What do Cambridge graduates do?
Each year at least 50% of Cambridge Law graduates go on to take the first step towards qualifying as a barrister or solicitor in the UK (currently, Bar Professional Training Course or Legal Practice Course). A further 5% go on to further academic study, the majority to do an LLM. Of those who go directly into employment, around 8% move into a law related role, many of these are looking to qualify outside of commercial law, e.g. crime, family, social welfare, human rights, and are aiming to build practical experience in these areas to facilitate their path to qualification. The top three non-law sectors for Cambridge Law graduates joined are public service, teaching and banking.
Will employers want my degree?
Cambridge Law graduates are in high demand from the solicitor firms and barrister chambers active in the graduate recruitment market. However, the strong analytical, critical thinking, evaluation and communication skills, and a capacity for independent learning that studying law at Cambridge helps you develop are in demand from a much wider range of employers . The majority of employers that recruit Cambridge graduates do not require a certain degree. They are usually more interested in what you can do rather than what you have studied. Want to know what role would suit you? Try looking for ideas for help with identifying your personal strengths and preferences. Then search Handshake for internships, jobs or graduate schemes you are interested in. Note the selection criteria that usually focus on "competencies” rather than having studied a certain subject and see which ones are a good fit.
Using my degree
So while you can most definitely use your Cambridge law degree to embark on a career as a solicitor or barrister, you can also set your sights on a career in a wide range of sectors, including government, finance, management, international relations, and campaigning work. Within these sectors there will be a wide range of roles, e.g. analyst, researcher, communications, planning, influencing, negotiating, advocacy. So if you are interested in a certain sector think about what you are good at and which roles might be a good fit for you. Network with alumni who studied Law. You can see what they do, their career to date and contact them for further information. Use LinkedIn in a similar way.