CGC-ebook Sample Edition 4.0

Law

Sector Outlook Over the last few years the legal sector has experienced redundancies and the number of graduates being recruited by law firms has fallen. As a result competition for jobs among more law graduates and qualified legal staff has increased. Employers based in London tend to have more vacancies on offer although the Midlands and the North West have also seen a rise in job opportunities. The South West of England is also worth exploring. Some well-recognised law firms such as Burges Salmon, Osborne Clarke, DAC Beachcroft, RPC and TLT Solicitors are located in Bristol. Elsewhere you could consider Ashfords, Bond Pearce, Charles Russell and Foot Anstey, which are spread over the region’s other major cities such as Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Cheltenham. Trends suggest that more jobs are becoming available for newly qualified and junior staff. In addition it’s worth knowing that opportunities for new entrants to the legal profession tends to be in property law, real estate, financing, IT, logistics, healthcare and energy. Keep in mind that law is becoming more international by nature so knowledge of a foreign language will improve your chances of getting the job you want. There are many different job roles within the sector. Vacancies for barristers remain highly competitive and it can be difficult to secure a place in a set of chambers. Outside of London consider cities such as Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne. There are more opportunities for solicitors but competition again remains intense. Try contacting law firms, high street solicitors, local authourities, the legal departments of commercial and industrial organisations, charities and voluntary organisations, law centres and the armed forces. If you are interested in working as a paralegal you may find job opportunities with the National Offender Management Service, central and local government departments, charitable bodies such as Citizens Advice, the uniformed services or large companies in commerce and industry. Overall, opportunities for paralegals are growing as their professional status becomes increasingly recognised. There are also good opportunities to work as a legal executive with law firms, local authorities, the civil service, the Crown Prosecution Service, or the legal departments of industrial and commercial firms. As with other posts concentrate your search on large cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. For other job roles consider opportunities with Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or even self-emp loyment.