Listen to our Career Zone podcast Law mini-series, where our Employability and Career Consultants for the Law School, talk to Law sector professionals about their career experiences.
Look at this and other profiles from our Alumni database Olga Zalewska - Alumni and Joseph Shoko Student Profiles
Law School students can self-book appointments in Handshake. Select Law School as the category and then choose the appointment type.
Law and Legal Services
The legal profession in the UK is renowned for its rich history, rigorous standards, and diverse opportunities. It encompasses a broad range of specialisations, from corporate law and criminal justice to human rights and environmental law. As a law professional, you will have the chance to make a tangible impact on society, uphold justice, and advocate for individuals and organisations.
In the UK, the legal sector is divided into two main branches: solicitors and barristers. Solicitors provide legal advice, prepare documents, and may represent clients in lower courts, while barristers specialise in advocacy and represent clients in higher courts.
The path to becoming a solicitor or barrister can be a long and competitive one that involves academic and vocational training. Typically, this includes completing a qualifying law degree or a non-law degree followed by a conversion course, passing the required professional exams, and undertaking practical training through qualifying work experience (QWE) or pupillage.
Beyond the traditional roles of solicitors and barristers, the legal sector offers a variety of other career paths. You can become a legal executive, paralegal, or chartered legal executive, each playing a crucial role in supporting legal processes and delivering justice.
The following pages are designed to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the legal sector and how to achieve your career goals.
If you are interested in this area of work, these sectors might also be of interest to you:
- Politics, Government and Public Sector
- Charities, NGOs, Development work and International Relations.
If you would like to do further research into this sector, the following webpages may be useful.
- Reality check - this page outlines the costs involved in qualifying, and the level of competition when applying to work in the legal sector.
- Facts and figures - interesting figures on various topics to aid your decision making, including salaries, number of applications per law firm and more.
- The Legal 500 Future Lawyers - Bar Guide - Provides an in-depth look at the realities of the Bar, from pupils and junior barristers.
- SRA | Becoming a solicitor | Solicitors Regulation Authority.
- Legal Cheek - law firm insight, news, careers, events.
- Law | Prospects.ac.uk A primary and comprehensive source of information to help you learn more about the sector.
Making contacts is essential for success in this and other sectors. Many jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start by speaking with the experts, find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice.
- Connect with experienced legal professionals via the Career Mentor Scheme.
- Ask An Alum - A fuss-free way to connect with University of Exeter alumni to ask careers questions.
- Attend the Law Fair where you can meet firms and talk with legal recruiters.
- University of Exeter LinkedIn Alumni Tool - this tool allows you to find graduates from your discipline and see their current role and employer. Learn how to use this tool by visiting our LinkedIn page.
- Grow Mentoring – registered charity aiming to advance social mobility, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
The Networking and making Career Connections pages will help you to build your confidence and learn how to reach out to others for valuable insights into their experiences in the role.
Recruitment fairs, careers fairs, open days, talks, and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. For details of future events visit Handshake. If you have not yet activated your account, select the Single Sign On (SSO) option and follow the onscreen instructions.
Other annual events of interest include:
Law Fair
Every autumn, the Career Zone runs an annual Law Fair. The fair is open to all students, regardless of their year group or discipline, everyone is welcome. Students from the Penryn Campus can book your place to attend the Law Fair on the Streatham Campus via Handshake.
Law firm open days and insight schemes
Many law firms run open days/insight days for undergraduates and graduates, both from law and non-law degrees. These involve you spending a day at a law firm, where you will usually attend talks from experienced lawyers, trainees and/or the firm’s graduate recruitment team. Open days and insight schemes are a great way to get to know a firm and make contacts. Some of these opportunities are aimed at specific year groups or non-law students/graduates. You can find details of these days on firms’ websites or by using the links below:
Also look out for on-theme events from your law societies such as Women in law.
Many major graduate recruiters have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting graduates from diverse backgrounds. To find out the policies and attitudes of employers that you are interested in, explore their equality and diversity policies and see if they offer ‘Guaranteed Interview Schemes’ (for disabled applicants) or are recognised for their policy by such indicators as ‘Mindful Employer’ or as a ‘Stonewalls Diversity Champion’. You may find the following website useful.
- Aspiring Solicitors - their primary aim is to increase diversity in the legal profession.
- Welcome – Young Legal Aid Lawyers - to promote the interests of new entrants and junior lawyers and to increase social mobility and diversity within the legal aid sector.
- Black Lawyers Directory - includes Black Letter Law publication, which showcases the achievements of Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities within the legal profession. Also provides networking, training and much more.
- Discuss Programme - aimed at students from lower socioeconomic groups who are interested in commercial law. The programme is open to students from any discipline in their first year or second year of a four-year course at any university.
- The Law Society Diversity Access Scheme - scholarship programme designed to address key barriers to the solicitors’ profession faced by those from less advantaged backgrounds.
- AllAboutLaw mini pupillages support with funding - information about support with funding for mini pupillages.
- Bridging the bar are committed to increasing the equality of access to opportunities within the legal profession across all underrepresented groups. They focus on how to help diverse candidates achieve pupillage through their academy.
- Speed mooting founded by Criminal Barrister John Dove, this is a speed mooting and advocacy club aiming to increase diversity and inclusion in mooting.
- Diversity Access Schemes - lists many diversity and access schemes.
UK law protects you from discrimination due to your age, gender, race, religion or beliefs, disability or sexual orientation and more. For further information on the Equality Act and to find out where and how you are protected, as well as information on what you need to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, visit the Government’s webpages on discrimination.
To learn more about how to share details of a disability with an employer and the support you can receive applying for jobs and work experience visit our equality and diversity page.
Further information
- upReach supports students from less-advantaged backgrounds to access top graduate jobs, including within the legal sector, through mentoring and skills development.
Action
Explore roles in the sector by visiting the area of work below. Each profile covers typical duties and responsibilities, entry requirements, key skills required, professional development opportunities and links to finding both work experience and graduate roles.
