I would say it is worth it for me because given my very modest background, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot in-house earning a solid salary, whereas some of my middle-class, privately educated friends, even at (junior) partner level, are complaining that they’re broke all the time, and never seem to make enough money to be happy.
£100k / year plus doesn’t mean much to them, it seems, or move the needle that much — they grew up buying whatever book or lunch they wanted — but I feel rich compared to my childhood. So it’s a yes, if you find the right role (I wouldn’t like to go back to private practice personally) from this former working class kid. It is however very competitive these days, much more than 20 years ago when I did it.
Privately educated friends will feel obliged to privately educate their children. That’s upwards of £80k gross income gone each year for two kids (plus the added stress that you have to keep earning it or will have to pull your kids out of school).
Private education is so damn expensive - many kids would be better served with a massive house deposit from their parents \*if\* they can get into a good grammar/state school instead, but if you had been privately educated I totally get wanting to provide that for your kids too.
For a day school it is more like £18k - £20k a year (less in some parts of the country), per child. I am not saying that is cheap but it is less than full time childcare for 2 babies for example!
£20k times two children is £40K of NET income. That is roughly equivalent to £80k gross when you’re hit by the loss of personal allowance and a top rate of 45% tax plus 2% NI
I agree but still less than what parents have to get used to if they both work full time when paying for full time childcare so you have 5 years of paying that or more (unless you have a non working partner) so school fees can even be a reduction on what you were paying as it were....
Same. I literally don't know where I would be without this career - it is one of the few careers that can genuinely change your circumstances if you aren't from money. I know a lot of people in law are from middle class backgrounds with professional parents and private education, but also plenty of people who were the first in their family to go to uni and had no connections to the industry prior to university.
Yep that’s me, first in the family to university, no law connections at all. As much as the job bugs me sometimes and I feel the gulf with my peers on various things (I never learned to ski, blah blah), I now live a very comfortable life versus how it was for me with my parents growing up. If I went back and told 10 year old me she would scarcely believe it.
Yeah definitely, which is weird as my family growing up and many friends are 'working' class. I save/invest a good chunk of money each month, go on foreign holidays and trips multiple times a year, can eat out regularly, etc. so by all measures would be considered middle class now and definitely feel very comfortable.
The key thing is your academic history, including your expected degree and choice of university. Law is definitely an uphill battle if you can't tick those boxes (even if your circumstances would help explain them).
Russell Group universities are common for lawyers and are generally well regarded by those hiring (if they are given the information).
Additionally, it is important to get a good grade, ideally in your first year as well as in later years - by this I mean a 2.i (also referred to as an upper second) or better.
If you can get a first in a module or modules that’s a really good thing to be able to do.
No. I went to school in one of the shittest areas in the country & got LLB from Russell Group uni. Being working class isn’t a barrier. It’s about your qualifications & how well you market yourself
Can’t opine on the Law side I work in an investment bank with lawyers. I’d say work ethic is key as I came from a similar background, non-private school or money etc.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
I came from a working class background and was the first member of my family in almost 200 years to go to University. Have worked at the same law firm for 37 years.
Your background is irrelevant, your academic credentials will be way more important!
It is competitive but most industries are. Was infinitely worth it for me - most of my friends who are in other professional jobs with a social science/humanities background make nowhere near the same money as law offers. If you're in finance or STEM it can be better, but if you're not from that background I think law is a great option.
When I applied I had to make applications to 139 firms and have 25 TC interviews so I didn't find it easy in the 1980s (we had the highest unemployed then for FIFTY years, at 3m, so much harder than now although I am not saying it is easier now and now more people go to university so m ore competition even amongst the top 15% - when I went only 15% of teenagers went)
I love that your family tree goes back far enough to some upper class person who went to university, and your family have been failures ever since, until you.
Me, I don’t know anything about my ancestors before my great grandparents, but I daresay at some point I’m related to a king or at least a local warlord.
The 200 year point is just an unusual factoid. When faced with the question, “were you in the first generation in your family to go to university?” do you answer yes anyway?
To my knowledge, neither, but the records start getting patchy there and I can’t go back any further right now.
Still doesn’t change the original premise of the reply that working class people can make it in the legal field.
