It takes more than just the academics to become a Lawyer

My road to becoming a Solicitor followed a very traditional route, especially since it started when I was 16 years old in 1996 all those many moons ago. Please don’t do the maths, I feel old enough already!

As I say to students that I meet when attending and speaking at school careers fairs, just follow what you enjoy. Doing this means you’ll pick the subjects you like and by default, are either good at or want to be good at. That’s half the battle. Doing something you ‘think’ you should do or ‘would’ be good to do just won’t last the distance for you.

As I say to students that I meet when attending and speaking at school careers fairs, just follow what you enjoy. Doing this means you’ll pick the subjects you like and by default, are either good at or want to be good at. That’s half the battle. Doing something you ‘think’ you should do or ‘would’ be good to do just won’t last the distance for you.

So for me, I enjoyed English Literature, History and Sociology. I choose these subjects at GCSE’s and A Levels and this decision funnelled the career options that my school put forward. However, more importantly it was the decision to find work experience at the age of 16 within a law firm that sealed the deal for me. I prepared for this by creating a work persona, which included a workwear of sharp suits, a Filofax (which was trendy back then!) and a whole heap of enthusiasm. The experience was defining for me, as I was thrown into the deep end of client meetings, magistrate hearings and the photocopier.

It was as a real as it could be and I loved it. I loved it so I became good it at. So much so, that I was there at the law firm for subsequent school holidays on a paid basis.

Following the academic route of A Levels, LLB degree and the Legal Practice Course was what made me a qualified Solicitor, but it was everything else outside of this that me the Lawyer I am today.

Gaining experience all the way and parallel to academia taught me the resilience, drive and motivation I needed not just for me to succeed, by what I needed to deliver the results for my clients. It taught me what I actually liked in practice, not the textbook version of it.

Throughout university in Birmingham and London, I took part in Pro Bono advice clinics and Free Representation Units. I actively sought any opportunity to get work experience, either paid or voluntary to put in practice the skills I was learning. It was great and I felt like a grown up.

Gaining a Training Contract was competitive and at times disheartening. I decided that I had completed enough applications and wanted to be back in the real word of Law. So I took position as an Employment Paralegal, with the intention that it mattered more to me how quickly and what work I was doing, rather than waiting for a Training Contract that I wanted.

I later landed my Training Contract and qualified by doing both the Professional Skills Course and working which could not have been any better suited for me.

Since then, my career has taken me on what I would describe as a scenic tour. Be that working for high street and regional firms to practicing Law in Dubai for the largest Law Firm in the Middle East.

So my advice is do both! Do the academics but have the practice, the feel of and real life experience. This will determine what kind of Lawyer you want to be and not just focusing on becoming a Solicitor. Trust me, its much more than that and there’s lots of fun to be had in the process. ■

Ruby Rai Senior Associate, Pattersons Commercial Law www.pattersonscommerciallaw.com