MANY students are under the mistaken impression that a law degree will qualify you to practise as a barrister or solicitor. In fact, a law degree is essentially an academic education and the professional qualifications which allow you to practise as a solicitor or barrister are postgraduate qualifications which you take after your degree.
In fact, many law graduates will never become solicitors or barristers. However, all of the traditional career areas are open to law graduates and they are much sought after in the business arena. Law graduates may go into tax consultancy, accountancy, banking, insurance, and corporations. There may also be opportunities in government service in Foreign Affairs, Law Reform or the Attorney General's office or with the EU. Many law graduates opt for postgraduate studies other than the professional law qualification.
Law students are bright people. Points for law last year ranged from 560 for law and French in TCD to 455 for law and European studies in UL, so securing a place on a law degree is no mean feat. And the range of law degrees on offer means that as well as the traditional offerings in UCC, UCG, UCD and TCD, you can combine law with accounting or European studies in UL or you can study law with French or German in UCC and TCD while UCG offers a degree in corporate law and UCD has a business and law course.
UCG also offers a BA in legal science. Students take four subjects in first year (one of which must be legal science) and they continue with two subjects to degree level. This system allows students to combine law with subjects as diverse as economics, philosophy, sociology and politics. Graduates of the BA in legal science have the option of entering the LLB at its second year.
Barrister
Horse hair wigs, flowing gowns and fluent rhetoric are just some of the trappings of one of the most prized of all professions.
But it's a long haul from school to fully fledged barrister. The most direct route is to study for a designated law degree followed by two years at the King's Inns, studying for the barrister at law degree.
Degrees approved by King's Inns for entrance to the barrister at law degree include the bachelor of civil law offered by UCC and UCD; the LLB from UCG; the LL B, LL B(French) and LL B(German) from TCD; the BA in European studies (law option) and the BA in law and accounting from UL. You should cheek with the King's Inns if you are concerned about a particular course as courses, are approved on an ongoing basis.
The LL B from Queen's University Belfast is also accepted provided the applicant also passes Irish constitutional law in the King's Inns' diploma courses. All applicants must pass a number of compulsory subjects in their degree course or they must make up the deficiency by passing the appropriate subjects in the King's Inns.
And even if you do study for a designated law degree you are not guaranteed a place in the King's Inns. Entry is on the basis of academic competition and, usually, you would need a 2.1 or a first in your degree to secure a place.
There is an alternative route to becoming a barrister. Graduates of any discipline can apply for the King's Inns two year diploma course and from there they can proceed to the degree. This means an extra two years' study.
And it's not all over when you graduate from the barrister at law degree. It is becoming increasingly difficult to establish yourself as a barrister. The majority of barristers make very little money for the first few years (and this is on top of at least six years without money). So, be very sure what you want.
Solicitor
Sadly, it's not easy to become a solicitor either. If you are starting a law degree this year there will be no exemptions from the Law Society's entrance exams by the time you apply to do their course for solicitors. In the past, there were certain designated law degrees which allowed you exemptions from these exams.
In fact, you can become a solicitor without ever doing a law degree. Up to 20 per cent of those who do the Law Society's course are non law graduates. Often, graduates from other disciplines do the legal studies diploma offered by the Dublin Institute of Technology and then sit the entrance exams.
Once you pass the Law Society's entrance exam, you still have a few obstacles to overcome before you become a solicitor. First, there is the wait for an available course - usually about 18 months. You can occupy yourself during this time by spending three months in a solicitor's office as an apprentice and this will be credited to your apprenticeship period. After you, complete the Law Society's six month course you must secure a two year apprenticeship (less the three months, if you have already done them). And, yes, you've guessed - apprenticeships are a scarce commodity.
The employment scene for qualified solicitors is changing and solicitors outside practice (their traditional role) now account for more than 10 per cent of the total number of solicitors in Ireland.
Law with...
Graduates of courses which combine law with another subject are less likely to become solicitors and barristers, although the option is open to them. For instance, in UL, of the 46 students who graduated in law and European studies in 1995, 17 per cent went on to professional legal training; 44 per cent are employed in other areas in Ireland; 28 per cent went on to further study; 7 per cent were employed abroad and 2 per cent were not available for further work.
Many law graduates widen their options later by opting for business or languages at postgraduate level.
Corporate Law
This is a three year programme first offered by UCG in 1993. Students take law and business and they also have the option to take a modern language. The aim is to prepare students to work as corporate lawyers in business, industry, management, administration and similar fields - there are good employment opportunities here.
Corporate law graduates who want to pursue professional law courses can study the additional core subjects necessary by transferring to the final year of the LLB.
Back to business
Mr Pat McGarty, head of the department of business and social studies in Athlone RTC contacted Countdown to College in an effort to dispel some of the common myths about studying business at third level. You do not need to have any business subject in your Leaving Cert. Athlone RTC and others welcome students without business subjects. The Cert class is split into two groups - those who studied accountancy and those who didn't. Other subjects are taught from basics. Another common misconception is that you must have a language to specialise in business with languages - RTCs usually offer German at beginner's level.
Ireland's skill shortages
Mr Peter Lillis, manager of corporate development in the IDA, was in touch with Countdown to College to discuss the areas where the IDA expects substantial shortages of qualified people in three to five years time.
There are three main are teleservices, software and engineering technicians (mechanical, electronic, production). This column will return to the teleservices area later this week.
In the software area, Mr Lillis says employees in a typical software company comprise 75 per cent degree level graduates, 15 per cent cert/diploma holders and administrative/secretarial staff. He is worried that although there is no shortage of peopled wanting to study software at degree level, there are insufficient third level places. However, the number of postgraduate conversion courses is increasing.
The problem at technician level is somewhat different in that the electronics, mechanics and production areas are not perceived as desirable careers by most school leavers (particularly girls). "In fact, these are excellent career choices where jobs are virtually available to everyone coming out with the qualifications," says Mr Lillis.
Of course, it would be silly to opt for these areas purely because jobs are available. But Mr Lillis is making the valid point that many school leavers are writing engineering and technical courses without researching what the courses and jobs actually offer.
And there is absolutely no reason for girls to ignore these areas as irrelevant to their lives. Women do just as well (if not better) than men both at college and in employment in the technical and engineering areas.