If you’re not committed to learning or don’t possess the required skills and mental agility, you might find yourself struggling in law school. There’s a lot of reading, so you’ll spend most of your spare time in the library, studying long and hard hours. Planning ahead of time and prioritising work over play will make all-nighters unnecessary. Indeed, law school is intense, as you’re always competing against someone, but don’t do anything at the expense of others. It’s not The Apprentice, after all. Graduating from law school is a pretty impressive achievement – it’s a testament to how you worked hard and beat all the odds.
The question now is: What is your goal after graduation? Every day of the past years has been building to this moment. As the excitement fades away, you’ll realise that you have no concrete plans, which can lead to missed opportunities. Whatever your professional goal, it’s time to plan your next move. The path you choose depends on the type of law you studied and your interests, not to mention your past experiences. In this article, we’ll explore a couple of post-graduation ideas worth considering.
Regroup At Home
A gap year will give you plenty of time to enhance your academic qualifications, pursue new interests, travel, do volunteer work, and so on. After graduating from law school, go home before deciding what to do (you can take as much time as you need). There’s no better time than now to do a gap year – you have a degree that will help you reach your goals, there are no looming deadlines on the horizon, and you have all the freedom in the world. But it’s not a vacation, so there are some considerations to keep in mind.
With the help of your family and friends, you can explore the options available to you and decide what’s more fulfilling. Most importantly, there’s no need to panic about the future, so don’t worry if you haven’t yet figured out what you want to do or if your attempts to secure a job haven’t met with success. Keep in mind that the best decision to make is avoiding making one that will change the course of your life. Reach out to your former colleagues, update and improve your resume, and prepare for your future.
Land A Job at A Law Firm
Working for a law firm is an obvious choice if you’ve spent years studying the law. You receive training in the form of actual practice from a solicitor or a barrister, so they can help you catch errors. It’s no secret that lawyers are among the highest-earning professionals, with salaries well above the national range; you’re paid a lot of money because you have specialised knowledge and assume risks and liabilities. According to Prospects, there’s no minimum salary for trainee lawyers, but the Law Society recommends a minimum of £22,794 for those training in London, as the demand for skilled people has resulted in salary increases across all areas and career types.
You can earn less at a smaller law firm, but you’ll climb up the corporate ladder quicker. Careers in law encompass various practice areas, some offering a higher earning potential than others. Data breach law is one of the most lucrative specialisations because it involves high stakes. Europe has the strongest privacy and security law in the world – it’s retained in the domestic law as the UK GDPR, sitting alongside the amended version of the DPA 2018. If you become a lawyer, you can leverage your practice of the law to help people who have suffered damages as a result of a data breach. Data Breach Claims (https://www.databreachclaims.org.uk) discusses new developments in data breach cases.
Manage Your Student Loan Debt
Loans to students in England remain higher than those in other countries in the UK, and graduates are expected to pay their debt in full. Sure, borrowers don’t begin to pay their student loans until they have a job that earns £25,000 (or more), but they often find themselves sacrificing jobs that offer more fulfilment and joy for a career with a higher paying salary. Depending on your career path and earning potential, you might be able to pay off your debt in 10 years or so. You don’t have to make payments while still in law school, but try to make an effort and pay the interest that builds up each month.
After graduating from law school, look at your budget every now and then and adjust it if things change. Take into account your long-term plans and ensure you have enough money to make ends meet. You’ll allocate most of your income to housing, transportation, and food, so 20% of your pay will be for debt and savings. If you graduated with a credit card balance on top of your student loan, shave a few pounds off other categories until your debts are paid. Budgeting is an important life skill, so take control of your money – if you spend too much, you’ll need a plan. It might seem like a lifetime away, but one day you’ll succeed.
Find Volunteer Opportunities
You finish law school with a fantastic academic background in your area of interest, but you don’t have real-life experience in the field. Volunteering can help you develop hard and soft skills, including but not limited to time management, leadership, adaptability, communication, etc. You can provide vital services to people in need and gain legal experience. Decide how much time you can commit (an hour a week, one day a month), be honest about what’s motivating you, and apply for positions as if they’re paid opportunities. It can be frustrating when the phone doesn’t ring, but if you don’t hear back, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone.
Final Thoughts
Life after law school can be intimidating, so you’ll end up questioning many areas of your life. There’s no one to tell you what solution is correct. You’ll have to figure things out on your own.
