Late career change into law?

Dd88

Hello,

I'm looking for some career advice. I currently work in health & safety and have always been fascinated by the legal side of the profession.

I've been thinking for some time whether it's worth embarking on a law degree (specifically a LLB degree), which would take me 6 years to do part time, and wouldn't be complete until I'm approximately 40/41........now with that revelation in mind - am I just a wally with a pipedream, or has anybody out there made a similar move at a late age? If I was to complete it, I imagine there wouldn't be many takers for a 40 year old with no experience, but I also think it would compliment my current qualifications in my current career.

It would be a no brainer if I was younger, and annoyingly I was considering it my school days.

...shall I just park the idea and get on with my life?

Savvy_Sue

I presume you've got H&S qualifications? Keep them up to date. This is way outside my expertise, but I'd have thought that a background in H&S would at least give you an edge over the youngsters. 

GrumpyDil

I did my LLB Hons and LPC at the ripe old age of 32 but never managed to get a training contract. That said I didn't have specific employment background to help.

Another person on the course was an experienced merchant navy officer, several years older than me who walked straight into a specialised post with a firm involved in shipping law.

It's not clear whether you would carry on to try and qualify as a solicitor or barrister or some other route but whatever direction you are thinking I'd suggest doing your research first. 

Marcon

Dd88 said:

Hello,

I'm looking for some career advice. I currently work in health & safety and have always been fascinated by the legal side of the profession.

I've been thinking for some time whether it's worth embarking on a law degree (specifically a LLB degree), which would take me 6 years to do part time, and wouldn't be complete until I'm approximately 40/41........now with that revelation in mind - am I just a wally with a pipedream, or has anybody out there made a similar move at a late age? If I was to complete it, I imagine there wouldn't be many takers for a 40 year old with no experience, but I also think it would compliment my current qualifications in my current career.

It would be a no brainer if I was younger, and annoyingly I was considering it my school days.

...shall I just park the idea and get on with my life?

My heart sinks when I read the words 'always been fascinated by the legal side'. To a large extent, those working outside the legal profession get a very unrealistic view of what working within the legal profession entails. The hours and pressure are hideous and you only have to look at the stats to see (a) how many solicitors want out and (b) how many barristers can't get pupillage, never mind make a living. There is a great deal of long, hard slog, targets to meet and hopelessly unrealistic clients to deal with.

Having dished out that load of cold water, there is absolutely nothing to stop you doing an LLB, which would give you an indication of how much you actually enjoyed law 'in the abstract', so to speak. You'll need a really good result - preferably a first class degree - because the competition for this rather poisoned chalice is red hot and will only get more so.

An alternative might be to do a law A-level and see how you get on with that. Much shorter, much cheaper and should give you a flavour of what's to come without tying you (and your cash) up to anything like the same extent as a degree.

Toastie2018

Go for it Dd88. 

If you haven't already, consider watching law lecture videos on YouTube. Then getting one or two law books from the library to see how you feel. 

You can also go for the SQE route directly if you have an undergraduate degree. There now seems to be a lot of flexibility around gaining the required 2 years of experience.

All the best. 

MalMonroe

Dd88 said:

Hello,

I'm looking for some career advice. I currently work in health & safety and have always been fascinated by the legal side of the profession.

I've been thinking for some time whether it's worth embarking on a law degree (specifically a LLB degree), which would take me 6 years to do part time, and wouldn't be complete until I'm approximately 40/41........now with that revelation in mind - am I just a wally with a pipedream, or has anybody out there made a similar move at a late age? If I was to complete it, I imagine there wouldn't be many takers for a 40 year old with no experience, but I also think it would compliment my current qualifications in my current career.

It would be a no brainer if I was younger, and annoyingly I was considering it my school days.

...shall I just park the idea and get on with my life?

NO! That is to say, do NOT 'park the idea and get on with your life' at all! You are talking as if you are old, at the age of what? 34/35?! Why, you are nothing but a spring chicken!!

