Although a career in law is potentially very rewarding, the current market for legal career opportunities is highly competitive.

Therefore obtaining some form of legal work experience is important for two main reasons:

• It will help you to find out what a career in law is really like and decide whether the law is right for you.
• It will help you to obtain a training contract/pupillage by demonstrating your interest and commitment to the law to potential employers.

As many larger solicitors firms recruit two years in advance, it is worth writing to them now in order to see if they will offer you a work placement or an interview.  Some may pay your GDL course fees (as well as your LPC course fees) if they offer you a training contract so investigate possible funding options with the firms you talk to.

Many firms or barristers chambers will prefer you to be a non-law graduate because of: 

• Your broader knowledge base from previous studies/qualifications
• Your maturity and commitment to a legal career by your positive choice of studying on the GDL after previous degree/career experience
• Your practical, relevant and well-rounded legal knowledge gained by studying the core subjects in context on Nottingham Law School’s GDL and then either the LPC or BVC.

Solicitors vs barristers

Once you’ve decided to pursue a career in the law, the next step is to decide which route to take – solicitor or barrister.
But what are the main differences between the two?

Solicitors
When people need legal advice, they will usually contact a solicitor. Solicitors therefore tend to have a lot of face to face contact with the general public. Most solicitors are employed in private practice, whether they work in large city firms or smaller high street offices. An alternative to private practice is to work in-house for a company, local government, law centres or the civil service. Solicitors also represent their clients in court, usually in the lower courts, but some obtain advocacy rights in higher courts.
Most solicitors are employed, working under the supervision of a partner or senior assistant solicitor, and receive a fixed salary.

Barristers
Barristers act on instructions from solicitors. They therefore have little or no contact with the general public.

Barristers perform two main roles:

• They give opinions on complex matters of law.
• They provide a specialist advocacy service.

Most barristers are self-employed, working within a set of chambers and are known as tenants. New tenants may be expected to pay towards the cost of running the chambers.

Find out more about the courses we offer to support your chosen law career path:
Graduate Diploma in Law course overview
Legal Practice Course overview
Bar Professional Training Course overview

If you are unsure which course you need to do view our Routes to Qualification information.