Five careers for law graduates
Bradford Life

Law degrees are often associated with a career as a lawyer or solicitor. There are also interesting and varied options outside of the obvious. Here are some examples of traditional career paths open to a law graduate.

Some of these roles require further study and work experience.

Barrister

Represent clients in court.

A barrister is a type of lawyer. They specialise in advocacy - pleading the case of their client in front of a court.

Many barristers are self-employed and work in offices called Chambers. Some work at the employed bar for government departments or agencies, such as:

• The Crown Prosecution Service
• The Government Legal Profession

Barrister specialisms include:

• chancery law (trusts and probate)
• commercial law (business and financial disputes)
• civil liberties and human rights
• employment law
• family law

To become a barrister, you'll need to study the postgraduate-level Bar Practice course.

Paralegal

Use your knowledge in a varied legal role.

Paralegals support other law professionals in a range of legal matters. They work in law firms, as well as public, private and not-for-profit organisations.

As a paralegal, you could find yourself performing tasks including:

• preparation of legal documents
• research
• administration
• providing quotes to clients and witnesses
• going to court
• handling client caseloads

Paralegals may specialise in a particular area of the law, such as:

• conveyancing
• dispute resolution
• crime
• employment
• family
• litigation
• personal injury
• wills

After graduating, a Specialist Paralegal Qualification (SPQ) will help you become a paralegal. You could spend time as a paralegal if you're hoping to become a solicitor.

Civil Service

Use your legal knowledge to impact society and government policy.

The Civil Service accepts law graduates hoping to develop their legal knowledge. You could find yourself working on high-profile cases which have an impact on society. You may also use your legal knowledge to help shape government policy.

Development programmes can help you gain experience across different government legal organisations. You could specialise in a particular area such as commercial or employment law.

You can also use your degree as a starting point for a career in Civil Service senior leadership. This is through the Civil Service Fast Stream Accelerated Leadership Development Programme.

Police detective

Solve society's most challenging problems.

The National Detective Programme (NDP) offers graduates the opportunity to build a career in policing. The programme develops resilience, investigative and communication skills. This can help prepare you for a long-term future as a police detective.

As a police detective, you'll learn to make an impact on the lives of people affected by crime. You'll deal with serious crimes, working to bring justice to victims.

Your legal knowledge will provide a basis to build on. The NDP will develop your skills to succeed in this rewarding role. You could also explore other options within the police and prison service.

Solicitor

Provide expert legal support and advice on a range of personal and commercial issues.

As a solicitor, you'll take instruction from clients and advise on courses of legal action. Clients can be individuals, groups, public sector organisations or private companies.

You might work on:

• personal issues
• buying and selling residential property
• landlord and tenant agreements
• wills and probate
• divorce and family matters
• personal injury claims and criminal litigation
• commercial work
• helping new enterprises get established
• advising on complex corporate transactions (including mergers and acquisitions) and business-related disputes
• protecting rights
• making sure individuals are treated fairly and receive compensation if treated unfairly

Further education and professional development may be needed to become a solicitor.

Find our more about our Law courses and apply.