Please take no notice of any naysayers and just do it. You will never, ever regret it. I went to full time uni at the age of 50 and graduated with a BA Hons 2.1 degree when I was 53 (!) - slightly older than your 40/41. Best thing I ever did. Something I had always wanted to do. But life, as it sometimes does, got in the way before that. However, I've done it now and will never regret it.

If nothing else, a degree (as I was told at uni) proves to prospective employers - as well as everyone else - that you have 'stickability' and you won't give up, even if the going gets tough. And it did get tough at times but I stuck with it. Not only did I learn a lot and graduate but I made some really good friends who I'm still in touch with now. It really does enrich your life in all kinds of ways.

Even if you're doing a part time course, it's a fabulous thing to do and those 6 years will still go by whether you do a degree or not. So what are you waiting for?!

'Wally with a pipedream' you are certainly not! You'd be a wally if you didn't follow your dream! You've got one life, live it.

*ahem* so anyway, I hope that helps!     [ Do it!   ]

P.S. Some ideas of careers you could have with a Law degree -

https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-ideas/what-else-can-i-do-law-degree

My brother did a Law Degree in his 40s (he was my inspiration) and after graduation he went straight into the Civil Service. Where he stayed until he retired recently. Great job, great salary, great pension. Just one of the things you could do. Or you could stay in the H&S area. You wouldn't be stuck to the law per se. 

Google is your friend, plenty of universities offering law degrees out there. . .   

MovingForwards

Assuming you're in England or Wales, look at the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives as an alternative way of qualifying into law with the option of doing the LPC and automatically qualifying as a solicitor, subject to modules taken and legal work experience.

mcpitman

Age should never be a restriction if it is what you want to do.

35 is not old to start over/find a new career.

Grumpy_chap

I think that law is one subject area where having real life experience is an asset to understanding the subject and applying the subject if you then take a career that directly uses the Degree learnings.

In choosing your course, you need to have some idea of which way you might wish to progress afterwards as this might determine the specific course and modules that are best suited.  Will you take this as a complete change of direction to then do something that is purely legal or would you see this training as a way to specialise within the H&S Field?

Have you considered OU study?  That would be less of an immediate financial burden and allow you to keep your current H&S practice up to date.

Out of interest, do you have your full NEBOSH?

davelewis

MovingForwards said:

Assuming you're in England or Wales, look at the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives as an alternative way of qualifying into law with the option of doing the LPC and automatically qualifying as a solicitor, subject to modules taken and legal work experience.

^This is sage advice. If you are thinking of becoming a solicitor, seriously consider the Legal Exec route. It's almost like an apprenticeship and you won't have to undertake a training contact (as far as I can remember). It's a much safer route - training contracts are like gold dust at any age!! 

I went back to Uni aged 30 to retrain as a solicitor and never managed to get a training contract and qualify. In hindsight it was the best thing to happen to me as I ended up running my own business. Most of my fellow law students generally dislike working in law I'm afraid. 

Jude57

I retired after 30 years as a Legal Executive. During that time I worked initially in private practice where I was low on the totem pole and daily work was the conveyancing, land and probate cases. I was also on call more than I wanted to be for the criminal side and visits to Police stations in the early hours or at weekends were a regular feature of my work. My social life suffered but I did enjoy the variety. However, the pay was poor (so was I!) so when I found a public sector role, I made the move. I worked in prosecutions for a long time and loved it, although it was high pressure. I was able to move away from casework to performance management but discovered it wasn't for me. That, added to health issues, led me to find a less pressured role working for a charity where, although useful, my legal experience wasn't as much practical use as I'd expected.

Friends who qualified with me have gone on to have widely varied careers in the public sector, in private practice and two I'm still in touch with became solicitors through the SRA exempted route, one was over 50 when she qualified so that she could become a full partner in the firm she had joined as an office junior with 2 CSE's at 16. Details of that scheme are here:

https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/Oracle/09022021-Can-I-switch-from-chartered-legal-executive-to-solicitor

You'd need to be in qualifying employment to train as a Legal Executive, more information here:

https://www.lawcareers.net/MoreLaw/CILEx

It's a very rewarding career with long term employment prospects if you find the right field. Good luck!