Key Words: City Law, National Law, Regional Law, High Street Law, Hours, Salaries, Lifestyle, Flexibility, Training, Exposure

Life after university can be very daunting, especially if you are unaware of what each firm offers and differentiate between the different types of law firms. Law firms come in different sizes and can offer varied packages which can cater to your lifestyle and desires. Here is a brief guide on what to expect when applying.

City Law Firm/International Firms

These types of firms are based in large cities and can have offices overseas.

PROS	CONS
High Salaries, bonuses and benefits	Long hours and high targets
Modern environment	Competitive environment
Diverse practice areas	Less flexibility
Lifestyle (company events)	Less exposure

National Law Firms

These types of firms tend to be located in one country but have offices spread across nationally.

PROS	CONS
Opportunity to relocate to a different parts of the country	Lower salaries than City/international firms
Diverse practice areas	Competitive environment
Personalised training process	No strategic training process
Good client exposure	Less support staff to complete admin duties

Regional Law Firms

These types of firms are based in a specific region within a country which means the offices tend to be in close proximity.

PROS	CONS
Less competitive to progress	Lower salaries
Personalised training process	Less support staff to complete admin duties
More flexibility and exposure	More pressure for support staff
Standard core working hours	Less practice areas

High Street Firms

These types of firms tend to be a sole office with a small team, usually compromising of one partner.

PROS	CONS
Juniors can gain excellent exposure of the work	Lower salaries
Meaningful work in the local community	Less and more focused practice areas
Less competitive	More pressure for support staff
Informal interviews	Core working hours

As shown above working in the different types of firms can both hold advantages and disadvantages, but it is really dependant on what you wish to gain from your career and where you see yourself fitting in. For some of you it will be important to become financially stable and to have a clear training plan coming out of university and the city law firms might be best suited to. However, other’s may value making an impact in their local community and being able to complete training which is more catered to your lifestyle. Furthermore, it is important to mention that gaining experience at a high street and then moving onto other types of firms can also be an option and a stepping stone into gaining experience in the legal industry.

Written by Hasnain Arshad – Volunteer at Muslim Lawyers Hub