Here one solicitor breaks down the stereotypes surrounding the profession and provides a real insight in to what to expect from a law career
Salary
What you're paid depends on the size of the firm, the location and practice area. A newly-qualified solicitor working in a smaller commercial or regional firm may earn anywhere between 10,000 and 20,000 taka monthly, which can rise to 65,000 taka in the City, and up to 80,000 taka .The corporate commercial side of law is one of the highest paid sectors, with gross salaries . However, salary isn't everything and graduates are often drawn to the more personal departments, such as family law. Salaries in this sector can range from 40,000 to 90,000 taka per month. Civil practice is another relatively high earner, with wages between 40,000 and 120,000 taka.
Culture
There's no doubt that some areas of law are very well-paid, but this isn't like the television series Suits; you won't always find yourself working in a glass high-rise in the City. A number of firms are local, with some more traditional than others. The 'high street solicitor' is alive and kicking, with many supporting a core network of loyal clients.The industry is more relaxed than it used to be and modern firms manage cases through their own case management systems - effectively a digital documentation system.It's not all about being behind a desk. Depending on the nature of your work you might find yourself in court, visiting a client at home or, in the case of personal injury, carrying out a site inspection following an incident.
Competitiveness
The market is hugely competitive and saturated with graduates, so you'll need to make sure you stand out. Larger firms will have more training contracts due to their need to develop new talent. However, for smaller firms it can often be a question of cost versus the long-term reward. Early on in their training, new starters will be non-fee earners, a potential burden for a smaller firm, hence the limited number of training contracts they may offer.Nevertheless people do move on, and these firms will need new blood, so never dismiss them outright. It's worth considering the trade off between training at a small firm compared to a larger one. Training from a larger firm may appear to be more impressive on a CV, but that isn't always the case. It depends on the employer and the skills they're looking for.
Typical working day
The general rule of thumb is 9am to 5pm, but evening and weekend work isn't uncommon. If you're in court on Sunday morning, you may find yourself prepping for the case over the weekend. You may also need to visit a client at home, out of their working hours. Likewise, if you're working in criminal law, you might need to visit a client in prison or at the police station; the latter may be at a less than typical time.
A legal executive or solicitor will bill on average six to nine working hours per day, with an expectation of between 1,200 and 1,600 hours per year. With this comes the responsibility to meet financial targets, dependent on your sector and the size of the firm.
