Career Clinic: Will relocating Down Under drag my law career south?

Train in the UK - the standard of the lawyers is below par in Australia. If you can stand the depressing life in England for three more years (including the LPC), bite the bullet and complete your training here and then whatever you do next is up to you. One caveat: if you are going to a high street law firm, then staying in the UK isn't worth it.

Investment banker -22 Feb 2007 | 09:21

Ha! Investment Banker makes me laugh. I guess that would explain why every magic cirlce firm is full of junior Australian lawyers moving the opposite way...why would the magic circle be so keen to hire from Australia if the training in the UK was so wonderful?Nothing wrong with going to Australia at all, but if you have ambitions of coming back to a big City firm then you need to make sure that you work for one of the big Australian firms (eg Mallesons, Allens Arthur Robinson, Freehills etc) in a transferable area - this generally means corporate or banking.

Associate, magic circle firm -22 Feb 2007 | 15:22

There is nothing 'below par' about a legal education in Australia, or New Zealand for that matter. You'll find the working conditions and hours there more similar to the US than the UK, as 'new world' countries have more to prove in terms of competing at an international level. The quality of life aspect will mean that it works out in your favour. And should you feel that you miss the drizzle, and the commute, London will always be here.

Anonymous -22 Feb 2007 | 16:49

Choices, choices. Look, young person, the world is your oyster. You will get top experience at a top firm either here or in Oz. You should be driven more by personal preference. What's wrong with a few years here, then consider your position in say two or three years' time?Or if you are really fed up of being in the UK (and many of us are), why not just go now? It will all work out for you.In the absence of anthing in particular compelling you to go, I would have thought you should maintain the status quo and review your positon in a few years' time. Experience in a good firm anywhere will be good experience and will not drag you down. Good luck.

In-house lawyer, big company -22 Feb 2007 | 17:01

Don't go to Australia without doing your training and gaining some experience in the UK first. The market in Australia is incredibly competitive and you will find it very difficult to get a role, especially if you need a visa. Once you have transferrable experience gained in the UK, you will be seen as an asset to a big Australian law firm and securing a job will be much easier.

HR, magic circle firm -22 Feb 2007 | 18:02

I am an Australian, must laugh at the Investment Banker and agree with almost all the others on this line. Australia is a great place and has excellent firms with great corporate and finance work. The leading firms have excellent global reputations.

Senior associate, magic circle firm -23 Feb 2007 | 17:59

All of those who commented have valid points of view. The only food for thought I would add is as follows: (a) having been educated in England but not having qualified and practised here, you might find that you have to put in a short while as a paralegal before securing a position as a lawyer; (b) if you are planning on coming back to England in due course, if you do your training contract in England, your Australian experience will be recognised and you will not lose any PQE. If, however, you go to Australia to train, when you return to England, you will likely find yourself dropping a couple of years' PQE (due to the absence of training contract - assuming, of course, you're planning on heading to Sydney), which could be psychologically annoying.

English lawyer with Australian experience -27 Feb 2007 | 17:21

Moving Down Under is like moving from a City firm to a regional firm in the UK. You simply won't get the same quality of work and it's a one-way ticket unless the boom continues (heck, even Slaughter and May recently advertised for corporate lawyers from regional firms!).The best work in the world is done in London and New York, more London than New York these days if the press is anything to go by. If you want a better quality of life, by all means, head Down Under but if you want quality work stay in London for a while.In response to the poster who asked why City firms were keen to recruit Australian and New Zealand lawyers, such people are being recruited into "cannon fodder" areas like corporate and finance where quality is less important than speed.

Associate, City firm -28 Feb 2007 | 15:56

The only thing below par in this country is the standard of some of the investment bankers. Sometimes it is a complete hand-holding exercise. Aussie IB is sophisticated and you don't find too many muppets in the banks there.

Australian associate, top City firm -02 Mar 2007 | 12:21

Funnily enough, I myself am in the same position, albeit slightly further down the line. I am just finishing my LPC and, being exempt from a training contract, will qualify as a solicitor later this year.My reason for wanting to move is personal, with an Australian girlfriend. Having been to Oz a few times, I can say that the lifestyle is great. Also factor in the cheap property and living costs and it is very easy to see the appeal.London excepted, you can earn the same in Oz as you would in regional firms and, with the quality of lifestyle that buys, makes it all worthwhile.My advice is to consider completeing the LPC first and maybe training contract before heading south. If you do go now you may have to deal with working as a para legal for a while during your training in Oz.Also a visa is much easier to get as a trained solicitor than as a partly qualified. Anyway, good luck with your choice.

Stanley -05 Mar 2007 | 08:26

I know someone who trained in Australia and is now a very successful lawyer in America. So my advice to you would be that you should definitely go to Australia as you will enjoy the lifestyle there so much that you will never even consider moving back to the UK.As for money, the choice is yours - do you want to make loads of money by working 70-odd hours a week at a leading UK law firm or do you want to enjoy life in Oz whilst also taking home a decent wage?

Commonwealth lawyer -05 Mar 2007 | 13:45