The legal profession is similar to teaching and medicine in so far as its members are able to choose from numerous areas of expertise. While teachers have some degree of control over what and whom they teach, young lawyers are often asked at the beginning of their careers to choose a path for the future. Although this path can meander and alter course over time, lawyers very often set off on a particular journey long before they are required to do so.
Law Modules
Budding solicitors are required to complete the academic stage of training. At university, this means passing modules on contract, tort, public law, land law, European Community law, legal system and trusts and equitable obligations. These core subjects form the basis of all qualifying law degrees but there are also elective modules.
Undergraduates are required to pass additional elective modules, the content and scope of which vary between institutions. One university, for example, will offer second-year elective modules on copyright, consumer and medical law, while another might focus on terrorism, legal skills and family law. Elective modules are sometimes chosen tactically by students (for example, some will choose coursework-only modules), but subjects are often picked because they seem interesting or useful. A student's choice of elective undergraduate modules offers an insight into the areas of expertise that are likely to interest him or her at a professional level.
Some students identify their areas of expertise at the same time as they decide to enter the legal profession. Many prospective solicitors want to make a difference, especially in rewarding fields such as family, environment, immigration and mental health, so they choose their elective modules wisely to give them the best chance of fulfilling their ambitions. The same is also true of postgraduate students who specialize in certain fields before completing the necessary steps to becoming a solicitor.
Choosing the Right Legal Practice
A trainee solicitor who wants to qualify as an expert in immigration or mental-health law would derive little benefit from joining a firm that deals only with cases involving contractual disputes and personal injury, so choosing where to complete the training contract is very important. The most desirable option is rarely the most convenient, which is why aspiring lawyers need to be prepared to make sacrifices to find the right legal practice. It is equally important that a trainee spends six months practicing his or her chosen area of expertise before qualifying as a solicitor.
A trainee solicitor who wants to qualify as an expert in immigration or mental-health law would derive little benefit from joining a firm that deals only with cases involving contractual disputes and personal injury, so choosing where to complete the training contract is very important. The most desirable option is rarely the most convenient, which is why aspiring lawyers need to be prepared to make sacrifices to find the right legal practice. It is equally important that a trainee spends six months practicing his or her chosen area of expertise before qualifying as a solicitor.
Aside from mental health, immigration and environment, which are deeply rewarding fields, other areas of legal expertise include corporate, employment, public law, real estate and intellectual property rights.