I am currently in my first year of my degree in management and law, and I also work for a corporate company in a customer services role. If I intend to practise as a solicitor, would my degree be considered equivalent to a law degree? Is seeking employment in the legal field my best course of action?

On the subject of your degree, in order to qualify as a solicitor you would need to pass a qualifying law degree and then do the Legal Practice Course. A qualifying law degree is one that meets the criteria laid down by the Bar Council and Law Society. Detailed information is available via the websites of these two organisations and your university should be able to advise you.

If your degree is not a qualifying law degree, you would need to do a one year conversion course (the GDL or CPE); however, depending on what you have studied at university you may be able to get some exemptions from this course – again speak to your university or one of the LPC providers.

In relation to your question about legal employment: yes, getting work in a legal environment would be an excellent idea, as this would be a good opportunity to develop the skills law firms will be looking for when it comes to the applications and will also provide you with an opportunity to make contacts within the profession.

However, don’t underestimate the importance of other work as sometimes this can be more challenging, more demanding, and therefore a better opportunity for you to show what you can do than “mundane” work in a law firm.

Also, consider all the opportunities available at university – involvement in sport, debating, mooting and so on are all sought by firms. It may be that for financial reasons you need to work, which will limit your opportunities to get involved in these extracurricula activities. Only you can make a judgment on that. However, the most important thing to remember, if you are considering a career in law, is to concentrate on your degree. Work experience, contacts in firms and even extracurricular achievements can be picked up later, but you only get one opportunity to get good grades.

If you have a question about your career in the law, e-mail law@timesonline.co.uk

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