After four years of study, two years of articles, one year of law school, and one brutal bar exam, you have obtained your lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. However, you are dubious about following this career path into retirement. Luckily, being an attorney is one profession that will empower you to follow a vast majority of other careers. Here are some alternative career options.
Politician/representative of local or municipal council
Did you know that the founders of our South African democracy were freedom fighters and attorneys? No one is more famous than our former president Nelson Mandela. Due to the legal nature of the political environment, becoming a politician is a very attractive alternative for many attorneys looking to make a difference in their community.
Legal adviser/manager
Another popular option for attorneys is to become an in-house legal adviser or manager for a company. This entails that the attorney navigates the company through difficult legal and compliance regulations set in place by the legislature. This is a very attractive option for someone who would like a better work-life balance since the work hours are not as intense.
CEO
Christo Wiese, Patrice Motsepe, Koos Bekker - just to name a few, are all law graduates. The business sector requires a lot of legal insight, especially at the highest level. A legal background is an advantage to any business owner or CEO.
Human resources
Human resources (HR) deal mainly with the handling of employees within the bounds of the various pieces of legislation as set out. An HR manager is required to know how to apply the various legislation and as such a qualified attorney will be suitable for such a position.
Lecturer/educator
As long as a field of practice exists, there will be a need for someone to teach, train and educate people in that field. The same goes for the legal field. Seeing as it is such a specialised field, it is a strong requirement for any educator in this space to be a legal graduate themselves.
In conclusion, the field of law positions an individual to pursue a large variety of careers where they might find fulfilment and joy. Don’t lose hope if you discover that practicing law is not for you.
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Last updated on 16 November 2022.