When the time comes to kickstart your legal career, you have the choice of working in-house or in private practice. With its impressive professional opportunities and career progression, it’s easy to see why private practice is so popular. The majority of law firms have a defined career pathway and competitive salaries, which is hugely enticing to a paralegal. There are undeniable benefits of working in-house, but the appeal of private practice outweighs these for a lot of legal professionals.
Graduates Getting a Job in Private Practice
With so many benefits of private practice, a lot of graduates are competing for the same roles. This can make it difficult for candidates to secure a role, especially as many law firms require individuals to have gained experience at another law firm before considering you as an option. Working in private practice is unlike working in-house, and so hiring managers want to know that you have what it takes to succeed. If you want to get a job in private practice, you need to build up your experience in the legal sector and put yourself ahead of other legal professionals. This could be in the form of short term work experience or a formal internship, anything that separates you from other graduates.
Once you have experience in the legal sector, it’s a lot easier to get a job in private practice. Even experienced candidates who are looking to return to the legal sector after a brief time away could struggle without up to date experience, as it’s important to have experience that’s in line with recent legislation, legal changes and laws.
The Benefits of Private Practice Law Work
- Clients - Working in private practice gives you the opportunity to work with a range of clients, each of which will require something different. This means familiarising yourself with various legal sectors and industries, and getting to know individual clients’ needs. This type of experience is hard to replicate in-house.
- Specialist - Working in private practice usually means specialising early in your career, which gives you the chance to really get to know a legal sector. It’s possible to become an expert in one or two areas of law, rather than a generalist. This specialism can open up a lot of doors further down your career.
- Benefits - A lot of private practice employees are eligible for impressive benefits packages, which isn’t always the case with in-house roles. Benefits tend to include health insurance, bonuses, discounted gym memberships and considerable pensions. Plus, if you choose a law firm with a global presence, you could have the chance to work overseas.
- Progression - There are a lot of opportunities for career progression in private practice, and candidates have the chance to really solidify themselves in the industry. Smaller law firms require candidates to be self starters, encouraging them to use their initiative and trust their own professional capabilities. Developing the ability to do this will be beneficial throughout your career.
Though there is a certain appeal that comes with working in-house, it’s hard to deny the benefits of private practice. As a candidate or graduate, you have the chance to pursue a legal career that works for you. Weigh up the benefits of working in private practice and in-house beforehand, and choose the career path that ticks the most boxes.
If you are seeking a new challenge, get in touch with our expert legal recruiters and we can have a confidential chat about what route is best for you.