Is my degree still relevant/ where to start

[sf99]

I studied LLB more than ten years ago. At the time I was in a comfortable job and didn't use my degree/ pursue further qualification.

Then had dc and have been at home for seven years, while earning a bit of money from my hobby business.

The longest job I had was in a niche organisation. Some transferable skills - I did stats reports, some billing/ invoicing, database maintenance and management. Very involved with the IT team in improving/ building new systems.

I'm quite a quick learner. But not the best communicator (I'm also conscious of my foreign accent every time I speak). I am self motivated and like working independently.

Now my dc are starting to need me less I am desperate for a new challenge. I want to be a good role for them and show them that studying hard does pay off.

I was wondering if anyone has any career advice for me. Can I apply for any paralegal positions when my graduation was such a long time ago? Are there any recruitment programmes in the legal field or similar I can give a go?

Or would I be better suited to something like Tech and how do I get my foot in the door?

Im just feeling a bit stuck and will appreciate any insight/ advice.

Hopeful bump

LLB?

Law degree

Wouldn’t the Law Society would be the best source for information on possibilities for prospective returners? There must be courses, workshops, mentoring, etc accessible through them?

More generally, if you are considering any other routes you might find the

Mature Study and Retraining board

helpful. Hundreds of threads - so some might address challenges you recognise or offer solutions.

The problem with law is that it goes stale as the law changes, as do some of the skills associated with identifying and interpreting the law.

I would recommend doing some sort of refresher in the area of law which you would like to start working in so that you can demonstrate that you have kept in touch with developments in the law since your degree. You can often find some CPD type courses for free if you google or if you are lucky you will find a course in the right area of law on some sort of free openlearn course (like Edx or OU Open Learn). Make sure any courses are law from the same jurisdiction in which you intend to work (e.g. not Scottish or American law if you want to work in Birmingham). Try also to get an up to date textbook in the correct area of law and refresh your knowledge. If you don't want to commit to buying the book, check if you can get one through your local library service. Make sure it's the most recent edition of the textbook.

However, may paralegal roles don't involve doing much actual law. Some are a lot of filing and serving documents that have been prepared/checked by a qualified lawyer, and making court bundles. I've worked in places with legal assistants/paralegals who have no prior experience of law at all.

Another approach could also be applying for roles as a legal secretary and work your way up to a paralegal/legal assistant role.

Thank you both