CILEx members can now own or work at various types of law firm
There are almost 11,000 law firms delivering legal services across England and Wales, ranging from lawyers working independently from home to global businesses with thousands of people located around the world, you have a wide choice of future employers.
CILEx members can now own or work at various types of law firm:
General practice/high-street law firms: these local practices range in size and offer a broad range of legal services. They primarily act on behalf of private individuals and small businesses and are located in towns and cities around England and Wales.
Niche firms: these are practices that specialise in a particular industry or specialist area of law. If you are interested in a very specific area of practice it is worthwhile checking whether there is a firm out there that delivers legal services linked to that area.
Regional firms: these organisations tend to be larger than the average high-street practice and may have a number of offices spread across a wider geographic area. They offer a wide range of services, some regional firms are more geared towards providing services to businesses, but many still work for individuals.
London City firms: these firms can be divided into small, medium, large and Magic Circle firms. Their core business tends to be of a more commercial nature, delivering legal services to business clients.
Alternative Business Structures (ABS): these are legal businesses that can be owned and run by non-lawyers together with lawyers. The introduction of ABS has resulted in some well-known brands, such as Admiral and the Co-op , offering legal services directly to their customers.
In-house lawyers: are employed by a company or a public authority to provide them with legal support. This kind of role offers challenges which are different from those in a private law firm or an ABS. In-house lawyers have only one ‘client’ , their employer, and are part of a team looking to achieve the organisation’s goals. A role in-house provides the opportunity to really get to know an organisation from the inside and to extend your range of skills and expertise.
There are various places where CILEx lawyers work in-house :
Local government: a good number of CILEx members work in the legal departments of local government (ie, public bodies such as local councils) providing advice to the authority on a wide range of legal matters such as family law, housing and planning.
Public bodies: in addition to local authorities public bodies include, for example, the NHS and UK central Government departments.
Commerce and industry: larger companies often employ their own lawyers to reduce the amount of money they spend on private law firms, and also so that they have an in-house resource they can tap into. Examples include Vodafone, Vauxhall and Disney.
Prosecuting authorities: for example, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). This is a government body which prosecutes those charged with crimes. There is a special category of CILEx member called an ‘associate prosecutor’ . These members work for the CPS and, without needing to be a solicitor or barrister, are allowed to conduct a wide range of prosecution work.
Recruitment websites
There are specialist legal recruitment websites, such as the CILEx Recruitment website, which lists jobs as well as having a directory of employers and employment agencies
Employment agencies
There are specialist legal sector employment agencies. The CILEx Recruitment website is a useful starting point (see above).
Apprenticeship vacancies
Legal apprenticeship vacancies can be found by searching the following sites:
England
Wales
Directory of legal firms
Locations and details of the law firms across England & Wales can be found here:
The Legal 500
Chambers UK Guide
Thinking outside of the box
Not all opportunities to work in law are found at law firms. Additional guidance and support can be found on the CILEx careers website
Databases
To find information on where lawyers are currently working visit:
Find a CILEx Authorised Practitioner online
Find a Solicitor – Law Society
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is more than just a professional networking site as it also lists jobs, volunteering opportunities and company information.
CILEx Members
Seek advice and guidance from CILEx members by connecting with them via:
Facebook
CILEx Branches
LinkedIn