If you’ve just choked on your coffee after reading the headline to this article, scoffing at the very idea of pursuing a legal career away from the big smoke of the capital, set a little time aside to consider the bigger picture here.
Okay, so whilst an estimated one-third of the country’s solicitors are said to be working in London, this still means there are another 67% of these legal professionals in other parts of the United Kingdom. In turn, this means plenty of Legal Secretary and PA jobs for you to consider in all parts of the nation.
Indeed, over recent years, the large regional centres in the country have seen more and more office space being dedicated to legal firms. Surprisingly, Bristol has now reached the second spot outside London for legal firms, and it is estimated that more than 875,000 sq. ft. of the city’s office space is now devoted to law firms. The country’s second city of Birmingham was actually beaten down into third place by Bristol, followed by Manchester in fourth.
The very fact that London is the country’s capital seems to be one of the biggest unbeatable draws for people contemplating a legal career in the city. However, it really is worth bearing in mind that whilst London may be the capital of England, there are still three other country capitals that may be worth your consideration. Belfast and Cardiff both have regional assemblies/parliaments of their own now, and this could offer a good number of possibilities to budding legal professionals. As for Edinburgh, in many ways you might be hard pushed to realise that this country is still a part of the United Kingdom when you appreciate the fact that very few legal powers are now controlled in Westminster.
Then we have the hassle and stress of working in such a busy city to consider. Many hours’ worth of commuting on packed roads and tube trains, ridiculously expensive congestion charges, and masses of crowds pretty much everywhere you turn will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea. All other towns and cities across the UK are altogether quieter and more relaxed than this.
Furthermore, there is the biggest deal breaker of your cost of living to evaluate. The simple fact of the matter is that nearly everything is more expensive in the capital. Even nationwide supermarket chains have special pricing structures in place to exploit the residents of the capital. Then you need to remember that the average rent in London has now soared way past the £1,500 per month milestone; it actually increased by a huge 8% in the past year alone!
So, if there was even a glimmer of doubt in your mind regarding pursuing a legal career outside London, fear not; there are simply thousands of possibilities for you in every single region of this great nation of ours. What’s more, living this dream will certainly work out cheaper away from the capital, which really does make it a win-win scenario all round!
Take a look at ILSPA's Legal Secretary Jobs board and search for Legal Secretary vacancies throughout the country.