Your Future Career
Law graduates have always enjoyed excellent long-term career prospects, and in today’s rapidly changing employment environment, an LLB Law degree is valued by business and industry.
The following information is designed to give you an insight into your career options as a graduate. For further guidance on career opportunities in Law, visit the Prospects Law pages.
Careers in Law
The legal profession in England and Wales is divided into two distinct and independent branches. Solicitors are professionally regulated by the Law Society, whereas the General Council of the Bar (known as the 'Bar Council') regulates entry and progression for prospective barristers.
If you intend to practice law either as a solicitor or barrister, then you will, first of all, need to complete an LLB degree with Qualifying Law Degree status. All Bangor LLB degrees have QLD status, meaning that they are recognised by the Law Society, the Bar Council of England and Wales, and the Law Society of Ireland for professional purposes in these three countries. You will then need to undertake further study and vocational training, as outlined below.
Becoming a solicitor
On completion of an LLB degree, students wishing to train as solicitors in England and Wales are required to pass a year-long Legal Practice Course (LPC) followed by a training contract. Further information about qualifying as a solicitor is available on the Prospects website.
Becoming a barrister
To become a barrister, graduates must undertake the one-year Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), followed by a training period known as a pupillage. Competition for both the BPTC and pupillages is fierce and many large firms recruit trainees directly from their placement schemes. Further information about qualifying as a barrister can be found on the Bar Standards Board website.
Practicing Law in another country
If you intend to practice Law in another country (e.g. you are an international student who intends to practice Law in your home country), please ensure that you research the requirements for entering the legal profession in that particular country, which may well be different to those of England and Wales.
Careers outside the legal profession
A wide range of avenues are open to Law graduates who wish to pursue a career outside the legal profession. By studying Law, students develop an impressive range of transferable skills including communication, problem-solving, negotiating and teamwork.
These skills are equally sought after in fields such as advice work (including welfare advice and housing); local authorities (e.g. trading standards officers); accountancy (particularly auditing, which requires both financial and legal acumen); human resources management; the Inland Revenue; the Civil Service (including the Lord Chancellor’s Department); the Police; Journalism; and Information Management.
Bangor’s LLB ‘Law with’ degrees also enable students to acquire knowledge and skills in other subject areas. These degree schemes are particularly suitable for candidates contemplating careers outside the legal profession.
Career support
In order to capitalise on their university experience, students are encouraged to make full use of Bangor University's lively and innovative Skills and Employability Service. In addition to offering careers guidance and information, it offers a work placements, a job shop, an entrepreneurship programme and a host of other resources.
The Law School also offers a range of services and activities designed to improve your career prospects - see our Skills and Employability pages for further information.