OXFORD

LAW
Juliet Tomlinson
Careers Adviser,
AGCAS Legal Task Group Member
“Outside vacation schemes there are
many other ways that you can show a
law firm you are interested in a career
as a solicitor; attend an open day,
meet lawyers at Oxford events, join the
University’s Law Society or even set up
some informal work shadowing in a local
firm or “in house” legal department “
LAW
Course (BPTC). Prior to getting on this course you must
also have joined one of the four Inns of Court and passed
the Bar Course Aptitude Test.
On successful completion of the BPTC you are ‘Called to
the Bar’ by your Inn and able to use the title of ‘barrister’,
but you may not practise as one until you have completed
your pupillage year. The majority of pupillages are
undertaken within chambers, and are divided into two parts
(‘sixes’): the non-practising six months, during which pupils
shadow a supervisor, followed by six months of practice,
when pupils undertake advocacy and other legal services.
On completion, a barrister can either apply for a permanent
position as a tenant within chambers, or seek a role at the
competition for places is intense. Approximately one in
complete through to pupillage. Careful assessment of your
skills, motivations and academic credentials, combined
with detailed research on the role, will help you to decide
whether this is the right option for you. Many chambers
offer a few days of work shadowing, in the form of a minipupillage,
which can be extremely valuable.
OTHER OPTIONS IN LAW
Many law students decide not to go on to take the
barrister, but are still keen to utilise their degree and do
so through different sorts of legally related work that is
available in all kinds of organisations. If, for example, you
are interested in compliance or corporate governance, one
option is to become a company secretary. Secretaries are
responsible for ensuring that a company (or organisation)
must have a thorough understanding of the laws that affect
their work. A common route to this is through several years
of business administration experience with the option of
taking the professional exams offered by the Institute of
Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
If working with individuals or causes is more suited to you,
there are options working as campaigners, policy writers or
case workers within the third sector, NGOs and government
organisations working in areas such as immigration,
housing, and many other social welfare and human rights
related areas. Perhaps life in academia has caught your
attention? If it has, there will be options for you, with the
addition of further study, to work in teaching and research
within higher education or other legal education providers
or research institutes.
These are just some of the possible options. There
are many others, such as legal clerks, paralegals, legal
executives, legal publishers, trade mark attorneys, notaries,
licensed conveyancers and more.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR IDEAS
+ Join relevant student societies, such as the Oxford Law
Society, the Bar Society, or Oxford Lawyers Without
Borders which run useful skill sessions, dinners and other
Oxford.
+ Get involved with mooting competitions if a law student,
or join a debating society if a non-law student.
+
Asylum Welcome.
+ If you are a law student, put your skills to use with
the Oxford Legal Assistance or Pro Bono Publico
programmes – both run by the Law Faculty.
+
businesses and most have businesses as clients. Get
another way of proving your commercial skills.
+
development programme offered by The Careers
Service that aims to improve your business acumen and
commercial awareness.
MORE INFORMATION:
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/barristers
/solicitors
/international-law
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