Re: Career in Law
Hi 
My background and previous work experience is in insurance law (I am in Australia) and the job I have just gotten is also at an insurance company in their in house legal team. However, having a law degree provides PLENTY of job opportunities as it is so flexible- you can go just about anywhere!
As for what areas of law are in demand …in Australia at least there is not much left in immigration law (harder to get a visa here and now any licensed migration agent can do the same job, so why would you pay extra to a lawyer just because he/she has the degree?). Family law will always be in demand as people are always getting divorced and there are custody issues etc but I think this would be a difficult area to work in as it could get quite emotional. Property law is always good/in demand (although I found the subject boring at uni!), as is the area of wills and estates. Taxation law is another big one here (very difficult to get into but good money) but this wasn’t an option for me as I am hopeless with numbers. I have a friend who works in criminal law and she loves it but it’s a lot of work, you are pretty much on call 24/7 (she even has to attend bail hearings on Saturdays and is often at the office on the weekend).
However, coming from someone who has practised law, I will say that working at a law firm- a lot is expected of you. I was working at the third largest firm in Aust and they expected their employees to work overtime etc (no extra pay) and basically they make you slave away! That is why I have made the move from a firm to a company as it is more easygoing and better hours. At the end of the day, especially if you are female and married, you need a good work/life balance and for me that wasn’t possible working at a firm. If you are prepared to dedicate your whole life to a career in law though, the possibilities are endless and it just comes down to what you want exactly. I want a career, but not for it to take over my life and hence why I am doing what I am doing.
Best of luck to all of those studying and job hunting!