Lawyer

As a Lawyer, you will advise clients on their rights and responsibilities, interpret laws and regulations, prepare legal documents, and help resolve disputes. You could work with individuals, businesses, charities or public services across a wide range of areas, from employment law to healthcare.

No two cases are the same, making law a career that offers constant variety and opportunities to learn. Whether you're passionate about justice, problem-solving or making a positive difference in people's lives, a legal career can combine intellectual challenge with meaningful impact.

Lawyer is also known as Solicitor.

Role Characteristics

Advise and represent clients in court
Draft confidential letters, contracts and legal documents
Research legal records and case law
Attend meetings and negotiations
Use plain English to explain complex legal matters to clients
Keep up to date with changes in the law

Skills

Advice giving
Active listening
Communication
Decision-making
Following instructions
Record keeping

Day in the life

Watch this video to learn more about becoming a lawyer

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

GCSEs

BTEC, T-Level or A-Levels

Foundation degree

Undergraduate degree

Degree apprenticeship

Postgraduate degree

How to become

To become a Lawyer, you will usually need a degree in Law or a related subject followed by a law conversion course and professional legal training. There are many ways to access university level education, and you can explore lots of current opportunities in the section below.

You might:

Study A Levels, BTECs, or T Levels – useful subjects might include Law, English, Politics, Psychology, or Business Studies. These subjects can help you develop the research, communication and analytical skills needed for a legal career. Explore some current opportunities below.
Complete an Access to Higher Education course – a college course designed for adults who want to access higher education but don't have the traditional requirements like A Levels.
Complete a Foundation course – a year-long university course designed to prepare you for studying Law if you do not have the required qualifications or grades to go straight into a degree.
Alongside education, you may also want to build some relevant work or voluntary experience in legal services, customer service, administration, community organisations or advocacy settings and think about developing your communication, research, problem-solving, negotiation, and organisation skills.

You will then be ready to study at a university level. This can include:

Studying an undergraduate degree in Law (LLB).
If you already have a university degree, you could complete a law conversion course. This is a postgraduate qualification that condenses a law degree down into a one-year course.
Completing a Degree Apprenticeship – gain experience in the workplace while also studying a qualification, such as a Level 7 Solicitor Apprenticeship. This route combines practical legal work with academic study and professional qualification.

After you graduate, you will need to complete professional examination to become either a solicitor or a barrister. All legal roles will require work experience, learn more about how to gain work experience while you study here.

Where can this role lead

You may progress in your career as a Lawyer by developing specialist knowledge in areas such as employment law, family law, criminal law, healthcare law or commercial law. This could lead to increased responsibility, including managing complex cases and advising larger organisations, or becoming a senior lawyer with responsibility for leading legal teams or areas of practice.

You could also specialise in consultancy, policy development or advocacy, applying your legal expertise to influence decision-making and improve outcomes for individuals, organisations and communities.

Your experience of researching information, analysing evidence, communicating complex ideas and building professional relationships would also transfer well to sideways moves such as Business Analyst, Communications Officer or Project Manager roles. If you enjoy helping people to understand their rights and access support, you may also be interested in roles such as Employment Advisor or Debt Advisor.

Location

At Home
Hospitals
Offices

Working hours

Weekdays
Part Time
Full Time
Flexible Hours

Opportunities

Access to university

BSc Law with Foundation Year

This four-year course includes an initial full-time Foundation Year and offers an alternative route into university and gaining a degree.

Organisation: Leeds Trinity University

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Access to university

Access to Higher Education (Law)

If you have a strong interest in law, wish to return to education and progress to university, this course is for you.

Organisation: Leeds City College

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Undergraduate Degree

University of Law Undergraduate Law Courses

A law degree is a great qualification to start your career and our law courses have been designed to provide you with transferable skills needed to succeed.

Organisation: University of Law

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Undergraduate Degree

LLB Law

This Law degree gives you a rigorous academic legal education and a thorough grounding in legal, academic and clinical skills needed for you to pursue a career as a solicitor or barrister.

Organisation: University of Bradford

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