What can I do with my degree in Law?

The occupations below are a selection of those which may interest students and graduates from the School of Law.

Solicitor

Solicitors take instructions from clients (who may be individuals, groups, public sector organisations or private companies) and provide expert legal support on a range of personal and commercial issues.

• Prospects job profile: Solicitor
• The Lawyer portal: What is a solicitor? What does a solicitor do?
• The Law Society: Becoming a solicitor
• Kent Law School: Becoming a solicitor

Barrister

Barristers are specialists in advocacy, presenting clients' cases in Court. Generally, they are hired by solicitors to represent a case in court and only become involved once advocacy before a court is needed.
Most barristers work in sets of chambers on a self-employed basis. Others are employed in public sector bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service and the Government Legal Service, and in the in-house legal departments of companies

• Prospects job profile: Barrister
• Bar Council: Becoming a barrister
• Law Careers: Barrister career path
• Kent Law School: Becoming a Barrister

Chartered Legal Executive

The work of Chartered Legal Executives is similar to that of solicitors. They are qualified lawyers who usually specialise in one area of law, some of the most common being property, family, employment, personal injury, civil and criminal litigation, wills and probate, and public law (such as welfare benefits or immigration).

• Prospects job profile: Chartered Legal Executive
• The Lawyer Portal: Chartered Legal Executive
• Chartered Institute of Legal Executives: What CILEx lawyers do

Paralegal

Paralegals are law professionals working in a supporting role, to solicitors and barristers. Tasks will often mirror the work of a trainee - or at times even a recently qualified solicitor. The position is sometimes used as preparation for qualifying as a solicitor.

• Prospects job profile: Paralegal
• Institute of Paralegals: Become a paralegal
• The Lawyer Portal: What is a paralegal?

For further information on these careers, see also:

• I Want To Work In: Law
• Prospects: Job Profiles
• Target jobs: Graduate career sectors

Thank you to Prospects for the content on these pages.