Do THIS before Starting a Law Degree

There are number of stages that a student or a potential student goes through before landing on the decision of pursuing Law academically and then as a career. It may be due to the love of the profession created by seeing your first trial in Court or simply having heard of Law as being one of the most lucrative careers the world over. Whatever reason brings you to Law, there is one fundamental thing you MUST keep in mind, before taking the leap.

Find Your Niche

As fascinating as the prospect of joining the legal fraternity may seem, the path towards it (and within it) is much more nuanced. Many students expect doing ‘Law’ as being the key. Quite the contrary. Law, is a vast area which is fragmented now more than ever. What’s most important at this juncture in your decision making process is to understand how to make the correct decision.

Choose Your Poison — The first hurdle to get over, is by far the least complex and the most difficult to do, all at the same time! The decision at the outset is binary: Civil or Criminal. Ask yourself, what emboldens you the most? This is a very personal question and will determine the path you will take academically. Therefore, be sure to weigh the pros and cons by discussing them with someone who’s in the profession or has experience in guidance.

Going The Civil Route — Many students that I encounter, prefer a Civil practice over that of Criminal. However, this selection in itself poses a number of issues to tackle. The Civil or Commercial practice towards is more fragmented than ever before. It is important to understand at this juncture, which specialization you wish you position yourself in as it will determine the subjects you select during your degree as well as even that of you postgraduate. Work backwards and seek guidance to be certain of your opportunities post-qualification.

Law is an increasingly competitive vocation and it is imperative that you not only equip yourself with a qualification but one that fits your future career aspirations.

Need guidance? Feel free to drop an email: shaveen@outlook.com