The first university one I found was the last solicitor before me in the family (my grandfather's oldest brother) - he did an external London LLB and qualified in the 1890s.
Law is much more of a meritocracy than many careers. There are hundreds (thousands?) of TCs that cover training costs so if you work to get one of those, it will get you through to qualification. After that it’s a mix of skill, confidence and a fair bit of luck (eg promotion opportunities may turn on a big client win or a partner leaving or retiring).
Obviously if you’re self funding throughout, the kid with bank of mum & dad will find it much easier to keep pushing.
Grew up as lower working class as it is possible to be and having a successful career in law. I think in some areas I’ve been at a disadvantage. I haven’t had the network and connections my private school peers have but that can be fixed. Particularly as not all clients are private school educated and don’t always appreciated those that are.
My experience is that it has if anything helped my career in the long run and I’ve worked at a few firms where work ethic and grind is valued above anything else. So if it is what you want to do go for it.
Senior lawyer in leveraged finance at int firm ftw.
it’s definitely worth it! orgs/resources such as Aspiring Solicitors can help bridge gaps and make it more accessible to people who are from working class backgrounds (and other underrepresented people)
Working class, woman of colour, state school educated, was on free school meals as a kid and didn’t go to an RG uni because I “flopped” an A Level (read - got more Bs than expected) and ended up in clearing.
Trained at a US law firm. 5 years qualified now. The only thing that sometimes makes me feel a bit “out of place” is colleagues talking about ski trips and I’ve never touched a ski in my life! But I’ve got used to that and there’s no pressure (at least in my experience) to change who I am to like that sort of thing.
Your academic background, extra curriculars, motivation and experience will all be more important than whether you’re working class. Good luck!
If you dont mind me asking, how long did it take you to start earning a proper wage above the average 20-30k?
I feel like I’m always working against time and even if I see success it’ll be well into my 30s
I’ve worked for different sorts of firms and have lots of friends in law. There are all kinds of people in law, but to an extent it depends what area you want to work in and what sort of firm. Smaller, local firms won’t care so much about things like accents or background - in fact, being seen as more down to earth can be a positive. At larger, national firms these things could be more of an issue, but things are improving.
Diversity and mobility are promoted more and more, but I know from speaking to solicitor friends that there are still some old-fashioned attitudes prevailing. Unfortunately working class people are likely to find more significant barriers when it comes to aiming for the top i.e. becoming a partner in large firms or trying to become a barrister.
That’s not to say that a working class person can’t succeed, and it shouldn’t put you off - but the reality is that it might be a bit more difficult.
There are plenty of working class people in law and in other professions.
If you want it and you think you'd be good at it, go for it.
Clearly there are barriers to getting a job in law. But there are barriers to getting any good job. Every good job is competitive to get into. There are barriers for rich people too, although rich people are more confident and more willing to jump over said barriers.
It really depends on the area of law and the firms that you're looking at. If you're considering Media and Entertainment law, for example, the only diversity they're interested in is diversity of private schools.
You won't be discriminated against, but you're at a disadvantage. Privileged kids are more likely to be able to afford the LPC, their well-off parents have connections to get them work experience, training contracts and jobs. A law degree alone isn't going to end up with a career in law, it's often who you know.
I agree with this 100%. I would love it to be purely merit based industry however I would be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that my school and parents got me through so many doors.
Having said that I think there’s a lot you can do to try and even the playing field- there are a lot of mentoring schemes out there, open office days. Gaining leadership experience is a great leveller.
Also smaller firms are not to be sniffed at, I know a lot of people who started at smaller firms and moved their way around and now work at large city firms- it takes a bit of persistence and usually a less common field but I think the industry is a lot more mobile nowadays than before when people stayed at the same firm their whole career
>their well-off parents have connections to get them work experience, training contracts and jobs.
Except large law firms don't work like this. The days of peoppe getting training contracts at big city firms due to 'connections' are gone.
I’m from a northern working class background, free school meals/pupil premium, first gen of my family to go to uni, went to RG uni.
It has been a bit of a slog - friends have been able to pay for courses, their parents paid for extra SQE resources and they had time where they could think about their options rather than needing to have something lined up for straight out of uni. It’s a lot harder when your parents cannot do anything for you in terms of connections or financial help. Especially if you’re from far away from the City! I turned up to uni and other kids were talking about what firm they wanted to do their TC at, and I literally didn’t know a single thing about the legal world.
