Lawyer wanting to go back to work in a new specialism - currently 6m pg - advice please

[harrowgreen]

Bit of background.

Oxbridge degree. MC training contract. Went on ML with #1 at around 1yr PQE (corporate department). Whilst on ML I got seriously ill (not related to the birth/baby) and so didn't go back. I then took a PT job in a quasi-consultative role (not as impressive as my CV makes it sound, if I'm honest) for a year whilst recovering physically and mentally. During that time I got pg with #2.

We then moved abroad for the last two years. I couldn't work for money there (visa issues - we moved for my husband's work so I was just the 'spouse') but I volunteered extensively for a children's charity in a legal capacity and ended up being asked to join the Board.

We're now back in the UK and I'm 23wks with #3 (third and last baby). I'm desperate to go back to work after this baby, but want to change specialisms to work in family/child law (due to my experiences with the charity abroad and the fact that I really did not enjoy corporate law). We're also no longer living in London but in the north (near a very large city).

I desperately need advice on how to go about doing this. I'm aware that I'll need to go back to NQ level (or even lower) due to the gap and the change in specialisms, which is fine. I'm also aware of the likely rubbish pay: also fine.

The recruiters with whom I've spoken tell me to target firms directly, but I'm not sure of timings. Now seems way too soon (baby is due first week of January so I'm not looking to go back until next summer), but I don't think waiting until the baby arrives is a sensible option either: I can only imagine with dread the chaos of the first few weeks/months with three children under five....

Any and all advice would be welcomed. I'm searching for volunteering opportunities for the rest of my pregnancy to keep my CV fresh, but that's about as far as I've got.

Hi - all sounds good and you know what you want to do which is great. General professional networking advice would be as follows. Unfortunately you have to spread wide sometimes, as some of the best opportunities come from a random network contact.

Make sure that you are on linked in, and connect with everyone you used to work with, and ensure that all your key words that you want (Family law etc.) are in your profile, and that your status says something like "looking for new family/child law position from summer 2015. This will maximise the hits from recruiters etc. and show anyone else that looks you up you are serious.

I would approach individuals through your network and companies directly now, but ask if you can meet them for an informal chat/advice on approach to get into the area, given that you won't be working until next year and your position. You can then ask them to keep you in mind for future opportunities and you can email them in June say, to see if anything is available, rather than you just going in cold then.

Probably worth getting onto any local legal networks you can/chamber of commerce etc. and attend events when they seem relevant. Closer to the time I would register for CPD style courses to update your knowledge/experience.

Be prepared for working for free for a relevant charity here for a few months if you have to, again to get relevant experience. I would also only volunteer for things that really are relevant - you might be better off doing an intense study course in latest family law topics - might be easier/less stressful in the last months of pregnancy and add more to your cv than just a 2 month job, given that I would expect your overseas experience to cover off the children's charity experience needed.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! That's all really useful (and apologies for the delay: my eldest just started school this week and DH changed jobs, so life has been a little hectic).

Really appreciate the advice.

My H is a family lawyer. There are not many jobs around because of the lack of public funding now and the push for mediation – neither of which make it a profitable area for law firms. Its also an area where a lot of the work can be done by paralegals and legal execs which are obviously much cheaper than qualified solicitors (even NQs). There are larger firms who specialise in family proceedings for high net worth individuals but they won't do much child-related work. I think you're looking at small high street firms or perhaps public work. Would you be willing to work for the local authority? They often have jobs particularly in their child protection teams but it can be harrowing. I have a mum friend who has moved out of that area interestingly (found it too distressing after having her own children), into something different, and has effectively worked for free for a local law firm 2 days a week I think to "be trained" – she is shadowing a solicitor in the area she wants to pursue. I think she just wrote to all the local firms asking for work experience.

Do you have your heart set on family harrowgreen? Would there be other areas you'd be interested in working? I arrived in London in 2006 from NZ with 18 months NZ experience, so I was pitching myself as 1PQE/NQ. I have a decent double degree from a good NZ university and was admitted, but I didn't have Oxbridge or MC on my CV.

Obviously the pre-GFC environment was a bit different but I managed to get a paralegal job for a govt department quite quickly, then a contract for legal & business affairs exec job at a media company, which led to proper media in-house jobs.

I've worked in-house in TMT generally (in the UK and NZ) since then but along the way have ended up really more of a commercial lawyer with a bit of a media bent. (I think my next role will be commercial in a non-media environment, I'm a bit over media).

Anyway what I am trying to say in a long-winded way is, with your corporate and voluntary background perhaps you could look a bit more broadly than family law? (I am displaying my own prejudices here as I've alway thought family law sounded v stressful & depressing (unless you were doing divorces for wealthy people) and have avoided it like the plague).

Could you look for paralegal jobs to get experience; local authority jobs; in-house lawyer jobs in an industry you are interested in (maybe in a charity?); advocacy or public policy jobs?

Hi,

I specialised in family law for a number of years but following a move nearer to the south east ended up working in education. I thoroughly agree with Mandy 214 child protection work is very harrowing. I came to the conclusion a number of years ago, that I could no longer return to this area of law having had children, as it was too emotionally painful.

However I have a number of former colleagues who still practice in this area and have raised their children whilst doing so. An awful lot depends upon how emotionally resilient you are and able to switch off from the emotional overload. Definite tip to make sure your land line is ex directory if you decide you really want to work in this area. Other half became irate when "friends" passed on our "home" number to distressed relatives seeking urgent advice late at night.

Have you considered work in the education law sector, exclusions panel work, SEND tribunals or school admission appeals etc? Local authorities usually seek independent volunteer chairs for their exclusion panels for example. Just a thought but it would add to your CV and you might find that there are openings in the local education department where you can use your legal skills but not actually practice as a lawyer?

Have you any experience as an advocate or working directly with children and young people? If so have a look at the NYAS website (National Youth Advocacy Service) as it maybe of interest.

Hope that helps and good luck with both the job hunting and your pregnancy.
TB

Haven't checked this in a while but thank you for all the amazing advice. Am just about to rush out to collect DD from school, but will read and digest later.

Thanks again.

Com property solicitor just gone back after 10 years out. Suprisingly easy to persuade someone to employ me BUT there is a real dearth of com property jobs out there so there is a demand. Don't think the same of family lawyers.

I spent 4 years in legal careers at Col of Law and in the nicest possible way Oxbridge & MC training is a bit irrelevant. Experience is what you need, we had lots of students with ok academics but loads of relevant experience they are your competition and firms will want to employ them.

Also are you really sure? Ithought I wanted to work in public / charitable sector and volunteered in a law centre with a housing caseworker. After a few months I realised I didn't enjoy it and wasn't good at it.
But back in work now I like deals, transactional work with lots of professional contacts.

Start with what you liked about your old job and what didn't hate and work from there. By the sounds of it you like governance type work, very different to bread & butter family law. Sell your governance/charity experience which widens your remit. Then yourOxbridge & MC experience becomes very attractive.

Call up some law firms and ask for work experience for a week or so.