My main areas of practice are private client and residential conveyancing. The question a lot of trainees ask themselves during their training period, is what area to qualify into. Some may already have a good idea and know exactly what they are going to practice. Equally, quite a number, like myself, will be less sure and will be dipping their feet into different areas during their training contract in order to get an idea of what to go into. It is a big decision as it will affect your career path, your salary, and your overall satisfaction with your work. So how do you choose the right area of law for you?
Here are a few things to consider:
- Your interests. What are you passionate about? What kind of work do you find stimulating and rewarding? If you’re not interested in the subject matter, you’re less likely to be successful in it. I know that some will not have a choice in the firm they are with and it may be a case of sticking with it until you find somewhere that will offer you the role and area you want to go into. I was fortunate that I was doing my training in a firm which settled me into the areas I wanted to practice in and once qualified, I “hit the road running!”
- Your skills and abilities. What are you good at? What kind of work do you enjoy doing? If you have natural talents and abilities in a particular area, you’ll be more likely to succeed in that area of law.
- The job market. What are the job prospects in the area of law you’re interested in? Is there a demand for solicitors with your skills and experience gained during your training period. It is often the case though that the areas of work you want may not be available. More often than not the most popular areas of law like litigation, corporate etc are filled and many companies recruit from within. Some areas of law like conveyancing will have a lot of vacancies as they seem to be areas lacking professionals. Many maybe think this area does not provide as much glory but it is a very highly skilled area, worth going into.
- Your career goals. What do you want to achieve in your career? Do you want to work in a big law firm? Start your own practice? Do public interest work? Your career goals should also factor into your decision about what area of law to specialise in.
Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you can start to narrow down your choices. Just from looking at my own friends who qualified along with me, here are a few of the most popular areas of law I found them going into:-
- Corporate law: This area of law deals with the legal issues that businesses face. Corporate solicitors help businesses with a wide range of matters, such as mergers and acquisitions, securities law, and contract law. Usually big international firms are offering this area and from what my friends have said there can be many perks, but equally a lot is demanded in terms of work hours and dedication to the job.
- Intellectual property law: This area of law protects the creative works and inventions of individuals and businesses. Intellectual property solicitors help clients with copyright, trademark, and patent law.
- Criminal law: This area of law deals with the prosecution and defense of individuals accused of crimes. It can take quite some time to establish yourself so worth getting in early and having a mentor to train and help you as your progress.
- Civil litigation: This area of law deals with disputes between individuals and businesses. Civil litigators represent clients in a wide range of cases, such as personal injury, contract disputes, and employment law as well as land and boundary issues and other matters. Again, worth getting in early and having a mentor to train and help you get to grips with the practicalities of this area of law.
- Family law: This area of law deals with the legal issues that arise from divorce, child custody, and adoption. This area of law can be emotionally charged and very draining but equally rewarding both personally and professionally.
- Residential Conveyancing: Often a forgotten area and treated as a “hobby” by many firms to help bring in revenue quickly and have a cash flow as other areas are “long burners” and often payment could be years down the road whilst in conveyancing it is months. This is a highly specialised area as it takes someone very particular and aware of the nuances of land law in order to do it right. Often trained solicitors in this area are lacking and often as a result things can go wrong.
- Private Client: This area of law deals with Wills, administration of Estates, Probate and advising on Inheritance Tax. Again, a very specialised area of law which takes a lot of time and training to become versed in.
These are just a few of the many areas of law to specialise in. The best way to choose the right area of law for you is to do your research, talk to solicitors in different fields, and shadow solicitors to get a sense of what their work is like. With careful planning and consideration, you can choose an area of law that you’ll be passionate about and that will set you up for a successful career.
Here are some additional tips for deciding what area of law to specialise in:
- Take advantage of your law school resources. Many law schools offer courses and clinics in different areas of law. This is a great way to explore different fields and see what you’re interested in.
- Talk to solicitors or friends in different fields. Ask solicitors and friends you have qualified (or are in the same boat as you) about their work, their career paths, and their jobs. This can give you valuable insights into different areas of law.
- Shadow solicitors. This is a great way to get a firsthand look at what solicitors do in different fields. You could do this in the summer with schemes that run during this time or look for a week here and week there during breaks to get a feel.
- Do your research. Read books and articles about different areas of law. This will help you learn more about the subject matter and the career opportunities in each field.
- Trust your gut. Ultimately, the best way to choose an area of law to practice in is to follow your gut. I have found this to be something to always do – believe me, trust yourself – you will know!