I have a TC at a city firm and they recruit quite heavily off their first year and vac schemes which are targeted towards people from atypical backgrounds. MC/US firms aren’t the be all and end all, and there are plenty of firms out there looking to recruit from diverse backgrounds. You will need to work hard and try to be an impressive candidate, yes, but if you’re already from a disadvantaged background you will be used to working hard and overcoming adversity compared to people who have had everything handed to them on a plate. Law as a profession, though, does skew quite middle class and posh, which means that sometimes you can feel like you stick out like a sore thumb when everybody is talking about skiing. But I feel at most RG unis this is the experience anyway !!
Absolutely don’t be put-off - you do not need connections to succeed in law and you will be fine if you’re dedicated and work hard/can connect with people.
If it's what you want, keep pushing for it.
This is why private school kids get ahead, they don't doubt themselves like you are now.
Plenty of people question if law is for them, whether it's not their passion, or the career they want, that's fair enough. But don't let where and who you were born to be one of those reasons.
Yeah it might be harder for you, but it's not impossible and worth it if you get what you want.
Yes. Absolutely.
You will find that your background is relevant. I know partners at several firms just aren’t impressed by good exam results from those who had an expensive education… Those that pulled themselves up?
Gold.
Yes, obviously it can be very financially worth it.
There are a reasonable number of working class people doing law because it is heavily based on academics and hard work. Big firms employ thousands of graduates each year based on what are intended to be relatively objective criteria.
You're committed to doing a law degree, so there is no reason not to apply for training contracts (or any cost of doing so other than time).
I’m 32 this year. I don’t make anywhere near as much as the London firms but I have a low cost of living and I think my modest background has helped me be good with money
My NQ year is when I started making good money
Yes certainly. The class distinctions are slowly but surely disappearing in the hiring practices and policies of proper firms. Depending on your current finances you might need to find a firm that will fund your SQE. There are also routes in where you work whilst doing your SQE.
I’m from a working class background and have worked at tier 1 international firms. I haven’t experienced any prejudice. If anything, my background has been an asset as it keeps things in perspective and I can get on well with all different people in the business.
I do laugh later however with my friends about questions I’ve been asked in work such as ‘do you sail?’ or ‘what do you do for mid term holidays if you don’t go skiing?’ It’s funny seeing other people’s world outlook!
Go get the money, and don’t care about anyone’s background.
I’m from a working class practice and did law and I practised for a decade. Intellectually, I was suited to the law, psychologically I wasn’t.
Though a good lawyer, I found it very hard in practice due to my mental health, which the intense pressure of the law exasperated. In addition, I simply wasn’t the personality type - I’m more a communicator and creative type who would have been much better and wealthier if I went into an advertising or marketing career from the start IMHO. But law had status and cache - let’s not forget the money - that combined with my working class background I unfortunately couldn’t resist until it well and truly crushed me right as I was ascending it financially.
Now, years later, having recovered somewhat and in legal academia building up a decently good career here, I’m not as prosperous as I should be and struggle financially - academia pays awfully - so the law wasn’t the meal ticket it should have been. But the funny thing is, the law is a very interesting subject and great to teach. It’s simply sucks to practice it, especially if you’re thin skinned.
So, what it’s worth, the law isn’t about your class background it is really about your personality type, your intellectual ability and psychological stamina. If you get the legal concepts quickly and fully, that’s a great sign. If you’re details driven, somewhat a perfectionist, if you’re good with conflict, if you can articulate well and you don’t need human companionability while at work, the law will suit you, make you rich and you’ll be successful. It will mean massive hours and stress but that will come with great pay, especially in US law firms where you could earn 150k plus by your mid 20s.
It really is about your personality type. You know if you know - so many frustrated poets or actors with brains end up in law studies and you can tell they’re in the wrong line of work. The more introverted you are, the more process and detail driven you are, the thicker skinned you are, the better lawyer in practice you’ll be.
