A law degree is a gateway to a career as a solicitor or barrister, but it's not the only path you can choose. Many options are available to you beyond the legal profession

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Arbitrator
• Barrister
• Barrister's clerk
• Chartered legal executive (England and Wales)
• Company secretary
• Costs lawyer
• Detective
• Licensed conveyancer
• Paralegal
• Solicitor

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Advice worker
• Border Force officer
• Chartered accountant
• Civil Service administrator
• Data analyst
• Data scientist
• External auditor
• Forensic computer analyst
• Human resources officer
• Mediator
• Patent attorney
• Political risk analyst
• Stockbroker
• Trading standards officer

Work experience

Relevant work experience demonstrates to employers that you have the skills that they are looking for.

If you'd like to get some work experience that is directly related to the legal profession, you could do a mini-pupillage. This involves work shadowing that usually lasts for one week in a set of chambers.

Typical employers

If you qualify as a solicitor, you can work in a number of different legal practices. The widest caseloads come from high street solicitors' practices, which cover criminal, family, probate and business law. Opportunities are available through local and national government and large organisations often have in-house legal teams. 

Skills for your CV

A law degree covers the foundation subjects that are required for entry into the legal professions. But the understanding of legal implications and obligations, combined with the ability to apply this knowledge in practice, is valuable in many parts of the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The range of skills that a law degree provides includes:

• research skills using a range of sources, including verbal questioning
• evaluation skills and the ability to interpret and explain complex information clearly
• analytical skills
• reasoning and critical judgement skills
• the ability to formulate sound arguments
• lateral thinking and problem-solving skills
• the ability to write concisely
• confident and persuasive oral communication skills
• attention to detail and the ability to draft formal documents with precision.