Job

I realise I make false promises when it comes to blogging. So from now on, no more promises, just a blog every now and again when I decide there is something worth writing about.

Since my last posting I have a job working in the legal team of a company. The basic concept of what I do is speak to employees, whose company have paid to use our service, and offer them legal advice on pretty much anything they want to know. The main areas of law I tend to deal with are employment, family, landlord & tenant and consumer. Most of the team are also in the same position as me i.e. having recently finished the LPC and looking for training contracts. This makes the atmosphere in the team quite good, especially as we are all about the same age.

I have been there for about three months now, and I have to admit I quite enjoy the range of issues that I have to deal with. A lot of the time my job is telling people that they have no legal rights whatsoever, or informing them that they have been incredibly stupid in doing whatever they have done, but some of the time I can tell the advice I give them is actually really going to help – which is pleasing. I know what you are thinking, ‘a lawyer with a conscience?’ Don’t worry though; I don’t have much of one. I’m quite certain by the time I actually get around to practicing law I will be as ruthless as the rest of them – it’s something to aspire to anyway.

I remember at the start of the conversion course I took 2 years ago, the lecturer asked the class how many of us wanted to become lawyers for the pursuit social justice, versus those purely motivated by the money. About three-quarters raised their hand for social justice. At the end of the year, the lecturer asked the same question, only this time three-quarters raised their hand for money. For the record, I raised my hand for money on both occasions.

I should now also be out of my three month probation period at work, which means I can get a bonus of up to 15% on my monthly salary. I’m not really earning that much at the moment, but my director tends to take our team out for drinks at least once a week on the company credit card. A couple of Thursdays ago, we managed to notch up a £400 drinks tab between seven of us - so it certainly adds up as a good benefit over time. I’m quite happy taking my salary in booze; it’s what I spend my money on anyway, so I get to cut out the middle-man.