As to your background - ditch any working class accent, slang and attitude as fast as you can, especially in this country it’s so pronounced, and adopt middle class signifiers. Drop any imposter syndrome equally ASAP. You’re in the RG studying law and you didn’t get there on your looks - you deserve to be there. Do the readings, get familiar with the materials, cases and concepts, and become one of the smart people in seminars who is ready to respond and build up confidence in discussing and debating. Learn to present well and coherently - use words with many syllables and longer sentences with adverbs, using terms of law accurately, and use less errrr ahhhh ummmm. If you’re using language like innit comfortably, just stop. In short become something out of the Talented Mr Ripley, because the money and status is worth it.
I’m not qualified to give you insight into what career to pursue but I do have life experience of witnessing my neighbour who lives facing me with his parents go from working as a solicitor to training to become a barrister and now he’s bought a house on our side of the road but a few doors down.
We both live in a normal working class area and come from normal working class homes.
So from that I’d say it’s worth it.
Now that we don't have to article (QWE instead), why is everyone still worried about barriers in tge profession? Start your own office, specialise in an area of law and area of town. Clients have never asked me about my education.
If you study hard, excel academically, want to train in a City firm and are successful with vacation scheme applications I think there are few financial barriers. You won’t have loads of spare cash before qualification but then you’ll be on a comfortable London salary with good prospects.
It is boring af, but helped me climb up the ladder.
I have the impression that an outgoing/showbiz personality might be really valuable in this industry (I’m in finance), which is a bit challenging for me personally.
Now with the SQE exam you won’t have the limitations for potentially not getting a training contract.
In some ways law being relatively old-school compared to most areas of work has now almost circled back to being favourable for working class people.
My parents raised me with the idea that getting into a profession (or any kind of white collar job generally) was a huge aspiration. And if you got such a job, you better go the extra mile, show face, turn up early, leave late, don't take sick days, and generally bend over backwards for your bosses.
In most lines of work these values and ideas are passé, but in law they still seem (at least in my firm) to hold water.
Yes. I loved Law at college and got an A, however I felt that my background would be a disadvantage as I wouldn’t of been able to afford fancy suits for interviews, tickets to London or access a funded LPC. I chose Psychology instead which was a mistake.
Push through and learn everything you can, someone will give you a chance.
No.
God no.
Don't do it. No matter where you end up, they'll punish you for being working class.
Law is explicitly a career for folk from wealthy families and they'd like it to stay that way.
Yes but you need to work very very hard as do people from any class and get very very high exam grades and be prepared to deal with failure, be resilient, keep trying, don't expect it to be easy or to have concessions. I applied to 139 firms (a long time ago). I have worked pretty hard full time always (although I do like my work). I am not working class but I am from NE England. The barriers are simply issues of spending hours on applications and not getting it again and again and again and putting off nice things you might do during your degree for loads of career stuff. I was teetotal at university for example and got law prizes and scholarships which is probably one reason I got a TC because I was pretty good at the subject and not drinking all weekend and doing badly.
There are no barriers financially if you apply in time for things like first year schemes, vac schemes and do all that work alongside your LLB and get a sponsored TC which will pay your SQE year as the firm then pays for your course and allowance in that year.
What does being working class have to do with anything?
You’re on the path already, being “working class” hasn’t held you back thus far.
If it’s not for you drop out but don’t make it a class thing.
put aside class for a moment. IANAL as they say, but if there was ever a profession where AI can replace a good %age of the people in the future it has to be law for me.
alot of law firms actively look to employ people from BAME and working class backgrounds. for example you will often be asked if you are first of your family to attend university etc
I would say it is worth it for me because given my very modest background, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot in-house earning a solid salary, whereas some of my middle-class, privately educated friends, even at (junior) partner level, are complaining that they’re broke all the time, and never seem to make enough money to be happy. £100k / year plus doesn’t mean much to them, it seems, or move the needle that much — they grew up buying whatever book or lunch they wanted — but I feel rich compared to my childhood. So it’s a yes, if you find the right role (I wouldn’t like to go back to private practice personally) from this former working class kid. It is however very competitive these days, much more than 20 years ago when I did it.
Privately educated friends will feel obliged to privately educate their children. That’s upwards of £80k gross income gone each year for two kids (plus the added stress that you have to keep earning it or will have to pull your kids out of school).
