Every young adult will eventually end up at the career crossroads at some point in their lives. With no set path to take, it can be paralysing to make the right decision. Should you go to university? Should you start your own business? Train to be a plumber? The options are endless.
One potential path that may have crossed your mind is to pursue law. While the legal profession is rewarding, it can take hundreds of hours of hard work in law school to achieve the prestigious “Atty” label.
With that said, if you have the discipline and the skillset, a career in law could be very rewarding not just financially, but also professionally and personally. Here are six key reasons why you should consider law as a career.
1) It’s a future-proof profession
While many administrative tasks in industries such as accounting and insurance have been replaced by technology, the same can’t be said for lawyers. The legal industry is still very much reliant on human expertise, especially when it comes to representing clients in court.
That said, it’s certainly possible for corporate legal departments to eventually be accomplished by artificial intelligence tools. With technology being more prevalent, it’s inevitable for the legal industry to undergo some massive rehauls in the near future. But even as technology progresses, lawyers will always be in demand to provide the human touch and expertise that machines can’t provide, especially when it comes to high-skill and bespoke court endeavours.
2) Lawyers get paid well
In the United Kingdom, lawyers are among the top-earning professionals, with starting salaries at around £25,000 per year, while end-career salaries reaching up to £200,000 a year.
If you’re looking to hire lawyers, many skilled professionals charge at least £100 per hour. High-quality lawyers naturally charge higher prices, as much as £500 an hour.
Of course, the amount of money you make as a lawyer depends on many factors, such as your experience, the legal services provided to businesses and individuals, and the type of law you specialise in. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that lawyers are among the better-paid professionals in the world.
3) There’s career growth
Lawyers have many opportunities for career growth. For instance, you could eventually become a partner in a law firm or move in-house to work as legal counsel for a corporation. You could also open your own law firm or become a legal academic and teach at a university. Appearing in court isn’t the only thing lawyers do—there’s a wide range of legal roles to choose from.
Aside from career growth opportunities, lawyers also have the chance to develop their skillset and knowledge base by taking on different cases and clients. As you take on more responsibility, you’ll develop a better understanding of the law, which can only be beneficial for your career in the long run.
4) Lawyers are valuable to the community
Many people detest the idea of working a job with the sole purpose of making money for a faceless corporation. If you’re the type of person who is driven by personal advocacy and wants to make a difference in society, then a career in law might be for you.
Lawyers play an important role in society—they help uphold justice and protect the rights of people young and old. They make a big difference to each client they deal with, whether they’re fighting for their innocence in court or drawing up a will.
Without lawyers, the world would be full of unchecked power and chaos. If you want to give a voice to the disenfranchised, there’s no better career path to do so than the legal field.
5) You can choose between many branches of law
The legal field is vast and varied, which means there’s bound to be a branch of law that interests you. Once a law student passes the bar exam, they have the freedom to pick one or two specialisations to practice for the rest of their career.
The good thing about having many branches of law to choose from is that you can choose a field that aligns with your own personal values. For example, if you’re passionate about environmentalism, you could choose to specialise in environmental law. If you’re more interested in human rights, you could choose to work as a human rights lawyer.
To give you an overview of the sheer vastness of the legal world, here are some of the most common types of law you can choose to specialise in:
- Corporate law
- Criminal law
- Employment law
- Environmental law
- Family law
- Healthcare law
- Intellectual property law
- International law
- Real estate law
- Tax law
The good news is that many legal businesses provide a wide range of services to cater to a variety of clients. Click here to learn more about one such law firm.
6) It’s a fulfilling career path
A career in law is not only financially rewarding, but it can also be personally fulfilling. If you choose to work as a lawyer, you’ll have the opportunity to meet and help people in need and make a real difference in their lives.
You’ll also have the chance to work on interesting and complex cases that will challenge you both mentally and analytically. No two days as a lawyer are the same, which means your job will never get stale!
