I'm lucky to be at a firm which looks after its employees pretty well, so I do enjoy the work I do but I often work 50+ hours a week (only get paid for 37.5, law firms don't pay for overtime!).

Training contracts are like gold dust, most of our trainees have worked as paralegals previously so I'm not sure how easy it would be to get a training contact these days without any legal experience. If you want to do it, then go for it but don't do it for the money, lawyers are not paid as much as people think they are! Good luck

law attracts me because of my interest in language and research

Hmm ... Two things

a) People are not engaged in legal work for fun. Your previous academic qualifications would have allowed a good deal of leeway for aesthetic delight; trust me - no one is going to be interested in your musings on the poetry of tort.

b) It is likely to be a very long time indeed before you have the opportunity to undertake any original research. The conversion course and following year are all about learning and applying vast amounts of already established stuff.

It's very, very different to the approach you might take in any arts subject. (This can be intensely satisfying but you should know what you're getting into first.)

A PP has commented that not all law is particularly cerebral. That may be so - but if you're totally set on the higher reaches of the profession you will find yourself working with and competing against ultra-sharp minds.

You really need a few weeks of practical experience before you go any further.

I have always found it cerebral. I did a 3 year law degree with loads of research and every day of the year I will be reading at least one court judgment and that is often because I like it as much as watching a film. I'm lucky. Although yes even at my age you will find me numbering pages for court and the like at times.