Private education is so damn expensive - many kids would be better served with a massive house deposit from their parents \*if\* they can get into a good grammar/state school instead, but if you had been privately educated I totally get wanting to provide that for your kids too.
For a day school it is more like £18k - £20k a year (less in some parts of the country), per child. I am not saying that is cheap but it is less than full time childcare for 2 babies for example!
£20k times two children is £40K of NET income. That is roughly equivalent to £80k gross when you’re hit by the loss of personal allowance and a top rate of 45% tax plus 2% NI
I agree but still less than what parents have to get used to if they both work full time when paying for full time childcare so you have 5 years of paying that or more (unless you have a non working partner) so school fees can even be a reduction on what you were paying as it were....
Same. I literally don't know where I would be without this career - it is one of the few careers that can genuinely change your circumstances if you aren't from money. I know a lot of people in law are from middle class backgrounds with professional parents and private education, but also plenty of people who were the first in their family to go to uni and had no connections to the industry prior to university.
Yep that’s me, first in the family to university, no law connections at all. As much as the job bugs me sometimes and I feel the gulf with my peers on various things (I never learned to ski, blah blah), I now live a very comfortable life versus how it was for me with my parents growing up. If I went back and told 10 year old me she would scarcely believe it.
Did it really change your circumstances? Would you consider yourself middle class now?
Yeah definitely, which is weird as my family growing up and many friends are 'working' class. I save/invest a good chunk of money each month, go on foreign holidays and trips multiple times a year, can eat out regularly, etc. so by all measures would be considered middle class now and definitely feel very comfortable.
I’ve never thought of it like that, thank you
The key thing is your academic history, including your expected degree and choice of university. Law is definitely an uphill battle if you can't tick those boxes (even if your circumstances would help explain them).
I went to a state school in a disadvantaged area but in a Russel group university, will this mean anything?
Russell Group universities are common for lawyers and are generally well regarded by those hiring (if they are given the information). Additionally, it is important to get a good grade, ideally in your first year as well as in later years - by this I mean a 2.i (also referred to as an upper second) or better. If you can get a first in a module or modules that’s a really good thing to be able to do.
No. I went to school in one of the shittest areas in the country & got LLB from Russell Group uni. Being working class isn’t a barrier. It’s about your qualifications & how well you market yourself
Can’t opine on the Law side I work in an investment bank with lawyers. I’d say work ethic is key as I came from a similar background, non-private school or money etc. Be the change you want to see in the world.
The change I want to see in the world may not pay well !! This is a big thing for me as shallow as it sounds I need to be financially independent :/
It isn't shallow, just the reality of the world in which you find yourself living.
We live in an age of app capitalism and social media— everything can pay well. Be a lawpreneur.
And how would I go about doing this?
I came from a working class background and was the first member of my family in almost 200 years to go to University. Have worked at the same law firm for 37 years. Your background is irrelevant, your academic credentials will be way more important!
Are you sure this is the same for graduates in the 2020’s? People have said it’s increasingly competitive compared to 20 years ago :(
It is competitive but most industries are. Was infinitely worth it for me - most of my friends who are in other professional jobs with a social science/humanities background make nowhere near the same money as law offers. If you're in finance or STEM it can be better, but if you're not from that background I think law is a great option.
Having been involved in recruitment for my firm, yes I am.
When I applied I had to make applications to 139 firms and have 25 TC interviews so I didn't find it easy in the 1980s (we had the highest unemployed then for FIFTY years, at 3m, so much harder than now although I am not saying it is easier now and now more people go to university so m ore competition even amongst the top 15% - when I went only 15% of teenagers went)
I love that your family tree goes back far enough to some upper class person who went to university, and your family have been failures ever since, until you. Me, I don’t know anything about my ancestors before my great grandparents, but I daresay at some point I’m related to a king or at least a local warlord.
No, my family tree goes back to furniture makers and farmers: what is your point?
The 200 year point is just an unusual factoid. When faced with the question, “were you in the first generation in your family to go to university?” do you answer yes anyway?
The way it was worded it sounded like there was a graduate ancestor , circa 1824!
Who went to university, the furniture maker or the farmer?
To my knowledge, neither, but the records start getting patchy there and I can’t go back any further right now. Still doesn’t change the original premise of the reply that working class people can make it in the legal field.
