People have many different opinions of lawyers and the work that they do, which is unsurprising; There are many stories of lawyers using their skills to help criminals avoid punishment for their crimes, or using their power in tandem with large corporations to crush competition through lawsuits and settlements.
However, lawyers are also the people who try their best to see those same criminals behind bars, and hold companies responsible for their actions. Whatever you think of legal practitioners, they are essential to the system of law and order that helps to keep Australian society peaceful.
If you've been considering a career in law, read on to find out more about how to become a lawyer and what the role might entail for you.
A Quick Look at Salaries
An important thing to know in any job or career is how much money you are going to make from it, and the same goes for a career in law.
Law, however, is such a broad field of study that it can be hard to pin down a specific average salary for all lawyers in Australia. Your wage will depend on a multitude of things such as :
- The location you work in - Wages may differ between cities and towns
- The law firm you work for - Whether it's a big or small company
- Your specialisation in law - Some fields like corporate law are typically better paid than others
- Your experience - The longer you work the more valuable your skills and experience will become
- If you are a barrister or a solicitor
With this in mind, entry-level positions can see you earn from $45,000 to $80,000, and when you reach the peak of your career you could be looking at yearly salaries ranging from $90,000 to $150,000.
Barristers usually work freelance and therefore have more upfront fees like rent and business tax, so often charge more for their work per hour. As a freelancer, it can also be hard to guarantee solid work for a long time ahead, so paychecks can fluctuate and you have to actively seek out clients.
Solicitors normally work within a law firm amongst a team of lawyers, they are paid salaries from the law firm ensuring they get a monthly paycheck and can also look for other benefits; Such as a company car or mobile phone, health insurance, or the prospect of partnership in the firm itself.
Though it's hard to pin down a specific income, it can surely be said that if you practice as a lawyer in Australia you will be able to live comfortably.
Qualifications Required to Practice Law
In order to become a practising lawyer in Australia, whether a barrister or solicitor, you need to first complete a bachelor or postgraduate degree of law at a university.
It can help to choose your high school certificate subjects wisely in order to give yourself the best chance of success at gaining acceptance to your preferred university.
Law comes hand in hand with many subjects, but a few key options to consider are the following:
- History
- Geography
- Maths
- English
Being good with numbers and language is a must for any aspiring lawyer, whilst history and geography can help give you valuable context to the laws and constitutions that you will study throughout your university course to get qualified to practice law.
Law is a very competitive subject to study at university so it's important that you focus and work hard in order to achieve the best ATAR of your ability.
You may also want to look into any scholarships that are available at your university of choice to gain extra recognition for your application and potentially gain some help with tuition and living fees whilst at uni.
When going in to study law there are a few skills you need to have in order to get the most out of your time at university and make a successful career. Having strong critical thinking skills is essential for lawyers, as well as being able to debate and make concise and solid points (especially as a barrister).
It also helps to be an organised person as there will be a fair bit of administration and paperwork involved in your work as a lawyer.
After you complete your bachelor degree, what are the next steps you should take?
How Many Years Do Lawyers Have to Study For?
Now we know a little bit about the pathway to becoming a lawyer in Australia, let's delve a bit deeper and work out how long it really takes to study law.
The first thing you need to do, as we mentioned prior, is to take a bachelor degree of law at a university. Which university you attend is up to you, and you don't need to worry about getting into the most prestigious one - At the end of the day a law degree is a law degree and it allows you to become a lawyer in Australia.
A bachelor of law will usually last 4 years if you are studying full time, then you need to take the next step.
Once you have completed your bachelor of law you need to do a course of practical legal training before gaining admission to practice from the relevant state authorities. This training is around a year long, taking you to 5 years total so far.
After this, you need to apply for a practising certificate from your local law society and complete a course of on the job training under a senior barrister or solicitor. This step of training last between 18-24 months, meaning that in total it takes about 7 years to become a practising lawyer.
Luckily the last two years of your training, when you are supervised by a senior lawyer, are usually paid - albeit with a much lower salary than even entry-level positions in law.
When you have completed all of these steps - Congratulations! You're a lawyer now and can start practising in the public or private sector of your field. Further in your career, you may also like to specialise further in an area in order to progress and gain senior positions.
Somewhere throughout your university degree you should decide if you want to practice as a barrister or a solicitor when you start your career. Barristers are normally found in the courtroom as criminal defence or prosecution lawyers, whereas solicitors normally work in law firms organising and preparing cases.
The only major difference is which law authority you gain your practising certificate from. If you wish to be a barrister you will need to apply to the Bar and if you want to be a solicitor you apply to your local law society.
Do Lawyers Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance?
Historically, law is a profession in which you can easily overwork yourself, or be overworked by your employers!
There is a lot to do as a lawyer, and big law firms have a lot of money to make by being on the ball 24/7. Some law firms might have an expectation that you can work 10 or more hours a day, 5-6 days a week in order to provide full service to clients and work on a case until it is finished.
That would be quite extreme nowadays though, and many law firms have moved on from this way of thinking in line with progression in workers rights and conditions.
This can be said for many professions though, but what's important is that in the modern day there is much more awareness of employees burning out and mental health in general. This means that when you enter the workforce as a lawyer, there should be protections and measures that you can take to protect yourself throughout your career.
Australia is lucky that it has a strong history with unions which has resulted in decent workers rights and conditions. Part of this means that a lot of leave is afforded to workers in general and especially long-service workers.
You are likely to be able to take mental health days as one with your sick days, meaning you won't need to have a broken arm or the flu to take a day off if you're feeling the weight of the world. Long service leave usually applies after 7 years working with a company, rewarding you with up to 2 months of fully paid leave which you can stretch out at half or quarter pay.
A lot of this will depend on your employer and the contract which you sign with them. Don't be afraid to push for more flexible or better conditions before you sign a contract - You should check your worker rights with FairWork and see what you should be entitled to before you sign anything.
Other than that, having a healthy work-life balance comes down to you! Are you able to switch off from work when you walk through your front door? Can you make it through a weekend getaway without checking your work emails?
A lot of people would like to say yes, but the truth is that it can be hard sometimes. Try to make healthy habits early in your career by setting workplace and home life boundaries, look to carry these forward no matter what and you should be on track to have a satisfying home life as well as a stable and well-paid career in law!
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