IF YOU’VE launched into a law degree the chances are that you’re planning on being a lawyer. In this case the next decision is whether to join the Bar and don the wig, or to work in a firm as a solicitor.

While the distinction between the two branches of the profession isn’t as clear as it once was, broadly speaking barristers advocate for clients in court, and solicitors cover a wider range of legal issues from conveyancing and drafting wills to corporate law.

The route to the Bar is a simple but tough one and involves a Bar vocational course and a pupillage at a chambers. To become a solicitor, you must complete a legal practice course followed by a two-year training contract with a law firm.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a City law firm, is recruiting for its August 2008 and February 2009 intake of trainees. The personal qualities required by such firms are as demanding as the training: “We’re looking for people who can express themselves orally and in writing succinctly, precisely and articulately,” says Deborah Dalgleish, the head of UK graduate recruitment. “They must be able to stand back and look at the big picture but also hunker down and analyse the detail.”

These qualities make law graduates attractive to other professions. “They are more marketable than most graduates,” says Paul Farrer, chief executive of the Graduate Recruitment Company and PFJ. “Studying law develops two skill sets: one is walking the stage and creating a debating platform; the other is producing the show.” The first gives them a feel for debating things they’re not comfortable with, ideal for roles in sales and the media where cold calling is part of the job, or in politics, where debating is the job — Tony Blair trained as a barrister. The level of understanding needed to study law also produces good strategists and corporate planners.

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