Conversion courses in law

[CyclingLegs]

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask about converson courses for aspiring lawyers?

My son is ASD and loves rules, but really doesn't like gore and nastiness. He's great at reading, asimilating information and writing articulately, but is not super-great as the social stuff.

I wondered if it would be possible for him to do something like a computer science degree, followed by a corporate law conversion course? I was think that that way he could just learn the sort of law that is needed for computer science companies, without having to learn a lot about crime and murders and whathave you.

I wondered if anybody would know whether that is possible?

Thanks!

A conversion course is to teach you the "qualifying" law aspects. Criminal law is one of them. It isn't gory.

Computer science will be handy for law, especially if he is going for bigger firms. In honesty though, if that is something he enjoys, he can probably find a less stressful and better renumerated career in IT than in law. Don't forget law is a service industry, so you need to be able to deal with clients (and very, VERY demanding colleagues).

Thanks, that's really useful to know. :-)

Are you asking if he can do a course that explains the law in relation to computer science and then work in computer science with an enhanced understanding of the legal framework, or if he can do computer science and then convert to qualify as a lawyer?

Don't forget law is a service industry, so you need to be able to deal with clients (and very, VERY demanding colleagues).

This is what I was going to say too. It could be extremely miserable for someone who finds social stuff difficult.

What's his ultimate goal with this idea?

As has been said, the law conversion isn't gory.

But he should think about his aims. Law is tough in practice and getting tougher. Very competitive. Lots of arseholes focussed on climbing the ladder. After the first few years your ability to bring in work is valued more highly than your legal skills.

A computer science degree might have an option for the law and regulation of AI, for example, that might be of interest. There is lots of talk in legal circles about the use of AI for legal work, and lots of IT already in things like e-disclosure software.

If he is interested in both law and computer science, unless he has a burning desire to practise law, he should probably skip the conversion but look to get into a "law adjacent" area of IT.

@eurochick thanks that's sounds good. What is a "law adjacent" area of IT?

DS is not good at team stuff and talking to people, but if I hand him a book on a foreign lanuages and say "learn this language, would you?" then he can just do that without hesitation or difficulty, and at great speed. He can read amazingly difficult stuff and take it all in, and then write essays in great detail about it. If he tries to explain the same information in words, it doesn't go that well, but in writing it does go well.

We thought about law because he has a strong sense of social justice and loves MN parking threads. He really can't get enough of mn parking threads tbh and that was what got him thinking about the law.

If he tries to explain the same information in words, it doesn't go that well, but in writing it does go well.

That's unlikely to be compatible with a career in professional services. As pp says, progression is about people and sales skills not knowledge. It would trash his self-esteem.

If he struggles with working in a team and speaking to people then I don't think law is a good option. You do (unfortunately) have to communicate with difficult and demanding colleagues and clients from the get go.

I wonder if he'd be better suited as a patent attorney? It's a different route to qualification but would probably be a better fit for his skills and interests.

I'm a solicitor and patent law is not remotely my area so I could be very wrong but might be something to look into!

DS is not good at team stuff and talking to people

Meant to quote this too. It's really not compatible with professional services, which is all about sales and relationships and people skills. Those are the skills and traits that get people promoted - or managed out.

There will be places he can thrive but I can't see it being professional services.

I think a compliance role might suit him well. Lots of regulations to read and interpret and the regulation around AI is only going to get more interesting. It's not an area traditional compliance officers would be as familiar with.

Compliance in financial services pays pretty well and is well respected.

I think a patent attorney sounds more appropriate for him too. (Fellow ASC mum here!) It’s not a branch of law though - it’s a totally separate qualification.

Thanks this is really helpful feedback. I will explain to him.

I'll take a look at Compliance in financial services and patent law. Thanks!

You don't need a law degree to be a patent attorney. Instead you sit a few sets of difficult professional exams. The work is dry but great for people who like detail, technology, rules, and written argumentation. It pays very well. Not as well as corporate law but the demands in carrying out the work are on the whole nowhere near as harsh.

