Alternative Careers To Law Series: top alternative careers to traditional legal careers

This is a question that law students and law graduates often contemplate. It may not be a question that tiger parents consider (since they may expect their kids to become lawyers!) but in this day and age with the advent of more awareness about mental health and the impact of AI and other factors, the smart move is to consider alternative careers in tandem with legal career options.

Supply vs Demand

In addition to law students, there are also many students studying other subjects of interest who then study law conversion courses with the aim to “qualify” as a lawyer. To add to the mix, there are also lawyers who then switch careers from or to being a lawyer later on due to personal circumstances or preferences.

If we look at the statistics* in 2022, there were 26,290 students accepted to study law in the UK (these consisted of both UK and international students). On top of that will be students studying law conversion courses. Conversely, there are about 5,500 training contracts available every year in the UK**. Whilst some international students may opt to qualify or pursue other avenues in their home or other countries or some law graduates will opt to pursue a career as a barrister, this means that there is probably still an oversupply of law graduates who must consider other interim or permanent career options.

Fortunately, a UK or Hong Kong law degree opens up a wide array of career opportunities beyond the traditional routes of becoming a solicitor or barrister. The skills you develop during your legal studies—such as critical thinking, research, and communication — are highly valued in many fields. Here are some exciting career paths you can pursue with a law degree.

The alternative legal careers are non-exhaustive and just shows a small selection of the types of roles that can be considered:

Legal Roles

Solicitor in Private Practice (Law Firms): Solicitors provide legal advice, prepare legal documents, and represent clients in negotiations and some courts. They often specialize in areas like corporate law, banking law or commercial or construction litigation or in general practice areas like conveyancing, family law, wills and probate law or criminal law.
Barrister: Barristers represent clients in higher courts and provide specialist legal opinions. They are typically self-employed and work in chambers. Their direct clients are Solicitor firms who engage their expertise in advisory and/or advocacy.

In-House Legal Counsel: Many large corporations as well as Government/regulatory bodies employ in-house lawyers to handle their legal matters, including contracts, compliance, and litigation. Some even offer training contracts

Legal Consultant: Legal consultants provide expert advice on specific legal issues, often working on a freelance basis or for consulting firms.

Contract lawyer / Fractional GC / Fractional Counsel: in great demand across the legal markets in the UK and the US, these roles are increasingly becoming more common in Asia. Companies with limited budget and looking to scale up or needing enough legal "hand holding" to keep their business on top of their legal and regulatory requirements, are now appreciating the benefits that either a contract lawyer or a fractional lawyer brings to their business. As the name suggests, a contract lawyer is an outsourced lawyer who dedicates their entire time to the business for a fixed contract period, say six months, often to cover for maternity or other long term leave; fractional lawyers are available for a finite or indefinite period but offering their services on a part-time basis, say one or two days a week. Such roles are often mid-senior lawyers who have gained the golden 10,000 hours of work in their area of expertise. Other flexible working arrangements are avaiable for other professionals, and many of these are available via our sister company, Yuzu ALSP. 

Alternative Legal Careers

Paralegal: Paralegals support lawyers by conducting research, drafting documents, and managing case files. This role can be a stepping stone to becoming a solicitor or barrister, but equally can be a rewarding and long term career path for many law graduates to pursue. For stable, career paralegals who stay with the same organisation, there is often the opportunity to be promoted to a legal executive or legal manager, and in some cases, being offred a training contract for their work, dedication, and ability.  

How to get started as a paralegal? For law students and graduates, consider gaining traction with a contract paralegal role, apply here with our sister company, Yuzu ALSP: https://www.careers-page.com/star-anise/job/QWYXW896

Legal Executive: Legal executives specialize in a particular area of law and perform similar work to solicitors but with a focus on specific legal tasks.

Contract Manager: Contract managers oversee and manage the contracts through their cycle.
Mediator: Mediators help resolve disputes outside of court by facilitating negotiations between parties. This role requires strong communication and conflict resolution skills.

Arbitrator: Arbitrators act as neutral third parties to resolve disputes through arbitration, a process similar to a court trial but typically less formal.

Non-Legal Careers 

Business: Management trainees usually rotate through departments of large organisations before moving in to an area of interest within an organisation. Legal knowledge will assist with your communication and analytical skills to further your management career.

Start up/Entrepreneurs: Start up entrepreneurs usually operate initially on a shoestring so having a legal background can boost your ability to navigate laws to protect your company without having to incur substantial legal fees.

Policy Analyst: Policy analysts research and develop policies for government agencies, regulatory bodies, think tanks, and non-profits. They use their legal knowledge to assess the impact of laws and regulations.
Journalist/Editorial: Legal journalists report on legal issues, court cases, and legislative developments. Their legal background helps them hone in on issues and understand and explain complex legal matters to the public in a succinct manner. 

Human Resources Manager: HR managers handle employment law issues, employee relations, and compliance with labour regulations. A law degree is particularly useful in navigating these legal aspects.

Recruitment/Talent Acquisition: Recruiters often need to negotiate terms of employment and commercial terms of business. Some legal knowledge will assist with winning business, negotiating terms of business and in successfully closing placements.

Business Development: Many organisations including law firms have a business development function which identifies and creates growth opportunities for them. Having a legal background will assist with your credibility and subject matter knowledge.

Claims Management: Claims professionals will oversee a claim for insurance companies. A legal background will assist with your interpretation of insurance policies and other documentation as well as your claims resolution.

Management Consultant: Management consultants advise organizations on improving efficiency and solving business problems. Legal knowledge can be valuable in areas like regulatory compliance and risk management.

Estate Agent: Real estate agents assist clients in buying, selling, or renting properties. Legal knowledge is advantageous for reviewing contracts and understanding property laws.
Diplomatic Service: Diplomats represent their country abroad, negotiate treaties, and handle international relations. A law degree is useful for understanding international law and diplomacy.
Academia: Law graduates can pursue careers in academia as lecturers, researchers, or professors, contributing to legal scholarship and educating future lawyers.

Emerging Fields

Compliance Officer: Compliance officers ensure that organizations adhere to laws and regulations. This role is increasingly essential in industries like finance, healthcare and technology.

Risk Officer: Risk officers identify, analyse appraise and mitigate legal and other risks for organisations.
Data Privacy Officer: With the rise of data protection laws, data privacy officers help organisations comply with regulations like GDPR, ensuring the ethical handling of personal data.

Environmental Consultant: Environmental consultants advise on legal and regulatory issues related to environmental protection, sustainability, and compliance with environmental laws.

Legal Technologist: Legal technologists play a crucial role in integrating technology into legal practices to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Legal Operations: Legal operations plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of a legal department.

Executive Coaches: There is a rise in executive coaches and trainers with a legal background. Just like sporting professionals needing coaching, so do lawyers and other professionals.

Conclusion

A law degree provides a strong foundation for a diverse range of careers. Whether you choose to practice law or explore alternative paths, the analytical, research, and communication skills you develop will serve you well in many professions. The key is to identify your interests and strengths, and to seek out opportunities that align with these as well as your career goals.

If you have any questions or need further guidance on career options with a law degree, feel free to ask law graduates about their legal or non-legal careers! Remember that a legal career is not a be all and end all career. Our own directors switched from law to business.

Resources:

https://www.thelawyerportal.com/careers/deciding-on-law/law-statistics-and-facts/

https://www.allaboutlaw.co.uk/law-careers/training-contract/how-hard-is-it-to-get-a-training-contract-