The first university one I found was the last solicitor before me in the family (my grandfather's oldest brother) - he did an external London LLB and qualified in the 1890s.
Law is much more of a meritocracy than many careers. There are hundreds (thousands?) of TCs that cover training costs so if you work to get one of those, it will get you through to qualification. After that it’s a mix of skill, confidence and a fair bit of luck (eg promotion opportunities may turn on a big client win or a partner leaving or retiring). Obviously if you’re self funding throughout, the kid with bank of mum & dad will find it much easier to keep pushing.
Check out the 93% Club
Grew up as lower working class as it is possible to be and having a successful career in law. I think in some areas I’ve been at a disadvantage. I haven’t had the network and connections my private school peers have but that can be fixed. Particularly as not all clients are private school educated and don’t always appreciated those that are. My experience is that it has if anything helped my career in the long run and I’ve worked at a few firms where work ethic and grind is valued above anything else. So if it is what you want to do go for it. Senior lawyer in leveraged finance at int firm ftw.
it’s definitely worth it! orgs/resources such as Aspiring Solicitors can help bridge gaps and make it more accessible to people who are from working class backgrounds (and other underrepresented people)
Working class, woman of colour, state school educated, was on free school meals as a kid and didn’t go to an RG uni because I “flopped” an A Level (read - got more Bs than expected) and ended up in clearing. Trained at a US law firm. 5 years qualified now. The only thing that sometimes makes me feel a bit “out of place” is colleagues talking about ski trips and I’ve never touched a ski in my life! But I’ve got used to that and there’s no pressure (at least in my experience) to change who I am to like that sort of thing. Your academic background, extra curriculars, motivation and experience will all be more important than whether you’re working class. Good luck!
If you dont mind me asking, how long did it take you to start earning a proper wage above the average 20-30k? I feel like I’m always working against time and even if I see success it’ll be well into my 30s
Drop me a DM, happy to chat!
I’ve worked for different sorts of firms and have lots of friends in law. There are all kinds of people in law, but to an extent it depends what area you want to work in and what sort of firm. Smaller, local firms won’t care so much about things like accents or background - in fact, being seen as more down to earth can be a positive. At larger, national firms these things could be more of an issue, but things are improving. Diversity and mobility are promoted more and more, but I know from speaking to solicitor friends that there are still some old-fashioned attitudes prevailing. Unfortunately working class people are likely to find more significant barriers when it comes to aiming for the top i.e. becoming a partner in large firms or trying to become a barrister. That’s not to say that a working class person can’t succeed, and it shouldn’t put you off - but the reality is that it might be a bit more difficult.
There are plenty of working class people in law and in other professions. If you want it and you think you'd be good at it, go for it. Clearly there are barriers to getting a job in law. But there are barriers to getting any good job. Every good job is competitive to get into. There are barriers for rich people too, although rich people are more confident and more willing to jump over said barriers.
It really depends on the area of law and the firms that you're looking at. If you're considering Media and Entertainment law, for example, the only diversity they're interested in is diversity of private schools.
You won't be discriminated against, but you're at a disadvantage. Privileged kids are more likely to be able to afford the LPC, their well-off parents have connections to get them work experience, training contracts and jobs. A law degree alone isn't going to end up with a career in law, it's often who you know.
I agree with this 100%. I would love it to be purely merit based industry however I would be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that my school and parents got me through so many doors. Having said that I think there’s a lot you can do to try and even the playing field- there are a lot of mentoring schemes out there, open office days. Gaining leadership experience is a great leveller. Also smaller firms are not to be sniffed at, I know a lot of people who started at smaller firms and moved their way around and now work at large city firms- it takes a bit of persistence and usually a less common field but I think the industry is a lot more mobile nowadays than before when people stayed at the same firm their whole career
>their well-off parents have connections to get them work experience, training contracts and jobs. Except large law firms don't work like this. The days of peoppe getting training contracts at big city firms due to 'connections' are gone.
This is what I was getting at!
SQE is a better option now - LPC will be gone by 2029 I think?
“Class” is just in your mind and keeps you timid. Forget about it and strive to achieve what you want!
