lawyer

#Five routes into a law career if you don t have a degree

Being a lawyer requires grit and determination, a genuine commitment to do good and support society. One thing being a lawyer doesn't require, is a degree.

The old fashioned perception of becoming a lawyer includes posh schools, top universities and lots of cash. But the landscape is changing, along with generations of lawyers who have chosen to take a slightly different path, the vocational path.

There are plenty of careers in law that don't require you to have a degree, here's just a few of them:

1. Become a legal apprentice

Legal services apprenticeships are taking the sector by storm; companies from all over England and Wales are recruiting bright school leavers and career changers into their firms. The vacancies can pay up to 18,000 as a starting salary, giving students a fantastic foot in the legal industry's door.

No Ucas points are required, just good literacy and numeracy GCSEs. Some firms will require A-levels, although not necessarily in law.

As a legal apprentice you are employed by a firm and can put everything you learn into practice straight away, giving you fantastic career prospects. With a company sponsoring you to undertake an apprenticeship, it's unlikely they'll let go of you easily and will make sure you have a successful career at the organisation.

Leah Harrop, a legal services apprentice at Horwich Farrelly Solicitors, started her career straight out of school last year, after deciding university wasn't for her. She says: I liked the idea of earning a salary while gaining nationally recognised qualifications that would cost thousands if I were to go to university.

She got her apprenticeship by simply writing to the chief executive of the law firm. Show your initiative and creativity and you could be onto something good.

2. Become a lawyer

Qualifying as a lawyer will never be easy whether you take the university or non-university route, but studying for qualifications in your own time, and at your own pace, has plenty of advantages. Whether you are juggling family and home life, or working in a full time job, you can fit in study when and where it suits you.

Becoming a lawyer the vocational way means you can study part-time or by distance learning, and the courses can cost significantly less than a university degree. University courses can cost up to 9,000 per year, which is 27,000 for a three-year course (before adding on living expenses). Becoming a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer, for example, can cost less than 8,000 from start to finish, and be studied at your own pace.

You could also become a licensed conveyancer – a lawyer who deals specifically with property transactions worth around 10bn each year – and help thousands of people get into their dream home. You can study the qualifications in your own time and avoid university debt too.

3. Become a paralegal

A paralegal is a career destination for many working in law. It's rewarding, can pay incredibly well, and legal businesses have plenty of them. Working as a paralegal usually means that you have some legal qualifications and a knowledge of the law and you would, in most cases, work under a qualified lawyer who you would support in handling legal cases.

Paralegal job roles vary depending on where you work and the experience and qualifications you have. Work can range from administrative and legal secretarial tasks to undertaking research and providing legal information to clients. In some cases, experienced paralegals will do a very similar role to that of a lawyer. You'll need to be able to work with all kinds of clients and work well under pressure to meet deadlines.

Employers of paralegals vary too – you could work for a big commercial city firm handling multimillion-pound cases, or in a high street office dealing with housing and property contracts. There are also many in-house companies with legal teams – the list is endless.

Being a paralegal gives you flexibility in your job role too as you can start out with a basic legal qualification and train on-the-job. Many paralegals also become fee earners, so if you decide to take further legal qualifications, your employer can charge the time you spend with your clients at a higher cost.

4. Become a legal secretary

Legal secretaries provide the backbone for the smooth running of a legal business. There are qualifications at varying levels which can be taken without any prior knowledge of the law and they give a good, solid understanding of the legal world.

Get your foot in the door as a legal secretary and you could even continue studying further law qualifications to upskill and become a fee earner making you more valuable to your employer. You'll need to be a confident communicator and a quick learner as legal secretaries can work in a number of different professions in the corporate world, from legal to business to banking and beyond.

5. Make a career change

It's never too late to change career and law is a popular choice – the daily variety of work, the intellectual challenge and the ability to help others are just some of the reasons.

To make the transition to law as successful as possible, take a look the work experience you've gained so far and match what transferable skills you could bring to the legal field. For example, law requires fantastic people skills so coming from the hospitality, social care or services industry will give you a great head start in this area.

Your background could be in finance or auditing, which would be perfect for working in the legal department at a bank. Or if you have a medical background, the in-house legal teams at pharmaceutical companies would be a great destination. There are so many careers that will give you a boost in the legal world, and this previous life experience can often make you a better lawyer too.

Unfortunately those who want to make that change and become a lawyer cannot always afford the time and cost of university. Studying law vocationally provides flexible, affordable and accessible learning with study options to suit everyone. And, you can have a great career in law as a result.

Rebecca Grant-Jones is the PR and communications officer at CILEx .

CILEx is hosting a legal careers twitter chat on Thursday 14 August from 12pm to 2pm. Follow @CILExLawyers or #legalcareers to join in, ask questions and find out more about a career in law.

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