Employment Opportunities for Law (1 Viewer)

[Born Dancer]

im a current year 12 student and was previously interested in taking a law / media and communications double degree. but the more i think about it, the more i think i dont want to be a solicitor or barrister, but would rather try and get into government sort of stuff, like writing policy,international relations, or move into the journalism side of things and do stuff like pr.

if i decide to take this career path, is it still worth taking the law degree? will it help me any? or does the law degree train only to practice some degree of law? does anybody have any suggestions of courses at uow, anu or sydney unis that would best cater for what i want to do??

 

[santaslayer]

Most politicians have a law degree. :uhhuh:

For UoW, maybe anything arts (journalism?)/communications-ish is a good combo for law. Marketing sounds ok too.

 

[MiuMiu]

Actually, most politicians don't.

 

[erawamai]

Actually, most politicians don't.

But a fair few do.

Of the front bench of the Liberal party. Costello, Howard, Coonan, Ruddock, Robert Hill, Vandstone and Bishop all have LLBs.

Morris Iemma has a law degree.

Julia Gillard, Robert McClellend, Nicola Roxon all have LLB's in the ALP. Plus many more.

 

[MiuMiu]

I think you'll find that most the newer ones don't.....because those with law degrees can find far more lucrative salaries AWAY from politics.

 

[erawamai]

I think you'll find that most the newer ones don't.....because those with law degrees can find far more lucrative salaries AWAY from politics.

Yeah true. It just depends. Some do and some dont.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

My general advice to people is if you don't want to be a solicitor/barrister or work in a government position that requires a law degree then it's probably not worth doing a whole degree.

A little bit of law is helpful in everything, but the detail and refining of skills that happens in a degree simply isn't necessary unless those are the skills you're constantly going to be using in your career.

 

[Jonathan A]

I agree. Many degrees already have relevant law-related areas for students to look at. If you do take on a professional-type degree, generally a law unit (such as Commercial Law) will be taught or ethics.

I often say, if you are not interested in law, don't hog up a space where someone with a lower UAI really wants to be a practitioner. Up to you. But a law degree shouldn't be an add-on someone does because it sounds nice.

 

[Jonathan A]

Actually, most politicians don't.

I would have to agree. A lot of politicians don't have law degrees (explains some of the reasons why some are ambitious in setting out incoherent law - e.g. Civil Liability Act).

 

[capa]

A law degree is also a generalist degree - some people think moreso than arts while also providing with more solid career options. I have read afew times that a law degree provides various job opportunities, and, law graduates have the widest choice of careers.

You should not confine yourself to being a lawyer. You can do lots of things and many law graduates don't do anything legal. For instance, you can do:
- government sector (ie: defence, attorney general, DFAT, DP&C, DPM&C and other statutory bodies). Most government depts seek law graduates for generalist streams.
- teaching: secondary and tertiary
- law reform, research and academia
- journalism
- management consulting
- generalist business careers
- merchant banking

Good luck.

 

[erawamai]

I would have to agree. A lot of politicians don't have law degrees (explains some of the reasons why some are ambitious in setting out incoherent law - e.g. Civil Liability Act).

Are you sure? Your conservative friends love the CLA.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

A law degree is also a generalist degree - some people think moreso than arts while also providing with more solid career options. I have read afew times that a law degree provides various job opportunities, and, law graduates have the widest choice of careers.

You should not confine yourself to being a lawyer. You can do lots of things and many law graduates don't do anything legal. For instance, you can do:
- government sector (ie: defence, attorney general, DFAT, DP&C, DPM&C and other statutory bodies). Most government depts seek law graduates for generalist streams.
- teaching: secondary and tertiary
- law reform, research and academia
- journalism
- management consulting
- generalist business careers
- merchant banking

Good luck.

Yeah, but if you wanted to do any of these things that don't involve anything legal there are quicker and easier ways to get there than by doing a law degree. An entire law degree is a bit overkill.

 

[heidi_kak]

yeah, because you really need a law degree to become a primary school teacher lol.
but for the other things i still think it would give you an edge. although you might just be better off doing a shorter degree to get you into the workforce earlier and build up experience. maybe do a law degree part time or something if you really want to.

 

[MiuMiu]

I would agree that law has indeed become a generalist degree, but no way is it as general as arts!

 

[Born Dancer]

so maybe i should look at journalism / arts?? i put them both down in my preferences.

 

[erawamai]

Dont do law unless you actually want to do law. By third year some people are tried of it but they continue on because they have come so far.