The anatomy of a deal at Allen & Overy (Commercial Law)

If you're thinking of becoming a Commercial Lawyer, the video below by This City will explain exactly what goes on behind the scenes, why lawyers are needed and what all of the fancy terms mean. 

What jobs can you do with a criminology degree?

Criminology is perhaps one of the most interesting subjects you can study for a degree in, even better there are a multitude of jobs that your Criminology degree would be useful for...

1. Police force- as Criminology focuses on understanding crime and how it affects society any role in the Police force would be a good career for putting things learnt during your degree into practice. 
2. MI5/MI6- Similar to the Police force these areas focus on some aspects of Criminology. Although the website does say they can't specify what personal characteristics they are looking for, you may find something like this an interesting career (and as long as you're over 21- which you will be by the time you finish your degree and gained at least a 2:1 it is possible).
3. Immigration officer/ Prison officer/ Probation officer- Anything to do with the Criminal Justice System will be beneficial with your degree in Criminology.
4. Social worker/ Youth worker- A background in the understanding of crime as well as a little extra training makes this viable options for anyone with a Criminology degree. 
5. Lawyer- As Law and Criminology go hand in hand, with a conversion course you can turn your non-law degree of Criminology into a Law degree to become a qualified solicitor. 
6. Criminologist- This career focuses on ways to prevent crime and includes analysing data and crime statistics in order to make sure the prevention methods are effective.
7. Any- don't feel as though that whatever you choose your degree in will be your career for the rest of your life. A degree shows that you are at a certain academic standard and with the right training and work experience you can get a job in almost any area you wish!

If you want to check out even more options for a Criminology degree please see the Prospects website, linked here. 

Is it too late to become a lawyer?

Hi, 

I have decided after much internal debate that I really want to pursue a career in law. I'm a second year studying Philosophy & Economics at LSE, and got decent marks in my first year (67% = 2:1). Problem is that I have no legal work experience to speak of. I'm looking for some advice as to where to start on the road to becoming a lawyer, as every work experience thing I look at wants prior experience/ knowledge. What things can I do to prove that I'm serious about this?                                 By Hockey Joe

Dear Hockey Joe, 

First it's never too late to become a lawyer. Have you heard of the GDL? It's a year long conversion course that converts your non law degree into a law degree, so don't quit the degree you are already studying for as it may prove valuable in the future. You are already receiving good grades which will help you apply to the GDL and bigger law firms further down the line. 

After GDL conversion course you can then study for either the LPC in order to become a solicitor (which, if you get a training contract the company usually pays for this and also sometimes the GDL) or the BPTC followed by a pupilage to become a barrister. Some really useful websites are lawcareers and also Grad diaries to see what type of grades firms are looking for. This blog post may help you  to understand what is expected of you during a law degree.

Possible routes into the legal profession

Secondly, work experience is an extremely valuable thing to have on your c.v. It shows employers you are committed and interested in this career path. I wrote a previous post on the best types of work experience, which you can find here. But many extra-curricular activities provide similar skills to what are being sought, however this shouldn't replace relevant legal experience. Volunteering in a solicitors office or The Citizen's Advice Bureau is said to be some of the best places to gain relevant experience in multiple areas of law. However even open days, vacation schemes and mini-pupilages count towards experience, the best time to start apply is early January, but most  run throughout the year, Grad diaries is a great place to find this information.                              Lawyerano