Twin peeks at career expectations

This article from the Summer 2005 issue of Directions gives an overview of findings from two recent Law Society research reports on the career choices of law students and trainee solicitors.

The Law Society has recently published two complementary studies of the career aspirations and motivations of law students and trainee solicitors, based on surveys undertaken in February 2004. They provide invaluable background to all who confess to ‘student-centred’ sympathies.

Career choices in law: a survey of law students focuses on CPE/GDL (2% of sample) and second and third year undergraduate law students at 13 universities in England and Wales. The majority (82%) wished to work in the legal profession. Only 13% sought work in a non-legal capacity. This level of interest in the legal profession can be contrasted with the much vaunted claim that less than 50% of law graduates enter the legal profession upon graduation. The survey also reveals a large number of students who had changed their mind. Over 93% of these cited the cost of training as a factor in this decision.

A majority of those who wished to become a barrister or solicitor (64%) wanted to enter private practice, and a further 24% preferred a career in commerce and industry. Government work, including the Crown Prosecution Service, was attractive to 11%. In view of these preferences it is unsurprising perhaps that 44% of would-be practitioners preferred to work in business and commercial affairs. Other preferred areas included criminal (19%), family (11%), human rights (6%) and welfare (4%).

The cost of legal education is confirmed by the debt levels of respondents – a third already owed over £10,000. The picture of student indebtedness in the UK and their plans for coping with it are gradually emerging through a range of studies including Mike Cuthbert’s Law Student 2000 Survey, Jenny Hamilton’s Law Student 2002 study of law students in Scotland and Phil Thomas’ study of students in Wales.

Career prospects, including salaries, weigh heavily with students in their choice of career, followed by concern over the size of student debt. Thus almost 78% identified concern over career prospects in rejecting legal aid as a career option, and only 21% were likely to pursue a career in legal aid.

Career choices in law: a survey of trainee solicitors, involving 1,522 trainees, in some respects mirrors the law student survey. Thus interest in private practice and commercial/industrial fields is confirmed, and ‘intrinsic interest’ and ‘long term salary prospects’ continue to be the prime motivators. In other respects trainee attitudes have changed.

Debt is higher for the trainees – 60% of the sample had accrued debts over £10,000, and 17% over £20,000. Favoured areas of practice have shifted in favour of business and commercial affairs and civil litigation – 51% and 18% respectively. Criminal has declined in popularity (4% compared to 19% for law students) and family (5%), human rights (2%) and welfare (0.4%) have all declined in popularity. The unpopularity of a legal aid career has increased – only 8% of the trainees would consider it “at this point in time”. The contrast between this figure and the 50% of trainees who would consider legal aid work if “all things were equal” emphasises the perception of legal aid work as a low paid, reduced prospects and poor conditions environment.

A major motivation for the Law Society research was the concern expressed by the House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee in the variable access to and availability of legal aid. The two surveys provide little comfort to the Department of Constitutional Affairs if it is seeking to bolster up either the number of legal aid practitioners or the public sector.

Throughout both surveys there are significant gender distinctions. Males were more single minded in citing long term salary prospects and the prestige of the firm as the most important factor in choosing a firm. They were also more likely to prefer working in business and commercial affairs. Women were more likely to be motivated in their choice of firm by a range of factors, including intrinsic interest in the job, the value of work to the community, the cost of training and the impact upon social life.

These two surveys are an important addition to the growing body of research about attitudes and characteristics at all stages of legal education and work. They conclude with a call for more in-depth qualitative research to explore career motivations and legal careers in general.

Last Modified: 14 December 2010