You want to be a lawyer, but you also have a passion for writing and communicating. While you might have had the opportunity to explore both sides of the law in your undergrad school days, you’re now facing a fresh set of challenges in becoming a lawyer-writer. Here are some of the ways you can combine your interests to get the best of both worlds.
Specialization
If you’ve decided that law is the right career path for you, you need to understand what specializations are available to you. One of the ways to do this is to find a legal specialism and then find the right training for it. For example, if you decide that corporate law is the field you want to pursue, you’ll need to look into the Bar Professional Training Programme (BPTP), which is a part of the integrated legal education in Scotland. After you graduate, you’ll be able to set up your own practice and specialize in corporate law, working on cases for one of the largest law firms in the country. By combining your interests in law and writing, you can ensure you get the most out of your legal training and rise to the top of your game.
Combine Your Mind And Your Pen
When you finally do get to write a real case, instead of just working through imaginary scenarios, you’ll discover that actually taking notes during a legal consultation can be super helpful. By taking notes during a legal consultation, you’ll be able to better connect the theory you’re learning in the classroom with the practice you’re seeing in court. Having your own notebook will also allow you to explore different strategies and approaches to preparing a case, as you won’t have to worry about finding the right words or matching your vocabulary with the right idioms and phrases. In the end, having your own notebook will just make you a better lawyer.
Build A Media Portfolio
You might have heard of legal practitioners with a knack for getting themselves onto TV and radio shows to give their views on various legal matters. Being able to do this can really help your career development as a young lawyer, as the more media channels you appear on, the more opportunities you have to shine. If you can get a foothold in the popular culture of the day, you can really build up a following and perhaps even become a household name. People love a good story, and if you can combine that with your knowledge of the law, you’ll be able to craft some brilliant pieces for publication. Remember: creating content to share on social media is very different to getting published in a newspaper or magazine, so don’t expect to be able to pitch your articles to The New York Times straight off the back of your MSc in Journalism. Instead, build up a portfolio of work, whether it’s articles, podcast interviews, or video content, and then start pitching this to major publications and media channels. You never know – you might even end up on the front page of a national newspaper, because…well, you never know.
Take Advantage Of Your Location
If you want to be the best lawyer, you have to become an expert in your area of practice. The best way to do this is by contributing to legal publications that are published in your area and by speaking at various legal events that occur within your vicinity. You can use your local Bar Association and the chambers in which it is situated to find out what’s going on with the legal community in your area, as they’ll be able to give you the rundown on what issues are affecting your clients and your community. If you can get involved with the Criminal Justice Scotland (CJSI), you’ll have the chance to get involved in projects that could help your own career – from mentoring young people to speaking at events, which could raise your profile and that of your career.
If you think that you might be interested in a career as a lawyer, but don’t know where to start, take some time to explore the different routes that are available to you. By combining your interests in law and writing, you could rise to the top of the profession and enjoy a satisfying and rewarding career. Good luck out there!