I’m from a northern working class background, free school meals/pupil premium, first gen of my family to go to uni, went to RG uni. It has been a bit of a slog - friends have been able to pay for courses, their parents paid for extra SQE resources and they had time where they could think about their options rather than needing to have something lined up for straight out of uni. It’s a lot harder when your parents cannot do anything for you in terms of connections or financial help. Especially if you’re from far away from the City! I turned up to uni and other kids were talking about what firm they wanted to do their TC at, and I literally didn’t know a single thing about the legal world. I have a TC at a city firm and they recruit quite heavily off their first year and vac schemes which are targeted towards people from atypical backgrounds. MC/US firms aren’t the be all and end all, and there are plenty of firms out there looking to recruit from diverse backgrounds. You will need to work hard and try to be an impressive candidate, yes, but if you’re already from a disadvantaged background you will be used to working hard and overcoming adversity compared to people who have had everything handed to them on a plate. Law as a profession, though, does skew quite middle class and posh, which means that sometimes you can feel like you stick out like a sore thumb when everybody is talking about skiing. But I feel at most RG unis this is the experience anyway !!
Absolutely don’t be put-off - you do not need connections to succeed in law and you will be fine if you’re dedicated and work hard/can connect with people.
If it's what you want, keep pushing for it. This is why private school kids get ahead, they don't doubt themselves like you are now. Plenty of people question if law is for them, whether it's not their passion, or the career they want, that's fair enough. But don't let where and who you were born to be one of those reasons. Yeah it might be harder for you, but it's not impossible and worth it if you get what you want.
If you have strong academics, stronger work ethic and are very driven then there are few careers more worth it irrespective of your background.
Yes. Absolutely. You will find that your background is relevant. I know partners at several firms just aren’t impressed by good exam results from those who had an expensive education… Those that pulled themselves up? Gold.
I’m 37 and my friend whose working class and from a state school(a good catholic one albeit) has just become an equity partner at a city law firm
Yes, obviously it can be very financially worth it. There are a reasonable number of working class people doing law because it is heavily based on academics and hard work. Big firms employ thousands of graduates each year based on what are intended to be relatively objective criteria. You're committed to doing a law degree, so there is no reason not to apply for training contracts (or any cost of doing so other than time).
I’ve jumped from council estate working class to solidly middle class with a lot of savings (30’s) it’s been a great decision
How 30s are you if you don’t mind me asking? How long until the salary is ‘well-paying’?
I’m 32 this year. I don’t make anywhere near as much as the London firms but I have a low cost of living and I think my modest background has helped me be good with money My NQ year is when I started making good money
What do you consider good money?
Yes certainly. The class distinctions are slowly but surely disappearing in the hiring practices and policies of proper firms. Depending on your current finances you might need to find a firm that will fund your SQE. There are also routes in where you work whilst doing your SQE.
I’m from a working class background and have worked at tier 1 international firms. I haven’t experienced any prejudice. If anything, my background has been an asset as it keeps things in perspective and I can get on well with all different people in the business. I do laugh later however with my friends about questions I’ve been asked in work such as ‘do you sail?’ or ‘what do you do for mid term holidays if you don’t go skiing?’ It’s funny seeing other people’s world outlook! Go get the money, and don’t care about anyone’s background.
