Law Graduate Jobs in London

Law Graduate Jobs

Law graduate jobs are job opportunities specifically for people who have law degrees. These jobs can include positions in law firms, government agencies, and corporations etc. However, graduates aspiring to be qualifying solicitors will need to apply for training contract jobs. This entails a 2-year placement in a law firm that allows graduates to gain crucial experience in different areas of law. 

Law Graduate Jobs in London

When searching for law jobs, graduates are attracted to cities like London. As stated by the Law Society, one third of practising lawyers in England and Wales work in London. It is clear that the UK capital is a hub for graduates to network and apply for numerous law firms, whilst gaining valuable work experience. Moreover, the top five prestigious law firms referred to as the magic circle are based in London. These are often sought after by law graduates due to the competitive salaries and high-quality training they provide.

Difficulties in Obtaining a Law Graduate Job

On the other hand, acquiring a law graduate job in London and the rest of the UK can be a highly competitive process. When considering training contracts, there are less positions available than there are law graduates. According to AllAboutLaw, 30,000 people apply to training contract each year in the UK. However, there are approximately 5,500 training contracts available each year. As A result, this gives applicants a 1 in 6 chance of obtaining a training contract. Whilst this figure does not consider applicants applying for multiple vacancies, it is clear that acquiring a training contract is difficult for law graduates. Moreover, most law firms are actively looking for graduates that have relevant work experience and strong academics. Therefore, the success rate of obtaining a training contract with no prior work experience is low. 

Entry-level Law Graduate Jobs

As such, graduates with little to no experience will often apply to entry-level law graduate jobs. This is often seen as a starting point in the legal field for some law graduates. These include jobs such as legal assistants and paralegals. Consequently, these positions will assist graduates in gaining legal experience in order to advance to higher position in the legal field. Whilst this may be discouraging for law graduates seeking employment in higher law positions. A law degree provides graduates with valuable transferable skills that are relevant in other fields of employment. According to Lawyer Monthly, 74% of law graduates are employed within six months of graduating.