Studying for a law degree while working in construction sector

neilio

I’m 34 years old. I graduated with an undergraduate degree from a humanities and social sciences school in 2007. I’ve obtained no qualifications since graduating but have gained experience in the workplace, working up towards a management role in the construction consultancy sector as an external stakeholder relations manager. I’m interested in getting a law degree (while at university I took a module on European Union law and thought it was fascinating). I work full time and would require part time study. What are my options and prospects with such a qualification at my age? How should I pitch this to my employer in order to obtain funding for my studies?

Andy_L

http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/find/law

As far as employer funding what's in it for them for you to have a law degree? Is it of relevance to your job? Will it make them more money? Do they have a law-related job for you when you qualify or will you be off to a law firm to "do law"?

You could try relating it to planning law or H&S legislation, how much of a reach would that be?

TBagpuss

In terms of pitching it to your employer, you'd have to consider what benefit to them there would be in you having a law degree?

Do they have a legal department. Who is employed in it if they do (i.e. are the peole working there mainly solicitors, or are they mainly paralegals, legal executives etc? )

I'd also mention that law can be a fascinating subject to study, but even more than in a lot of fields, studying law and practcing law are very different things, and liking one doesn't necessarily mean you will like, or be good at, the other. So do think about what the specifc appeal to you of the module you took was, and how far that's likely to be part of a wider study of law and/ or of working in a legal role.

If you want to work in law then you may do better to look at whether there are any openings for paralegal or trainee roles within the legal department of your current employer, or whether there are other organisations where you could use your curent skills and qualiications nad move towards a legal role.

Alternatively, consider studying at your own expense then looking for those types of sideways moves once you have an appropriate degree or other qualification.

You may find it is useful to look into becoming a legal executive - it's a different qualification path than training as a solicitor or barrister, and a lot of legal executives are people who didn't have legal qualifications but who then moved into a legal rol, and then gained the formal qualification, so a lot of those taking the qualification do study for it part time while working, and it is also narrower than a law degree as it is possible to qualify in just one area of law. (more info here https://www.cilex.org.uk/membership/getting_qualified )


I don't think 34 is too old to retrain, but do bear in mind that if you wanted to qualify as a solicitor, you would be looking at 6 years (3 years degree, 1 year LPC, 2 years training contract) and that it is a very competative field.

Mrs_Soup

If you already have a degree in any subject you probably don't need to do a full 3 year degree programme but instead a conversion course (GDL) which I believe is shorter but probably not as widely available (I work in a Law School which doesn't offer one). Though as someone else said you would still be pushing 40 by the time you could actually practice law if that was the plan.

MovingForwards

I would recommend CILEx as once you have your first level you can land a job as a trainee paralegal.

Carry on working through level three and Level six, plus qualifying experience and you qualify as a CILEx. You can also dual qualify as a solicitor, providing you have done a the right modules and withing the right timeframe.

There are not enough training contracts for everyone doing a law degree and the LPC, there is a hell of a lot of competition for the places. Even if you get a TC it's a fixed salary while you qualify, you are also not guaranteed to have a job with the firm when you do qualify.

Several of my former colleagues went the CILEx route after doing their LPC and failing to secure a TC after a few years. I also used to recommend not doing the LPC to my trainees and just go straight for CILEx with their law degree as at least they would qualify.

Whatever route you take, expect to have a paycut!

You don't want to know my first wage

steampowered

Lawyer here. There are plenty of solicitors who move into the profession at your age.

The average age for a newly qualified solicitor is 30 (https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/law-careers/becoming-a-solicitor/entry-trends/).

To get there you would have to jump through a lot of hoops. 1 year GDL conversion course or full law degree; plus the 1 year LPC; plus 2 years as a trainee solicitor. Or do Cilex. And you might be very disappointed by the pay available at the end of it.

I don't really see why your employer would fund a law degree to be honest. Perhaps they might let you have a bit of unpaid time off to do it.

zagubov

I did an unrelated degree for personal development and despite being in the education sector, my employer wouldn't have dreamed of funding it but they let me rearrrange my working week so I could fit in my tuition without cutting down my working hours and salary.

Be prepared that that would probably be the best you might get offered.

shortcrust

I don't see age as a problem. I retrained as a health prof at 34 with a four year course. Thankfully NHS funded at the time.

However... I really can't imagine your employer funding it any more than a law firm funding an employee to do a civil engineering course.