Unsure about a career path

You may also want to apply for a summer internships at the British Embassy. Might be a great opportunity to get an insight into policy, economic and diplomacy related work. Similarly, try applying to NGOs / international organisations in your field of interest. WTO comes to mind, if you want to explore the role of trade and development. The ICRC has inernships for students interested in humanitarian issues, particularly in relation to war crimes. Another good way to explore whether you want to focus more on international relations/diplomacy or law is to inern with an international tribunal or court, like the International Court of Justice or International Criminal Court.

Hi! I'm about to start my undergrad degree (PPE @ Notts) so I've been trying to think more seriously about what I want to do after uni. I've flirted with a lot of ideas - from dipolmat to journalist. All I'm certain about is that I want to be in a role where I am helping to reduce inequality in society and help deliver justice. As a result, I am thinking about becoming a criminal/human rights lawyer but I'm unsure about this as all the research I've done hasn't really been that clear. Could someone please help me understand what this type of job would entail & how realistic my chances of being able to do it would be?

Forgive the eye roll, but if I had a pound for every time a student said or wrote something like this I'd be on the Sunday Times Richlist. Don't get me wrong; I'm not going to judge anyone for wanting to help people and make a positive difference in society. The problem with this statement is that it is entirely idealistic, has no grounding in practicality whatsoever, and in and of itself just helps you so little when it comes to deciding what you want to do. It invariably leads to people saying they want to work in crime or human rights, exactly as you have done, when not only are those roles probably nothing like you think they are, but there are many other (and better) ways you can achieve your aim in law. In fairness though, you do say that your research hasn't been clear and you have made this thread looking for that information, so I'll throw out some bullet points. You've been given some helpful information on other areas where you could work, but I'm going to keep this to the law.

First, human rights. It's arguably not a separate area of law at all, rather it is an issue that can crop up in many different areas of law. As a practice area it is niche and something that is very difficult to specifically aim for as a career path. Second, crime. Two issues here. The first is that working as a criminal lawyer (solicitor or barrister) doesn't achieve what you think it does in your head. As a criminal solicitor, you'll often be representing people who either are or who you genuinely believe are guilty. Defending someone that you think is guilty is absolute bread and butter for a criminal practitioner, and it may not be something that you've applied your mind to. As a barrister, you'll also inevitably be prosecuting as well as defending, which is something else that a lot of people in your position don't consider. The reality of the day to day job is also something you need to consider. It is low paid and difficult. That warm and fuzzy feeling that you get when you think about delivering justice is not something you'll be feeling an awful lot when actually doing the job. You'll no doubt get it now and again, and that might be enough to keep you going, but it's so important before you aim for a career in criminal law that you seriously inform yourself as to the practicalities of working in that area.

Third, there are other and arguably better practice areas for your ideology. As an employment lawyer you would represent vulnerable employees who have lost their jobs or suffered discrimination, or even small companies facing spurious claims. As a housing lawyer you would represent vulnerable individuals who potentially face eviction, or who live in poor conditions. As an immigration lawyer you would represent those who face deportation. As an education lawyer you could represent children with special educational needs and work to secure the right provision for them. I have many more examples, but I think you get the point. The advice is to ensure that, even if you fully hold on to that ideology, you need to broaden your horizons as to how you might achieve that.

Fourth, practical advice. Get some legal work experience and see these things for yourself. Write to local solicitors' firms and ask for work experience. Apply for mini pupillages (work experience) at different barristers' Chambers that do a range of work, including crime. Apply for marshalling (work experience) with a Judge to see how the insight of courts actually work. Go along to your local Magistrates or Crown Court (when they reopen) and just sit in the public gallery and watch some hearings. Rather than just searching the internet for answers, go and get some practical experience of how the legal industry works day to day.

Hopefully that helps to a degree, but if you've actually got any specific questions on the legal side of things, reply to this post and I'll answer them.

Hi, thank you so much for your advice - it was really helpful. Once everything returns back to normal, I will try and arrange some work experience to get a proper insight into the industry and make a more considered decision. One more thing, do you know how the law conversion side of things work? It was one of the first things I looked into but all the acronyms got me confused very quickly

Once you have finished your undergraduate degree you do the GDL as a one year postgraduate course. You then do the LPC and try to secure a training contract if you want to be a solicitor or the BPTC/BTC and try to secure a pupillage if you want to be a barrister.