Career Switcher - paralegal to TC route or direct to TC?

[Versarchiama]

Hi All,

I have a BSc Biomedical Science (graduated 2016) and MSc Neuroscience (graduated 2018) and currently work in Research & Development in the public sector as a Senior Contracts Associate which involves drafting, reviewing and negotiating research contracts with universities, charities, other collaborating institutions and liaising with/escalating research contracts to our in-house counsel where appropriate.

The next step above my current role is to Contracts Manager and then you hit a glass ceiling of if you want to go any further, you obviously require a legal qualification. I've pondered a great deal about where to go from this role and I think it's best that I pursue a career as a solicitor. The formal legal training and qualification I believe will open a lot of doors for me and I believe I have the capacity and appropriate skills to excel in a role as a solicitor.

My question is this, does it make sense for me to apply directly to training contracts as a non-law graduate with minimal legal exposure. I know they say in the TC entry requirements that they take non-law graduates but is that just something they say in theory but realistically when competing against bright, fresh-out-of-uni law grads a non-law grad is just not going to fare well? I've seen that a potential option for someone like me might be going via the paralegal route and then from there that firm may support me in enrolling onto their training contract - I've seen Macfarlane offer this. I guess this is all fairly new to me and I'm just looking for some guidance. I wouldn't want to start applying prematurely to firms without knowing what route might suit me best.

Also for context and to complicate things slightly, I'm currently pregnant with my second child due in October so I initially started off thinking how I could spend this next maternity leave to improve myself i.e. take the Postgraduate Diploma in Law? I've seen some paralegal roles wanting legal background like the PGDL so perhaps during this maternity leave I could make a start on PGDL and then once complete try and secure a paralegal role and then from there pursue a training contract?

Thank you for taking the time to read and advise me.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hiya @Versarchiama


That's such a thoughtful post - and congratulations on your pregnancy! I think @Jessica Booker @Amma Usman and @Andrei Radu would have more to say here, but I'll just add my own suggestions here for now.

First, I just want to emphasise that career changers absolutely DO succeed in securing training contracts. Many firms genuinely value applicants who bring a broader range of experiences and perspectives. Your background in R&D, contract negotiation, and working with academic and charitable institutions is highly relevant to a number of firms' practice areas, particularly those that specialise in life sciences, tech, and even patent and IP matters. I think it may be worth emphasising here that you should draw on those experiences when preparing your application.

That leads to my second point. I'd strongly encourage you to consider how you go about prioritising firms and considering which firms you may have a strategic advantage in applying to. In particular, you may want to prioritise firms where your existing experience will valued. I know of various firms (e.g., Bird & Bird, Bristows, Goodwin, Osborne Clarke, and Taylor Wessing) that have been very receptive to candidates with STEM backgrounds, including those who may have little legal experience. Some firms even offer TC routes specifically to candidates with STEM backgrounds.

It’s important to note that ‘legal experience’ doesn’t need to mean vacation schemes or paralegaling alone. Attending firm open days, insight schemes, and legal events, and even arranging informal coffee chats with lawyers or others in your network can all contribute meaningfully to your understanding of the profession and demonstrate that you are making an informed decision. In fact, many successful career changers build their experience this way, especially when balancing other commitments.

As for whether you should apply for TCs directly or go via the paralegal route, I think both of these can be valid routes to qualifying (particularly since the SQE). However, I'd recommend thinking carefully about qualifying through the paralegal route, since there are often concerns about paralegals being able to secure associate roles if they choose to qualify in this way (as opposed to the traditional TC route).

Finally, pursuing the PGDL during your maternity leave could be a very pragmatic step. It may help open up more opportunities (including for some paralegal roles), and could show future employers your commitment to the career change. Many firms will sponsor future study, so completing the PGDL is not a prerequisite to applying for TCs, but starting it could potentially widen your options.

One last suggestion: I’d strongly recommend engaging with organisations like Aspiring Solicitors or similar groups that support career changers. Their events and mentoring schemes can provide valuable insights and help you understand the nuances of the legal market. Their events were invaluable to me, particularly since I was a career changer myself.

Good luck with any applications!