Many people dream of starting a legal career. Whether you want to work as a lawyer, or in a support role, there are lots of interesting career options available in this industry. While getting into a legal career can be a long process, there are ways you can change careers while still working, and nowadays, there are different paths to get into legal work depending on your current skills and experience.
Get a law degree
No matter what area you live in, it’s likely you’ll need an undergraduate law degree to start any sort of legal career. You could look at JCU’s Bachelor of Law degree which is an excellent foundation for all sorts of legal jobs, and teaches you everything you need to know to get to the next step.
Get work experience
Most legal careers will require you to have work experience in a legal setting, and many trainee lawyers start off by shadowing a qualified lawyer, then slowly taking on more responsibilities. This can also show you what to expect in your future chosen career, and in some cases, may lead you towards a different career path.
Check out local requirements
If you plan to practice as a lawyer, you should check out what the legal requirements are in your area. They may include:
- Doing a master’s degree or going to law school
- Taking an entrance exam
- Doing a certain number of supervised work hours
- Going before a registration panel
The process to working as a lawyer can be long, but it’s essential to ensure that you have the right skills and qualifications and can give people the right advice. After graduating, it usually takes a few years to become a lawyer, longer if you study part-time, so you may want to also consider other legal related careers such as working as a paralegal if you aren’t keen on studying for so long.
Legal careers can be interesting and financially rewarding, so it’s no surprise that so many people want to make this change. If you are willing to put the work in and study, then you could become a lawyer, but there are also many other career options for those with a legal degree. It’s ultimately up to you which path you choose and whether you decide to work with the public, or prefer to do something that’s behind the scenes and administrative. Luckily, you have time to decide while you study.
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