If you are considering a career in law, make sure to look beyond the high earning potential of a solicitor in a London law firm and assess all of the factors involved in this career option to ensure it is a good fit for your skills, interests and abilities.
Realities of working in law
Working in law requires an absolute commitment to the job. You must be prepared for long hours, an intense workload, regular client meetings and a competitive working environment. You will spend a lot of time researching case law and undertaking refresher training to maintain currency with changes to legislation and regulations.
The industry has an attrition rate of 27% attributed in the main to difficulties in achieving a comfortable work-life balance. Though law firms such as https://www.forsters.co.uk prioritise employee wellbeing and monitor and act upon the effectiveness of their strategies, this is not the case in all law firms.
Personal qualities needed to work in law
The type of person best suited to a career in the legal industry is someone with strong analytical and interpersonal skills as a significant proportion of a solicitor’s job is meeting with clients, understanding their needs, writing persuasive documents and crafting compelling arguments to win cases in court.
Additionally, you must have excellent organisational skills and be good at time management as you will be managing a diverse workload, often with tight deadlines, and you will need to prioritise and delegate effectively to make sure the work is completed to the highest possible quality standards.
