Discover your child’s strengths and passions

You will sometimes be surprised by what careers can come from studying STEM subjects. Law for example is one of them… By 2023 science, research, engineering and technology jobs are expected to make up 7.8% of all jobs in the UK and occupy 2.5m roles – if your child enjoys their maths, English or science lessons at school then encourage them to stick with it! Are they methodical and patient with an eye for detail?  Then this could be the industry for them! Perhaps they even already know they want to study Legal? Read on to find out how you can help them make the right choices whilst still at school.

Career type:
Professional

Education:
University

Avg. Salary:
£25k - £120k

What roles falls into the area of Legal?

People who work in Legal use their knowledge of the law and their analytical and communication skills to advise and counsel clients.

The Legal sector is notoriously competitive so as well as excellent academic ability your child will need traits like self-confidence and resilience to make it in this industry. If your child is self-assured, resilient and doesn’t back down easily from an argument then they’ll love this job.

Here’s just some of the roles legal covers:

  • Tax advisor
    Advises clients on how to pay their taxes in the most beneficial and efficient way. If your child is a people person with a mathematical mind this job could suit them perfectly. 
  • Licensed Conveyancer
    Property law specialists who buy or sell property for their clients. They deal with financial, legal and administration matters so it’s a great role for people who like variety.
  • Company Secretary
    Responsible for making sure that the company follows the right legal and financial procedures – great for those that are super organised and a born leader. 
  • Barrister
    A lawyer who represents their clients in court and offers expert legal advice. This is a very prestigious career with incredible earning potential. 
  • Solicitor
    Provides legal support for clients by advising on necessary courses of legal action. Your child would have a choice of specialising in a wide range of areas in this industry. 
  • Patent Attorney
    Experts in intellectual property law who help companies and inventors secure a patent. Your child will need top communication, technical and scientific skills for this job.  

How much could you earn in a Legal role?

A newly qualified solicitor can earn anywhere between £25,000 and £40,000. In a senior role in legal such as a partner in a law firm you could earn up to £127,000 per year depending on the company and location of the employer. 

How to become a Legal specialist

Education

To become a solicitor, your child will need to complete a qualifying law degree followed by a Legal Practice Course. They will then need to secure a training contract. If they don’t end up studying law at university they can take the Common Professional Exam or Graduate Diploma in Law conversion course followed by the Legal Practice Course. Before higher education you could also encourage your kids to enrol in classes such as debating to build their confidence and help with their critical thinking which will be so valuable to them in this field.

During GCSEs or Standard Grades, you could opt to study:

  • History
  • Triple Science - Chemistry, Biology Physics
  • Sociology
  • Business Studies
  • Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

For academic subjects such as A Levels or Highers, you could opt to study:

  • Law/Criminology
  • English
  • Maths
  • Economics
  • Government & Politics
  • Philosophy & Ethics
  • Sociology

Related subjects include:

  • History

If your child is unsure of what to study at school you could encourage them to take subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, English Lit, Geography, History, Languages (Modern & Classical), Maths, Further Maths and Physics. These are ‘facilitating’ subjects which are required for large number of university courses and will allow them to keep their options open until they’re more certain of the career path they wish to go down. 

Skills you need

If your child is passionate about working in the field of legal, here are just some of the skills that will be useful in the future and they can work on developing. 

  • Critical thinking
  • Problem solving
  • Public Speaking
  • Commercial awareness
  • Essay writing
  • Teamwork 

Work experience

Work experience is a good way for your child to apply knowledge and build skills for the industry they want to enter, which can be in the form of volunteering or shadowing, internships or law-related work placements.

Alternatively, during university, depending on the course, it may include a year in industry (also known as a sandwich course) where they can take a paid placement and develop skills using the knowledge they’ve learnt on their course. You might even find the contacts you build during that year pay dividends after you graduate. Extracurricular activities that give them the opportunity to develop writing and debating skills are also useful to include on job applications.

Diversity in STEM

Although many women are already in this type of career, there’s still more work to do to attract women into the science industry as whole. The UK is trailing behind Europe in terms of female representation -  currently making up just 16% of the workforce.

Many companies, including EDF Energy, are committed to helping address the lack of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). We run a number of STEM initiatives including the Pretty Curious programme which sets out to challenge what girls’ think they know about STEM. There are some amazing careers that use science and it’s our job to help inspire girls to look differently at STEM using strong female role models and creative digital and hands-on experiences

For people who are willing to put in lots of hard work and years of study jobs in the legal industry are some of the most financially rewarding in the UK.

What can I do to help my child?

  • You could find a role model in a friend or colleague that can encourage them through their own experiences.
     
  • There are many free exhibitions and events that bring science to life outside of the classroom, for example take a look at our eight UK-wide visitor centres where you can explore science in a fun free and family-friendly way every school holiday or weekend.
     
  • Be supportive - we’re all unique in our passions and it doesn’t matter if they aren’t sure what they want to do yet.
     
  • Be patient, encouraging and provide the support they need to find their way whether that’s with tutoring, extracurricular activities or just celebrating their successes.
     
  • You could encourage your child to look at volunteering for organisations that marry with their interests. They get to explore a variety of working environments, develop employability skills and make new friends all of which will boost their confidence. You can find a list of volunteer opportunities here.
     
  • If your child is unsure of the subjects to take, you could encourage them to speak to a careers advisor or explore the below resources for guidance:

    My World of Work – choosing GCSE options
    Prospects career guide
    UCAS
    The Complete University Guide
    Which? guide to university
     
  • Your child is young and it’s okay for them to change their minds. Roma who was part of the team that design London’s iconic Shard building, did just that – watch her story in 360°.

Explore our other career profiles

  • Jobs in STEM Learn more about our other profiled in-demand careers
  • Early Careers Whether you’ve just finished your GCSEs or A Levels take a look at our range of apprenticeships and grad schemes