Careers in the Law and Beyond: What You Can Actually Do With a Law Degree
Alan Fu
Most law students are given a narrow view of what comes next after graduating. Law schools are often built around the idea of becoming a lawyer through the clerkship process, and commercial firms often dominate university careers events. However, according to the National Profile of Solicitors, there were around 97,500 solicitors practising across all different areas of law in Australia, as of October 2024.
Beyond the legal industry, there are also so many other rewarding career pathways made possible with a law degree, including HR or business administration. Plenty of students graduate with a law degree and never end up practising law at all, and there are also many people who initially practise law and then move into another career path that may not be related to law at all.
This blog post will cover career pathways as a lawyer, as well as opportunities in legal-adjacent roles and roles entirely beyond the legal profession.
The traditional path: going into legal practice
Private practice
Most graduates aspire to, and land, in private practice. The work in private practice is varied, with some graduates working at top commercial firms and many more in boutique firms that specialise in certain practice areas, such as property law or family law.
In-house counsel
Another option is to work as a lawyer in an in-house legal team. In this role, graduates are employed by one organisation and engage in legal work focused on that organisation’s business operations. Tasks could involve, for example, assessing risk relating to prospective contracts.
Barrister
Barristers are specialist legal advocates and are self-employed. They represent clients in court and are hired to provide legal advice for complex legal issues. This pathway is especially suited to those interested in advocacy.
However, given the specialist nature of their work, becoming a barrister is not a direct path out of university. Rather, in most states, once you have been admitted as a lawyer, you need to pass a bar entrance exam and complete a readers' course before you can practice as a barrister. Solicitors may make a career move to become a barrister after gaining enough experience in private practice.
Government and public sector
The work in the government and public sector includes working for government departments, in either an advisory role as parliamentary counsel or a litigious role in prosecution. The work in the government and public sector can be quite varied, however the pay ceiling is lower than in private practice. With this said, graduate salaries are more competitive than many students expect.
Community legal centres (CLCs) and Legal Aid
Another alternative career path is to work in CLCs or in Legal Aid. These services are the frontline for people who cannot otherwise afford legal representation. The work in this sector can be quite demanding, but also very rewarding. Many lawyers end up staying in this sector because it allows them to make a real difference in people's lives.
Legal-adjacent careers
Compliance and risk
Compliance roles exist in banks, insurers, healthcare providers, universities and anywhere heavily regulated. The work involves translating regulation into processes that people inside the organisation will actually follow, and then checking that they do. It can be quite steady work with clearer hours than private practice.
Legal operations
Legal operations is a newer function focused on how legal work gets done, rather than the substance of the work itself. This field covers budgets, workflow, vendor management, technology and reporting. If inefficient processes frustrate you more than bad drafting does, this area may be for you.
Knowledge management
Knowledge management roles at large firms involve maintaining precedents, running internal training and building the firm's expertise in particular practice areas. This can be a good option for those who enjoyed the research and writing side of law school more than client contact.
Policy and regulatory affairs
Policy roles exist in government departments, industry bodies, regulators and large corporates. The work involves shaping the rules rather than applying them to individual matters, which can be quite appealing for those who want influence further upstream, before the law reaches a client's file.
Forensic and investigations
Forensic and investigations teams at accounting firms and consultancies combine legal analysis with financial investigation, usually in fraud, anti-money-laundering or regulatory matters. The work can be quite varied and suits those who like following a paper trail.
Careers entirely beyond law
A law degree is valuable, because it teaches you to read carefully, analyse precisely, problem-solve and handle pressure. These are transferable skills that are beneficial in every workplace, particularly alongside a double-degree qualification. For this reason, many law graduates pursue successful careers in entirely different industries and never venture into the legal profession.
Management consulting
Solving problems for businesses and government departments. The skills developed through law school, such as reading comprehension and confidence to give advice, can be very helpful.
Investment banking and finance
Another option is investment banking or a career in finance, particularly alongside a double-degree in Commerce. The transferable skill here is diligence, since juniors lawyers working in commercial law often spend their days reading the same documents that bankers read.
Journalism
Many law graduates choose to work in court reporting, investigative work or cover news on business and legal matters. The ability to read court judgments and fully understand the facts and the law can be very helpful.
Politics
Work in politics can involve advising ministers, drafting government policy or running campaigns. Transferable skills from law school that will be beneficial include drafting and the ability to persuade people.
Human resources and employment relations
These roles cover workplace policy, enterprise bargaining, workplace investigations and conduct issues. An employment law background can be an advantage here, as is an ability to navigate difficult conversations.
Entrepreneurship
A law degree equips students with many skills relevant to building their own business, such as knowledge in contracts, property and other areas of law. This can help avoid expensive mistakes!
Teaching
Alongside a teaching degree, a law degree means you are uniquely placed to pursue a career as a teacher - particularly in VCE Legal Studies.
Before you commit
Ultimately, only you can determine your own career path, and everyone’s path is different. Here are some things to remember:
Always notice what you enjoy working on. Whether it be resolving disputes, mooting or reading case judgments, it can help you determine what you want to pursue in the future.
Almost nobody's final career is their first one. Many people move on to different careers at various times in their lives. A few years with almost any opportunity will improve your soft skills and make you more employable. It is important to remember that very few opportunities will be a complete waste of time.
Even though a law degree takes years, it is not wasted even if you do not end up practising as a lawyer. The skills that are learnt will be beneficial in many other different career paths.
Good luck!