Life as a City solicitor?

Hey, previously I'd looked into doing Law at uni, and subsequently trying for a training contract at a City firm, but I've begun to have doubts.
There's a lot of negative stereotypes and rumours that I hear about the profession, and 'the City' in general, people loathing their job etc.
Does anyone have any advice to give in this particular situation? My concern is, if I do law at uni and enter a firm, only to find I hate it, then I wouldn't have much of a way out.
Any anecdotes/advice/experience - positive or negative - please?

My previous thread might help explain my situation a little clearer.

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Reply 1

_Katie

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2488481&p=44781088#post44781088

This may help explain.

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Reply 2

Key123

My advice is that you're too young to get bogged down worrying about all the detail.

You like the look of law? Study it. You don't? Don't.

Every degree gives you more than one option. Just because you do an LLB doesn't mean you must become a lawyer.

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Reply 3

_Katie

Original post by Key123

I understand that there is technically more than one option with a law degree - but they are generally all other similar professions within the city. If I were to hate it, what could I actually do that is still a respected profession outside of that environment?

Reply 4

Katie_p

For a start, you're much more likely to be in a High Street firm than City if you did decide to practise Law, as the City is where the "best lawyers" go and is more competitive (which contributes to the atmosphere you have indicated you might not like).
Law is a really diverse subject, so if you are interested, do a bit more research and if you still think it sounds good, study it, and try to get some experience in a firm. I'd really try to get city AND small firm experience, because it's a completely different way of working, and you might love one and hate the other. If neither is for you and you don't want to practice in the end, your careers service will be able to give suggestions, but there are plenty of things you can do with a law degree.

Reply 5

nulli tertius

Original post by _Katie

I understand that there is technically more than one option with a law degree - but they are generally all other similar professions within the city.

Do you really think that being a probate and trust lawyer in Whitby will be very similar to the City?

Reply 6

_Katie

No - but I don't think it sounds very appealing either.

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Reply 7

nulli tertius

Original post by _Katie

No - but I don't think it sounds very appealing either.

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I have now read your other thread and I think your problem is that you have a very narrow view of what careers exist; seemingly limited to "the City" by which I think you mean banking; city solicitor and doctor.

I think you should spend some time looking round the Prospects website

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/

Reply 8

lyrical_lie

Hey I'm a fourth year law student and from personal experience most of our ideas change as we go through uni and learn new things. I always had it in my head I wanted to do family law and that I hated criminal. I have now had lots of work experience in a criminal firm and I'm most interested in Intellectual Property. I wouldn't have known that before I studied law. I also highly recommend getting some work experience in a law firm so you can get the feel for it. Additionally I would worry firstly about getting into uni never mind assuming you would get the choice to work in "The City" before you even study the subject.

Original post by _Katie

Hey

Reply 9

Le Nombre

Original post by _Katie

No - but I don't think it sounds very appealing either.

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What?!? But Whitby is probably the only legal community where you can take on board a client's view on their own probate, and with a view to a long term relationship! Saying that I'm not sure how good the undead are at paying their fees and it is a very dangerous locale for a property lawyer and their spouse.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 10

arguendo

law degree =/= necessarily 'city solicitor'

whether you want to be a solicitor or barrister, you have a wide range of areas within which you can work. reading your other thread, you say you want to help people; have you ever known anyone when they were desperately in need of legal advice? are you aware of legal aid (what's left of it) and pro bono work?

currently battling an awful hangover, so this is not going to be my most coherent post (apologies).

1) legal practice is not exclusively commercial firms. it might be what interests you when you come to applying for TCs, and that's great. but it also might not, and there are other areas of law. i'm inferring from 'city solicitor' that you're thinking commercial firms.
2) legal practice is not exclusively 'city solicitors' - you choose whether you want to work in a firm that fits that stereotype. you have the option of high street and boutique firms, in-house work, regional firms, government legal service etc.

it seems that your query is not with the academic study of law, but that you perceive only one professional career out of it. my advice is very much to cross that bridge when you come to it. i have friends with law degrees working within civil service (policy), NGOs (policy and campaigning), academia (both research and teaching), the bar, as solicitors (at regional and commercial firms in london), international organisations and courts, finance, motorsports, EU institutions, recruitment, accountancy, publishing... you get a law degree, you do what you want with it. you're really not limited at all - a law degree provides access to a wide range of careers.

i'm sure you're also aware that a law degree is not a pre-requisite for a legal career; there is the GDL for non-law graduates. my point is to study what you want to - if law is the subject you would most enjoy studying, then great - do it. it doesn't have to lead to a TC and qualification at a city firm. if law isn't what you want to study, in your heart of hearts - great. a legal career is still open to you if you want it. study what you want; you're in the beginning of your AS year - you don't need to have all the answers yet.

i'd also suggest that you might want to look into work experience, if you haven't yet. i think that some of the big london commercial firms now do work experience schemes for sixth form students - i have no idea which, but it's an option that you might want to look into to get a feel for yourself as to what the environment is like; if that is an important factor in your university decision (although i maintain my previous points) then perhaps do it.