Alternative Legal Professions

When considering a legal career look beyond solicitorLink opens in a new window and barrister.Link opens in a new window Have you thought about working in-house or training into one of the other legal professions? There are great careers in other legal settings or where your law degree will be highly relevant. Here's some suggestions and resources.

In House Lawyers

In-house lawyers work for a single employer i.e. a business, the government, local authorities, a charity. The employer is their only client. Lawyers working in-house' are often referred to as Counsel.

Find our more:

Specialist In-House websites:

House Rules
Podcasts with in-house lawyers, how to get in, mentoring and more. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter.
https://houseruleslaw.com/
Inhoco
Career insight and opportunities. Signup for a free weekly newsletter.
https://www.inhoco.uk/Link opens in a new window

Read more about in-house law:

InclusieClub – focuses on hidden opportunities which often includes in-house ones. Currently a weekly newsletterLink opens in a new window.

Professional Societies

The Law Society Commerce & Industry Group (C&I Group) represents solicitors in industry.  www.cigroup.org.uk
Bar Association for Commerce, Finance and Industry (BACFI) represent barristers in employment.   www.bacfi.orgLink opens in a new window

Legal Professions

Chartered Legal Executive
CILEX Lawyers are fully qualified, regulated legal professionals in England and Wales, who specialise in a specific area of law and practise with equivalence to a solicitor. They work in a law firms, in-house legal teams and local government and can also become a partner, a coroner and a judge.
Training is usually done whilst working and is considerably cheaper than SQE and there is a graduate pathway. Once qualified as a CLE you can continue learning to become a solicitor if you wish.
Find out more
http://www.cilex.org.uk/Link opens in a new window
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/chartered-legal-executive-england-and-wales/Link opens in a new window

Costs Lawyer
Costs lawyers are regulated legal professionals who specialise in law relating to legal costs. Theyensure that a firm’s clients are properly charged for work undertaken and may also be involved with mediation, arbitration and litigation when costs are disputed and they have rights of audience in courts.You'll need to have knowledge of all areas of legal practice to work as a costs lawyer. The facts and procedure followed in each case will be different, which will allow you to use and develop different skills and build your legal knowledge. Training normally takes place whilst working in a relevant role.
Find out more
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/costs-lawyer/Link opens in a new window
Home - Association of Costs LawyersLink opens in a new window

Licensed Conveyancer
Licensed Conveyancers are qualified, professional property lawyers who specialise in the legal aspects surrounding buying and selling property in England and Wales. They are also Commissioners for Oaths, which means they have legal authority to administer and witness official documents e.g. affidavits to swear that a statement is the truth.
Licensed Conveyancers can work in a range of setting including law firms, housing associations and local authorities, banks and building societies, property development companies and even railways and airports.
Find out more
https://www.clc-uk.org/trainees/become-a-clc-lawyer/licensed-conveyancer/Link opens in a new window

Notary/Notary Public
This is the third oldest legal profession in the UK.
A Notary is a qualified lawyer whose work is recognised internationally.The primary function is the preparation of documents and authentication of clients’ identities and signatures principally for use abroad. They work with commercial firms engaged in international trade and private individuals. Notaries are also able to practice in non-contentious areas such as conveyancing and probate.
There are approx. 800 Notaries in England &Wales. Some solicitors / barristers additionally qualify as a Notary so that they can provide an extra service to their clients.
Find out more
www.thenotariessociety.org.ukLink opens in a new window

Scrivener Notary
This is a very small legal profession with just 4 firms in London.
Scrivener notaries are trained in advanced aspects of notarial practice and at least two foreign languages. There is a preference for European languages, Mandarin, Arabic and Turkish.
The work is international and commercial in nature.Training requires legal and linguistic qualificationandtakes 4 years. However, you workwill be earning as youtrainand study together. Training also includes6 months working in a notary office in acountry usingthe language you are learning.Trainee positions are usually advertised on the firms’ own websites and applications are usually by way of CV and letter. This is not a long and complicated recruitment process but you will need to keep an eye on the firms’ websites for the entirety of your final year (and beyond) as there is no standard time when they will recruit – some firms seem to do it in autumn and others in spring; some may recruit bi-annually.A couple of firmsregularlyrecruitsparalegals.
Find out more
https://scrivener-notaries.org.uk/scrivener-notaries/ Link opens in a new window

Chartered Trade Mark Attorney
Working with individuals and businesses, from SMEs to big multi-nationals, CTMAs help identify, protect and exploit intellectual property (IP). They may manage large portfolios of trade marks and other IP such as designs, copyright and domain names. They manage the life of a trade mark, from advising on whether a particular brand or logo can be legally used and registered, to managing any disputes, through to renewing the rights. You can work for law firms or in-house. In order to qualify as a trade mark attorney, you'll need to complete a minimum of two years' on-the-job training in trade mark legal practice, study part time for two postgraduate qualifications and also register with the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA).
Find out more
https://www.citma.org.uk/Link opens in a new window
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/trade-mark-attorney/Link opens in a new window
https://careersinideas.org.uk/Link opens in a new window

Patent attorney
Patent attorneys assess whether inventions are new and innovative, and therefore eligible to be patented. Degrees in science, engineering, technical or mathematics-based subjects are usually required.
Find out more
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/patent-attorney/Link opens in a new window
https://www.cipa.org.uk/Link opens in a new window
https://careersinideas.org.uk/Link opens in a new window

