A career in law, where do I begin?

There are now so many routes into the legal profession; by securing a training contract or pupillage after university, working as a paralegal, completing CILEX to become a Chartered Legal Executive, and of course, embarking on a legal apprenticeship which gives you the ability to become a paralegal or solicitor by combining work with study.

Before deciding on your route it is a good idea to research the different legal careers and see what their day-to-day life is like, as every role has different working styles, responsibilities and tasks.

I am a paralegal apprentice and this means we spend most of our week in our teams, but have Mondays to study online at BPP University. The course lasts two years and we have studied a wide variety of topics throughout our apprenticeship; the English Legal System, Contract Law, Tort Law, Dispute Resolution as well as completing coursework in areas like Client Care, Legal Research and Professional Practice Skills.

At the end of the apprenticeship we receive two awards: a BPP Level 3 Certificate of Higher Education in Legal Practice, as well as a CILEX Level 3 Diploma.

Whatever route you choose, one of the best ways to get a career in law is by taking an interest in it; keep up to date with legal news on websites such as The Law Society Gazette. Another tip is to keep up to date with business news – this will improve your commercial awareness which in other words means ‘to think like a business’. Commercial awareness is a key skill for a lawyer to have as you will be in a better position to advise clients and understand their situation.