Contrary to popular belief, having a law degree isn’t mandatory for making a career in the legal sector, according to industry professionals. David Kenny, Associate Law Professor at Trinity College Dublin, expresses that studying law provides an expansive education along various legal dimensions and aids in developing formidable analytical and legal abilities.
Despite that, gaining a law degree doesn’t instantaneously make the student an attorney, Kenny clarifies. For those aspiring to become either solicitors or barristers, additional steps are necessary post-degree.
In basic terms, solicitors are generally found in law firms advising on different legal matters, whereas barristers devote their expertise to courtroom advocacy and providing legal advice to clients. Kenny elaborates that becoming a solicitor necessitates passing a particular set of examinations known as the FE1s after graduation. These exams provide entry into the Law Society, where students are trained as solicitors, followed by practice in a law firm.
Aspiring barristers also must pass entrance examinations, in this case for King’s Inns, leading to a barrister-at-law degree lasting one year or a two-year part-time course. Once qualified as a barrister, additional hands-on training is undertaken with another barrister, a process known as ‘devilling.’
It’s relevant to note that whilst a law degree is a common route, alternatives do exist such as acquiring a law diploma for individuals with different majors. Professor Kenny states that pivot opportunities into law still exist even for those without an academic background in the field.
Solicitors have a wide range of career opportunities, such as handling business transactions and tax issues. Dearbhla O’Gorman, a solicitor in Dublin, describes her daily tasks as involving advising clients on financial issues and facilitating corporate transactions. For those not interested in soliciting, barristering serves as a highly esteemed alternative career option within the legal environment.
Barristers are professionals who focus on representing clients in court and providing them legal advice. An exemplary figure in this field is Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, a product of UCD law school, currently practising at Doughty Street Chambers in London, with a passion for human rights law. Part of her job responsibility includes dealing with journalists who are imperilled due to their occupations or threatened by governments and various individuals intending to inhibit their voice, an aspect of her work which she finds profoundly satisfying. Layman’s conversation held in 2021.