Other Careers in the law

Nb: Those most relevant to law graduates seeking a legal career are in BOLD CAPITALS

ARBITRATOR
Abritrators act as neutral third parties within the framework of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The arbitration process is used, voluntarily, by many individuals and businesses, to resolve legal disputes outside the courts in the UK and internationally. Abritrators are often self-employed but may work for a law firm, barristers chambers, charity or other organisation. It is a growing profession. Entry into the profession usually requires some experience.
Find out more
https://www.ciarb.org/work-for-us/Link opens in a new window
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/arbitratorLink opens in a new window

BARRISTERS’ CLERK
A barristers' clerk is responsible for managing the practice and business activities of the barristers within a set of barristers' chambers. It is a demanding role, crucial to the smooth running and success of chambers
Find out more
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/barristers-clerkLink opens in a new window

COMPLIANCE
Compliance careers in the UK offer a range of opportunities across various industries, including finance, healthcare, and technology. Compliance Officers are responsible for ensuring that organizations operate within the law and adhere to regulatory requirements and internal policies. They play a critical role in financial services, healthcare, and any regulated industry, combining legal knowledge with risk management and business acumen.
Find out more
https://www.efinancialcareers.co.uk/news/2022/07/how-to-get-a-job-in-complianceLink opens in a new window
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/compliance-officer/Link opens in a new window
https://www.careersinaudit.com/compliance/Link opens in a new window

COMPANY SECRETARY
A Company Secretary is a governance professional who supports and advises the boards of organisations in public, privates and not-for-profit sectors. It is their responsibility to help directors and trustees to keep organisations true to their strategic purpose and ensure they operate within the law. You’ll work at the at boardroom level on all the important events including things such as mergers or winding up subsidiaries. It’s a combination of business strategy, finance, law & regulation.
Some companies offer graduate training schemes.
Find out more
The Chartered Governance Institute UK & IrelandLink opens in a new window - https://www.cgi.org.uk/Link opens in a new window

COURT USHER
Court Ushers escort judges to and from court, prepare and close courtrooms, carry out court duties i.e. obtain names of legal representatives, prepare court lists, maintaining order in the courtroom, administer oaths in court, and hand round exhibits.
Find out more
https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgiLink opens in a new window

HUMAN RESOURCES
A law degree is particularly relevant to a career in HR where you will need to know about Employment Law. Law firms will also employer HR staff to recruit solicitors, trainees and other staff.
Find out more
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/human-resources-officer/

INSURANCE & FINANCIAL PLANNING
Law graduates are in demand in these industries which offer a strong legal element.
Find out more
ciistepforward.co.ukLink opens in a new window

JUDICIAL ASSISTANT
Assists in the preparation of appeals for hearings, analyses appeal papers, conducts legal research and drafts case summaries.
Find out more
https://www.supremecourt.uk/about/ja-recruitment.htmlLink opens in a new window

LAW COMMISSION RESEARCH ASSISTANT
The Law Commission runs and annual recruitment campaign for legal researchers to work on legal review and reform projects. Posts last for 12-24 months. Researchers get a lot of exposure to policy and political processes and come into contact with some very senior people. Recruitment tends to favour LLM graduates but LLB graduates do occasionally succeed.
Find out more
https://lawcom.gov.uk/role-overview/

LAW FIRMS
Graduate non-lawyer roles
Some larger commercial law firms now recruit graduates into formal graduate schemes to train in a range of business functions. The opportunities may be single focus or allow you to rotate into different functions over the course of the training. Areas can include HR, technology, business operations and more. Follow the graduate vacancies listings to find these positions.

LEGAL CASHIERS
Legal Cashiers usually work in solicitors’ practices. They keep financial records and keep solicitors informed of the financial position of the firm:
Find out more
http://www.ilfm.org.uk/site/about/Link opens in a new window

LEGAL SECRETARY
Legal Secretaries provide secretarial and clerical support to solicitors, barristers and the law courts. They need strong administrative skills – often backed up by legal secretary training.
Find out more
https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/Link opens in a new window

LEGAL TECHNOLOGIST
This is a growing area of work and there is a whole website dedicated to this which includes profiles of the variety of careers in this arena.
Find out more
https://lawtomated.com/careers/Link opens in a new window

MEDIATOR
Mediators help to resolve and reach acceptable outcomes from legal, family or employment disputes.
Find out more
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/mediatorLink opens in a new window
https://civilmediation.org/

PARALEGAL
Paralegals carry out legal tasks and services, such as research, drafting and preparing legal documents, and giving some legal advice. Law graduate will often paralegal in the ‘gap’ between degree and formal legal training. You can be employed as a paralegal in a firm of solicitors, a paralegal law firm, a set of chambers, in the private and public sector, within government or industry, or for not-for-profit organisations and charities.
Find out more
http://www.theiop.org/Link opens in a new window
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/paralegal/Link opens in a new window

UNITED NATIONS
Legal job openings at the Office of Legal Affairs are managed by the United Nations Office for Human Resources Management
Find out more
https://www.un.org/management/content/office-of-human-resourcesLink opens in a new window

You can also use your law degree and legal knowledge in many other jobs. Here’s some suggestions

The Civil Service fast streamLink opens in a new window

Work for an MPLink opens in a new windowor political organisation

FinanceLink opens in a new window

The Police ServiceLink opens in a new window

Social WorkLink opens in a new window

Advice WorkLink opens in a new window

Local Government OfficerLink opens in a new window