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There are six clear options once you have finished your degree and most require you to take action at least nine months before you the end of your degree. I would suggest you try to get things organised before the Christmas of your final year as an undergraduate because in the New Year things will be really busy until you finish.

Your options are: the Legal Practice Course (LPC), the Bar Professional Training Course BPTC, the LLM, the Graduate fast track Diploma, the MA or another professional qualification.

If you are unsure there is no reason why you can’t begin to prepare for a couple of different routes and make a decision later in the year. 

The Legal Practice Course

This is by far the most popular choice for law graduates who wish to pursue a legal career. Around half opting to take this course -it is, of course, the route to take if you want to be a solicitor.

It is an expensive course and it does not guarantee you a job at the end of it and at least one third will not be able to find a training contract. On the other hand most people will eventually obtain a training contract and begin their life a solicitor. Trainees will be earning at least £16,500 outside London and up to £100,000, handily this is just over the threshold required to start paying off your student loan!

The Bar Professional Training Course

The barristers route. If you are umming and arrhhing over whether to take this course I would not advise it. You should really only pursue the BPTC if being a barrister is something you aspire to and you have a real passion for. It is expensive and extremely competitive.

You also have the option of perhaps trying to get a bit of experience and trying to find a pupillage before beginning this course which will give you some time to make up your mind. Also, it’s worth mentioning that lots of people will still refer to this as the BVC for the next year or so since its name change this year.

LLM

A law masters is always another good option for further specialisation. We have a good article from the perspective of a graduate recruiter on LLMs and I think Hannah sums it up well by stating two good reasons for doing a master and two not to.

Good reasons: A genuine interest in the subject matter or having secured a training contract you want to do something to keep the brain in shape if you have to wait a year before your contract begins.

Bad reasons: You don’t really know what to do next or you are making up for a poor degree mark.

So I guess if you are in the latter group I wouldn’t suggest it is for you, whilst if you are in the former then go for it with the added bonus of another year at university!

Graduate fast track Diploma

The Legal executives are another type of lawyer and this is another realistic possibility for law graduates. The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) offers a graduate course, where you can, as the name suggests, be fast tracked to become a Legal Executive.

You are required to take a few of the ILEX – level 6 courses and then, following a requisite period of time in the job, you will become a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executive, in other words you will be a Legal Executive.

Since 2007 their status has been elevated and now Legal Executives do much of the same work as Solicitors. They can, in fact now become partners in LLPs and they can also become judges. This route is much cheaper than any of the other routes but many legal executives do earn more than their solicitors counterparts.

The other bonus is that Legal Executives can apply to become solicitors with the advantage of not having to complete a training contract.

MA

Just because you have been doing law for the last three or four years does not mean you are limited to law. A standard masters degree has value for a whole bunch of different reasons.

A master’s degree in another discipline can be an asset when looking for a training contract. For example, an applicant with a keen interest and knowledge of international business demonstrated in the form of a masters degree would be a great asset for any candidate applying for an international law firm.  Remember it would only be a bonus for a firm, it is not a requisite component of a candidate.

Doing a masters degree in another discipline is also useful if you would like to pursue a non-law degree. A master’s degree will give you the opportunity to explore subjects you have a strong interest in and want to learn more about. It will open doors into other professions and fields and show potential future employers your commitment to that discipline.

The amount of value it adds will depend on the career you hope to pursue as a result of your masters degree and should be researched beforehand. A few emails to HR departments could save time and money if you find they would be happy to accept you just as you are.

Overall, the same advice applies for the LLM as it does for a standard masters and it comes down to why you are doing it and what value it might or might not add. Some people think that it is better to wait a few years before beginning a masters degree once you know exactly what area you would like to specialise in - this should definitely be considered.

Other Professional Training

You might have decided through work experience and summer jobs that you are better suited for a different type of career; that might be accountancy, teaching or plumbing. Whatever it might be there are a whole plethora of different courses. You are most likely to be in your early twenties at the end of your degree, time is on your side.

You shouldn’t feel that just because you committed three or four years to law you have to stick with it. It is an option to start again, of course you need to be sensible with the costs, but worries about starting your career can wait in my opinion. The retirement aged has just risen to 66 with an aging population we can expect it to rise again in our life time.

That is a long time to start a career and get established, spending a few years getting on the right path will definitely be worth it.

Final points...

There are a load of options available, maybe too much choice. Sometimes I think it would be easier to have less choice but as long as you get the right information and act in advance you will be able to make better choices. If you are confused about what might be best for you, post your query in the forum to hear the thoughts and opinions from the rest of our community.

Jack AllAboutLaw

10-10-2009