“From my observations, there seem to be more law graduates going into non-traditional legal careers,” Lisa Gazis, managing director of
Mahlab Recruitment told Australasian Lawyer.
“A lot of employers see the value of hiring people from law who have got the right level of analytical ability, judgement and structured thinking, and who are commercial in their approach.”
This trend matches the results of a recent poll by Marketing Minds which found that most UK businesses see legal graduates as more attractive candidates due to their transferable skills, aptitude for learning and strong leadership and communication skills.
From the survey of 500 businesses, 89 per cent preferred candidates with law degrees over all other kinds.
“A law degree is being seen as a more generalist degree now,” Gaxis said.
“Having the background and knowledge of the law – as well as of the regulatory environment and commercial law issues – equips candidates well for jobs out there in the marketplace.”
Law graduates are being snapped up from industries as diverse as banking, IT and entertainment within Australia, she added.
Author Christopher Stoakes echoes these sentiments in his book,
Is Law for You?
“A law degree is a passport to a wider range of careers and can be of great value to students regardless of whether they want to become lawyers,” he writes.
“A law degree is increasingly valued by employers more generally because of the transferable skills it provides. It teaches key employability skills such as analysis, reasoning, attention to detail and work ethic.”
An increased awareness of law degrees and their related opportunities plus the current shortage of jobs for lawyers in Australia are the two factors behind this trend, Gazis added.
