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Throughout my time in school, college and most of my time at university, I’ve been relatively steadfast on the idea of completing my degree and going straight into the route leading to practice. However, more recently, I’ve become more intrigued by the concept of lecturing and staying in a university setting. This is something that I don’t believe is discussed enough as a career option, especially in law. University education is the foundation of many great practising lawyers.

In this blog post, I’m going to discuss my reasons for considering a career in lecturing and share some of my thoughts with people who may also be contemplating this career. 

For more alternative career options, read LawCareers.Net’s Feature: ‘Six alternative careers for law graduates’.

Why not just practice? 

I think a lot of people, especially in the field of law, turn their noses up at lecturing due to all the work they’ve already put into qualifying as a solicitor or barrister, for example. However, in my view, becoming a university lecturer can sometimes follow a very similar career progression. For example, you start as an inexperienced person, maybe beginning in a role such as an academic assistant or academic tutor, similar to how many people in law start their careers as a legal assistant or paralegal.

As you progress, you might become a lecturer, similar to how you might get your first job as a solicitor after you’ve qualified. The career progression may then look something like becoming a senior lecturer or head of faculty, in much the same way that you may end up becoming a law firm partner in practice. In my view, the career path is very similar – you’re still focusing on the law and building up your portfolio, just in a different environment. 

Perhaps I’m biased. I love the university education environment. Being surrounded by such knowledgeable people, who could tell you all the details about their specialty subject at the drop of a hat is brilliant. I’ve found myself wanting to leave this environment less and less, especially as I’ve moved into the final year of my undergraduate, and am starting to think about my next steps after graduating. 

Satisfaction 

Although this will make me sound biased, people who are practising the law or lecturing on the subject are among the smartest people I’ve ever met. It’s partially because of this that I can imagine nothing more satisfying than having an opportunity to educate aspiring solicitors and barristers; people who’ll go on to do brilliant things, such as supporting people who may be fleeing a war-torn country or helping those who’ve been wrongly dismissed from their livelihood for discriminatory reasons.  

My lecturers at university are the biggest inspirations to me in my career – some have practised in law firms, some have advocated in court, some have worked within the police force, and some have never even left the university. I think being able to provide guidance and education to young people on such an important topic is an incredible opportunity. 

Options 

Finally, I think it’s good to have options. Law is renowned for being a very wide-ranging degree. I can guarantee that we’ve all heard someone say: “You can do anything with a law degree!” And although that isn’t strictly true, there are so many careers that come under the umbrella of a law degree. 

Keeping your options open and your mind varied, especially if you’re someone who’s not yet even finished your degree, is a massive strength to your options. I’ve not yet applied for anything that’ll set me down any one route and so, at this moment, there are many jobs I could go apply for in which I’d be using my education and degree.  

Lecturing is a great opportunity and one that I think deserves more consideration, placing it alongside the traditional roles that are usually considered by those with a law degree.