Is the City for you?

A glittering career in law doesn’t always have to start and end at a City law firm. However, to most embarking on a career in law, it may seem like the safest, prestigious and most feasible option. And, of course, there’s also the material influence of the corporate City firm. Law students across the country are effectively bombarded with glossy brochures from international and national law firms before they even sign up for a Career Fair- hence the City’s near monopoly on those entering the Law.

Is there an ‘alternative’ route? Is there even an alternative? Well, yes and yes. If you feel a career in the City is not for you then there are a number of options. Local authorities, government bodies, financial service organisations and large corporates all recruit directly from the LPC, but do this sporadically and, obviously, have far fewer positions going than a multi-national City law firm. This means that a wide pool of law graduates are lost to annual City Law Firm graduate trainee intakes, but they do exist should you have the patience to wait, the ability to stand out of the crowd and the will power to stay away from the City’s bright lights. Typically, those applying for in-house positions feel that both their career and lifestyles will benefit from working outside of the M25. Pay is good, pace of life slower, housing more affordable and work-life balance decidedly more rosy.

Apart from City Councils and other government bodies who may recruit for in-house corporate lawyers, the Crown Prosection Service, the largest employer of criminal lawyers in the public sector , also has various vacancies throughout the year. The CPS is currently recruiting for Anthony Walker Law Scholarship Scheme in tribute to Anthony Walker – and aspiring lawyer who was tragically murdered. The scholarship is open to any black or minority ethnic person who has secured or intends to apply for a place to study the LPC or BVC full-time in the 2008/9 academic year. http://www.cps.gov.uk/working/index.html For the legal trainee scheme please visit: http://www.cps.gov.uk/working/legaltraineeinfo.html

The CPS also offers they type of benefits associated with public sector work such as flexible working, including flexitime, part-time working, job-sharing, and career breaks.
Trainees get responsibilty from day one and benefit from an award-winning training programme which boasts an impressive range of tmentoring opportunities The CPS also offers they type of benefits associated with public sector work such as flexible working, including flexitime, part-time working, job-sharing, and career breaks.

One drawback if you are persuing the ‘alternative’ career path is the ‘catch-22’ scenario associated with Public Sector legal work. Recruiters usually look for candidates with local government experience- so, should you be a new graduate, you need to demonstrate a keen interest and commitment from very early on so it helps if you have a CV embellished with pro-bono work. Although going in-house is certainly hard-graft for those that are both determined and determined to keep well away from legal homogeneity, should they have the ambitions, drive and interest there’s a whole world out there that doesn’t revolve around the Central Line.