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Lawyer, solicitor & barrister

A regulated profession: plan your qualifying route before you pick a country.

To practise as a lawyer you need two things: a law qualification, and admission in the country where you want to practise. Your route depends on where you start. After HSC you can take an undergraduate law degree (LLB) in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Malta and the UAE. In the US and Canada, law is a graduate degree (the JD), so you need a bachelor’s first. Graduates in any subject can also convert: a graduate-entry LLB, a law conversion course or a JD. An LLM is a specialist master’s for people who already have a law degree; on its own it rarely makes you a practising lawyer.

What the evidence says

The numbers behind this career

SQE
To qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales you need a degree in any subject (or equivalent), both parts of the SQE, two years’ qualifying work experience and the SRA’s character and suitability checks.
Solicitors Regulation Authority, The SQE route, current
Any degree
Many barristers studied another subject first, then took a law conversion course (GDL) before Bar training and pupillage.
Bar Standards Board, Becoming a barrister, current
LLM
New York lets some foreign-educated lawyers “cure” gaps in their law degree with an LLM from an approved US law school, after an advance evaluation by the Board.
New York State Board of Law Examiners, Foreign legal education, current

You and AI

What AI takes on, and what stays yours

Routine tasks are being automated. Graduates who use AI well do the higher-value work and shine.

AI increasingly handles

  • Legal research and document review
  • First drafts of contracts and letters
  • Due diligence and compliance checks

Stays human, and grows in value

  • Advising clients and taking responsibility
  • Advocacy in court and negotiation
  • Ethical judgement and duty to the court

The career ladder

From your first course to a senior role

Typical steps. Titles vary by country and employer, and some roles need a local licence or registration.

  1. 1StudyLLB, JD, law conversion (GDL/PGDL), LLM for law graduates
  2. 2QualifySQE and work experience, Bar training and pupillage, bar exam or practical legal training
  3. 3First roleTrainee or junior solicitor, associate, pupil barrister
  4. 4SeniorSenior associate, partner, barrister in practice, in-house counsel

Skills to build

Legal researchWriting and draftingAdvocacyNegotiationProfessional ethics

Where it’s in demand

Not a named priority on the national lists we track. Demand depends on the city and employer, so an adviser can help you choose a destination.

Lists change often and are not a promise of a visa. How to use them →