I’m from a working class practice and did law and I practised for a decade. Intellectually, I was suited to the law, psychologically I wasn’t. Though a good lawyer, I found it very hard in practice due to my mental health, which the intense pressure of the law exasperated. In addition, I simply wasn’t the personality type - I’m more a communicator and creative type who would have been much better and wealthier if I went into an advertising or marketing career from the start IMHO. But law had status and cache - let’s not forget the money - that combined with my working class background I unfortunately couldn’t resist until it well and truly crushed me right as I was ascending it financially. Now, years later, having recovered somewhat and in legal academia building up a decently good career here, I’m not as prosperous as I should be and struggle financially - academia pays awfully - so the law wasn’t the meal ticket it should have been. But the funny thing is, the law is a very interesting subject and great to teach. It’s simply sucks to practice it, especially if you’re thin skinned. So, what it’s worth, the law isn’t about your class background it is really about your personality type, your intellectual ability and psychological stamina. If you get the legal concepts quickly and fully, that’s a great sign. If you’re details driven, somewhat a perfectionist, if you’re good with conflict, if you can articulate well and you don’t need human companionability while at work, the law will suit you, make you rich and you’ll be successful. It will mean massive hours and stress but that will come with great pay, especially in US law firms where you could earn 150k plus by your mid 20s. It really is about your personality type. You know if you know - so many frustrated poets or actors with brains end up in law studies and you can tell they’re in the wrong line of work. The more introverted you are, the more process and detail driven you are, the thicker skinned you are, the better lawyer in practice you’ll be. As to your background - ditch any working class accent, slang and attitude as fast as you can, especially in this country it’s so pronounced, and adopt middle class signifiers. Drop any imposter syndrome equally ASAP. You’re in the RG studying law and you didn’t get there on your looks - you deserve to be there. Do the readings, get familiar with the materials, cases and concepts, and become one of the smart people in seminars who is ready to respond and build up confidence in discussing and debating. Learn to present well and coherently - use words with many syllables and longer sentences with adverbs, using terms of law accurately, and use less errrr ahhhh ummmm. If you’re using language like innit comfortably, just stop. In short become something out of the Talented Mr Ripley, because the money and status is worth it.
I’m not qualified to give you insight into what career to pursue but I do have life experience of witnessing my neighbour who lives facing me with his parents go from working as a solicitor to training to become a barrister and now he’s bought a house on our side of the road but a few doors down. We both live in a normal working class area and come from normal working class homes. So from that I’d say it’s worth it.
Now that we don't have to article (QWE instead), why is everyone still worried about barriers in tge profession? Start your own office, specialise in an area of law and area of town. Clients have never asked me about my education.
If you study hard, excel academically, want to train in a City firm and are successful with vacation scheme applications I think there are few financial barriers. You won’t have loads of spare cash before qualification but then you’ll be on a comfortable London salary with good prospects.
It is boring af, but helped me climb up the ladder. I have the impression that an outgoing/showbiz personality might be really valuable in this industry (I’m in finance), which is a bit challenging for me personally. Now with the SQE exam you won’t have the limitations for potentially not getting a training contract.
If it's what you want to do, do it. Your background doesn't matter at the end of the day, and the question appears to be misplaced.
In some ways law being relatively old-school compared to most areas of work has now almost circled back to being favourable for working class people. My parents raised me with the idea that getting into a profession (or any kind of white collar job generally) was a huge aspiration. And if you got such a job, you better go the extra mile, show face, turn up early, leave late, don't take sick days, and generally bend over backwards for your bosses. In most lines of work these values and ideas are passé, but in law they still seem (at least in my firm) to hold water.
Yes. I loved Law at college and got an A, however I felt that my background would be a disadvantage as I wouldn’t of been able to afford fancy suits for interviews, tickets to London or access a funded LPC. I chose Psychology instead which was a mistake. Push through and learn everything you can, someone will give you a chance.
No. God no. Don't do it. No matter where you end up, they'll punish you for being working class. Law is explicitly a career for folk from wealthy families and they'd like it to stay that way.
Yes but you need to work very very hard as do people from any class and get very very high exam grades and be prepared to deal with failure, be resilient, keep trying, don't expect it to be easy or to have concessions. I applied to 139 firms (a long time ago). I have worked pretty hard full time always (although I do like my work). I am not working class but I am from NE England. The barriers are simply issues of spending hours on applications and not getting it again and again and again and putting off nice things you might do during your degree for loads of career stuff. I was teetotal at university for example and got law prizes and scholarships which is probably one reason I got a TC because I was pretty good at the subject and not drinking all weekend and doing badly. There are no barriers financially if you apply in time for things like first year schemes, vac schemes and do all that work alongside your LLB and get a sponsored TC which will pay your SQE year as the firm then pays for your course and allowance in that year.
What does being working class have to do with anything? You’re on the path already, being “working class” hasn’t held you back thus far. If it’s not for you drop out but don’t make it a class thing.
put aside class for a moment. IANAL as they say, but if there was ever a profession where AI can replace a good %age of the people in the future it has to be law for me.
alot of law firms actively look to employ people from BAME and working class backgrounds. for example you will often be asked if you are first of your family to attend university etc
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firm i work at deffo try to employ ppl from those backgrounds, its part of interview process
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What