Late career change into law?

bargainbetty

I work for criminal barristers and have worked for solicitors, barristers, attorneys and advocates for over 20 years now. 

If you have an existing degree, do the conversion year/SQE rather than the law degree route. Some of the best lawyers I know did not study law for their undergraduate degree. If you do decide to study part time, please remember that you will have to commit to those six years - if you find yourself having to delay for a year, you will not have a qualifying law degree (it has to be done within six years). 

You will then need either the BVTC and pupillage or a training contract. I would state here that you are unlikely to build a barrister practice solely in one area - as a new member you will take any work you are given and few Chambers would be entirely focused on one area, so you might be better off looking at becoming a solicitor or Legal Exec. You would need to apply to firms that specialise in H&S areas, so it might be worth doing some research on them and finding out if they offer consultancy roles too, as that might offer you a route in via the Legal Exec scheme. 

The Bar of England & Wales is oversubscribed. They are currently facing huge real-term cuts to Legal Aid and backlogs at the junior end due to criminal and civil court closures during the pandemic. Yes, if you get to the top the money is fabulous, but it's rough starting out and the middle is so tough you can bend horseshoes around it.  No financial security either - I have had barristers burst into tears because they have clients who won't pay on time and they have a mortgage to pay... For solicitors, training contracts are so over-subscribed that you will be up against 150 other applicants with first class degrees from Russell Group universities for the big firms and 250 applicants at firms with no selection criteria. You will work long hours for fixed money. To give you an idea, some city firms target their juniors to bill 1500-1600 hours per year. That doesn't include admin time, marketing, CPD, holidays or sickness. It's not a 9-5 job. 

That said, if you want to do it, find a way and do it. You are not too old to retrain, it might completely change your life in ways you haven't imagined and I find I usually regret the things I didn't do more than things I did. I wish you the very best of luck. 

Dd88

Thanks for all the responses everybody. You have given me a lot to think about/digest, and I really appreciate every response. 

Undervalued

MalMonroe said:

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. . .   

All that is fine if the OP is happy to work in one of the many roles where having a law degree is amongst the range of academic qualifications that would make them a suitable candidate.

If however the want to work in the law itself (legal executive, paralegal, solicitor or barrister) they are going to struggle to get an appropriate training position in their mid to late 40s. Post graduate training in most of "the professions" is a real hard slog, even in your mid 20s. Then however, assuming you get through it, your have thirty or more years to enjoy the rewards.

DullGreyGuy

A former colleague who is a decade or so older than you spent a fair amount of his work negotiating contracts as a business representative and decided he wanted a change into corporate Law to have more opportunity to do this. He went the ILEX route as preferred  the more on the job training than the idea of a few years of university (didnt have an undergrad degree). 

He was enjoying it, though a massive step down in monies and ultimately he got attracted away by a contract opportunity in his old sphere. I dont think he's gone back to law after finishing up that role after 18 months but not sure what he is doing. 

Depending on exactly what you want to do post graduation there are a range of options open. A former client, marine insurer, had all their claims staff either as lawyers or extensive maritime careers. They struggled attracting new talent as being central London they were up against the big law firms who promised massively higher salaries (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/24/graduates-earn-125000-london-battles-america-top-legal-talent/) but also a different level of pressure and stress. 

There are small elements that are interesting but its a cut throat world and have seen the crazy hours put in by the lawyers to deals when its getting to execution time (and its not he senior partners doing the 120hr weeks)

lincroft1710

DullGreyGuy said:

A former colleague who is a decade or so older than you spent a fair amount of his work negotiating contracts as a business representative and decided he wanted a change into corporate Law to have more opportunity to do this. He went the ILEX route as preferred  the more on the job training than the idea of a few years of university (didnt have an undergrad degree). 

He was enjoying it, though a massive step down in monies and ultimately he got attracted away by a contract opportunity in his old sphere. I dont think he's gone back to law after finishing up that role after 18 months but not sure what he is doing. 

Depending on exactly what you want to do post graduation there are a range of options open. A former client, marine insurer, had all their claims staff either as lawyers or extensive maritime careers. They struggled attracting new talent as being central London they were up against the big law firms who promised massively higher salaries (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/24/graduates-earn-125000-london-battles-america-top-legal-talent/) but also a different level of pressure and stress. 

There are small elements that are interesting but its a cut throat world and have seen the crazy hours put in by the lawyers to deals when its getting to execution time (and its not he senior partners doing the 120hr weeks)

You've picked up on a 2 yr old thread

Marcon

lincroft1710 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

A former colleague who is a decade or so older than you spent a fair amount of his work negotiating contracts as a business representative and decided he wanted a change into corporate Law to have more opportunity to do this. He went the ILEX route as preferred  the more on the job training than the idea of a few years of university (didnt have an undergrad degree). 

He was enjoying it, though a massive step down in monies and ultimately he got attracted away by a contract opportunity in his old sphere. I dont think he's gone back to law after finishing up that role after 18 months but not sure what he is doing. 

Depending on exactly what you want to do post graduation there are a range of options open. A former client, marine insurer, had all their claims staff either as lawyers or extensive maritime careers. They struggled attracting new talent as being central London they were up against the big law firms who promised massively higher salaries (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/24/graduates-earn-125000-london-battles-america-top-legal-talent/) but also a different level of pressure and stress. 

There are small elements that are interesting but its a cut throat world and have seen the crazy hours put in by the lawyers to deals when its getting to execution time (and its not he senior partners doing the 120hr weeks)

You've picked up on a 2 yr old thread

Be much more interesting to know what OP is doing now! So if @Dd88 is still around...

lincroft1710

Marcon said:

lincroft1710 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

A former colleague who is a decade or so older than you spent a fair amount of his work negotiating contracts as a business representative and decided he wanted a change into corporate Law to have more opportunity to do this. He went the ILEX route as preferred  the more on the job training than the idea of a few years of university (didnt have an undergrad degree). 

He was enjoying it, though a massive step down in monies and ultimately he got attracted away by a contract opportunity in his old sphere. I dont think he's gone back to law after finishing up that role after 18 months but not sure what he is doing. 

Depending on exactly what you want to do post graduation there are a range of options open. A former client, marine insurer, had all their claims staff either as lawyers or extensive maritime careers. They struggled attracting new talent as being central London they were up against the big law firms who promised massively higher salaries (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/24/graduates-earn-125000-london-battles-america-top-legal-talent/) but also a different level of pressure and stress. 

There are small elements that are interesting but its a cut throat world and have seen the crazy hours put in by the lawyers to deals when its getting to execution time (and its not he senior partners doing the 120hr weeks)

You've picked up on a 2 yr old thread

Be much more interesting to know what OP is doing now! So if @Dd88 is still around...

Apparently hasn't been active since their last post on this thread