@nauticant that sounds good :-)

Hello, (almost) patent attorney here! Happy to answer questions you might have but we are also service professionals just like solicitors are. Client management is a big part of the job!

@Nepopcorn thanks that is very useful to know. It sounds as though that might not be for him then.

I work in private practice, maybe he would be better suited to an in-house role (solicitor or patent attorney) which would focus less on client management. I may stand corrected though, I don’t have experience working in house!

Slightly left-field suggestion but if he has a strong sense of social justice and loves things like parking threads then have you considered roles such as planning enforcement officer or similar in local govt? Lots of looking into what people have done wrong etc, options to get out and about as well as being desk-based and no clients to deal with! Or pursue the legal route in local government - no business development / marketing pressure and planning / property / contracts areas can provide all the legal interests without the pressure of private practice. Appreciate that this doesn’t use his computer science interests though (and prepared to be flamed by the anti-local govt mob!)

I just asked ChatGPT which law jobs are not client facing and it gave me this list. Do you think that's about right?

Legal Researcher or Analyst: Legal researchers typically work in law libraries, academic institutions, or for law firms. They conduct research to support attorneys in their cases but may not interact directly with clients.

Judicial Clerk: Clerks assist judges in various tasks, such as researching legal issues, drafting opinions, and managing court documents. While they may interact with lawyers, their role is primarily focused on assisting the judge.

Document Review Specialist: In large law firms or legal departments, professionals are often hired to review and analyze documents for relevance and privilege during the discovery process in litigation. This role doesn't usually involve client contact.

Paralegal: Paralegals assist attorneys with various tasks, including legal research, document preparation, and case management. While they may work closely with attorneys, their role is typically more administrative than client-facing.

Legal Compliance Officer: These professionals ensure that organizations comply with relevant laws and regulations. They focus on internal compliance matters and may not interact with external clients.

Legal Writer or Editor: Legal writers and editors work on creating legal documents, such as contracts, legal briefs, or legal publications. They may not have direct client contact, depending on the specific role.

Legal Technology Specialist: Some law firms and legal departments employ specialists who focus on implementing and managing legal technology solutions. Their role revolves around technology and may not involve client interactions.

Academic or Legal Instructor: Legal scholars and instructors teach law courses at universities or legal training institutions. While they may interact with students, it's not the same as dealing with clients in a legal practice.

Government Attorney: Some government attorneys work on regulatory matters, drafting legislation, or prosecuting cases on behalf of government agencies. Depending on the specific position, client interaction may be limited.

Corporate Counsel: In-house attorneys for corporations often handle legal matters related to the company's operations. While they may interact with colleagues within the organization, their role may have less direct client interaction compared to private practice.

Patent attorney might well suit, and in fact I have former legal colleagues who switched over and are very much happier.

The other thing if he is keen on justice is the security services (GCHQ etc). I'm
told they actively recruit ND candidates and if he is good at computers, can learn languages etc he might do extremely well.

Law is a terrible career for the socially awkward. It's not really about applying rules, it's about seeing nuanced opportunities to apply the rules, distort interpretations to your own advantage, confound the literal. If you work in private practice you almost always need to be able to schmooze to win and keep clients. Dinners out, networking drinks.

A lot of barristers are weird and socially awkward tbf (and probably on the spectrum) but I wouldn't advise it as the route to contentment.

This is a very U.S. Centric list, perhaps ask specifically about UK legal roles? I’m not familiar with most on that list. Paralegal roles may be worth exploring, as would formalities roles. He could consider patent examiner roles at the UKIPO. These are the civil servants who examine, grant and refuse patents working at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO).

I work for a firm that has a huge interest in legal technology and it’s a hugely expanding area with the introduction of AI amongst other things. Some roles are client facing, some are not. Could be worth exploring definitely.