Choosing a law firm to work for as a newly qualified lawyer is a major decision that can have significant implications on the direction of your entire career.
Whilst not impossible, switching practice areas as an established lawyer can be extremely difficult, so take your time and make sure that you are well suited to the associate positions that you are applying for.
Here are some of the most important factors when choosing a firm to apply for:
Reputation
Reputation is only part of what makes up a good Law Firm Glasgow and you should avoid applying for a position that doesn’t suit you purely for the chance to work for a ‘big name’.
However, there is no getting past the fact that having experience of working at a major firm will help to make your application for future roles stand out from the crowd.
Remember, as a newly qualified lawyer you are not necessarily looking for the law firm or specialism that you want to spend the rest of your career in.
Furthermore, the more prestigious a law firm is, and the more successful individuals have passed through their training programme in the past, the higher the chances that the training itself will be of a high standard.
Bear in mind that even the biggest firms are more prestigious in certain areas than others and it is their reputation in the specific area of law you are working in, rather than the reputation of the firm as a whole that counts the most.
This is particularly important when working in niche practice areas such as investment, libel, human rights, and media law.
Academic history
Many newly qualified lawyers will also be qualified, or at least have some training in, academic sectors other than law itself, related to the area of law they wish to pursue.
For example, finance and accounting for corporate lawyers, criminology for criminal lawyers etc.
Examining your own academic history is a good way to narrow down the industry and identify roles that you are best suited to.
If you are intent on a career in a certain area and do not feel as though you have a suitable background in the sector, you may need to acquire some additional qualifications, or at least get some work experience under your belt in order to stand out from the competition.
Location
Deciding where you want to live, both right now, and in the future, is an important factor in helping you to choose the right law firm for you.
Some areas of law, specifically finance, are extremely city-centric, with London being the heart of the industry in the UK, but with major firms in other cities across the nation including Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Manchester.
If you are a city lover, this might not be an issue, but if you hope to live in a smaller town in the future you may wish to tailor your skills so that you can one day set up your own practice in a quieter area.
If this is the case, real estate, general corporate, and general legal law are all fields where there is a universal need and can be translated to a practice pretty much anywhere in the country.
It is never too early to start thinking about the future, and the first role that you secure within the industry can play a major part in determining where you go in the future.
Personality
Just because you are qualified to enter a certain area of law, does not mean that you are well-suited to a career there.
May people love the idea of practicing criminal law or similar due to the perceived glamour and ‘sexiness’ of the role or because they believe that is where they will find the most success.
However, often their personalities are suited to a completely different area, and they find themselves discontent after a short period and looking to make a change.
Before you make any rash decisions, take time to consider what is your motive behind applying for certain roles. Are you truly passionate about it or are you doing it because it is what you think you are ‘meant’ to be doing.
Listen to your gut, there is still time to make the change and pursue the area of law that you are best suited for.
Market Conditions
There will always be demand for lawyers in certain specialisms, but other rely heavily on market conditions.
For example, when there is a strong economy, the demand for bankruptcy services is low, and vice versa.
It is easy to consider only the here and now as an excited recently qualified lawyer but looking to the future will help you build a skillset that will prove successful for many years to come.