Is
there a course available that would qualify me as an employment lawyer without
having to run the gamut of a law degree, which would cover all aspects of law
instead of employment law specifically? I have completed my CIPD qualification
this year.
Anna
Cook, project co-ordinator, Chiumento
The
short answer is, not easily. To become an employment lawyer, you need to
undertake a full legal training including attending law college. However, you
should check this out with the Law Society, which will give you the definitive
answer and advise you on the options to take and which courses will give you
the training you are looking for.
It
will also advise you as to whether you can speed up your progression to
becoming an employment lawyer without having to undertake a broader training in
law. I expect the answer will be no, and rightly so since to practise in any
aspect of law you must have undertaken a broad-based training programme coupled
with the CPD. That is why the legal profession is so strong in the UK.
As
an HR professional, you could choose to specialise in employment law, but this
will not qualify you to give legal advice to clients in the same way that
employment lawyers do. HR professionals tend to help clients implement
employment law rather than being specialist legal advisers.
Jo
Selby, associate director, EJ Human Resources
To
become a lawyer, you do not have to have obtained a law degree. If you have an
alternative university degree, you can then apply to study for the CPE, which
will bring you to the same point as someone who has a law degree. To find out
more about this, contact the Law Society.
Becoming
a lawyer is not the only occupation that allows you to specialise in employment
law.
Many
HR departments, for example, will have an individual who specialises in this
field and that may be a route you may wish to consider.
Margaret
Malpas, joint managing director, Malpas Flexible Learning
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There
are excellent Masters degrees in Employment Law at Warwick and Leicester
universities. Several organisations, including my own, offer Masters with an
Employment Law specialism. These would all be suitable preparation for a career
with a significant legal aspect.
However,
if you really want to be a lawyer, then you will have to do a law degree and
your articles or serve at the Bar.
