The career files, part III
Well, it is done. Eyebrows are shaped, hair is trimmed, carrots and cat food are bought. And most importantly of course, which my mother will be relieved (although not pleased, as she thinks I should have done it weeks ago, and is of course right, annoyingly) to hear, the tax rebate application is sent.
I've a moment or two to spare before I head off to Night's for a girls' evening in, and this is still on my mind, so I should empty said mind while it is.
OK, at least I've sorted one thing out in my head. McGill Law has now rejected me twice, for their own inscrutable reasons. There is no other programme in Canada that appeals to me as McGill Law does, and it would be counterproductive to train in the States. McGill is a four-year programme, and the big appeal of law for me is to get a qualification and get going. Four years, now that I'd be twenty six even if I was to get in next year, is too long. So, we're looking at the UK. Which used to be a big downside in my mind because I was all, oh, angst, angst, bar or firm, bar or firm?
Well, I've accepted the situation as it is, which is that here the law is a professional qualification, not an academic degree which can and often does lead on to other things (not that it can't, it's just not thought of in that way as much here) and decided that the law, the law itself, still appeals to me in and of itself. But that given the choice between being a barrister and being a solicitor, it would be being a barrister every time.
I have no particular logical, rational, facts-based reason for this, although I've read all that the College of Law provides on the difference between the careers. The ritual, the funny wigs, the courtroom etiquette, the pomposity of it all just appeals to me. And, yes, the fact that it's still considered a bit prestigious. I am vain, people, VAIN, OK? And I would like to feel that I really was the one doing the advocating, actually vocally appealing for people's rights.
Because it would also definitely be human rights law that I would be interested in. Immigration, asylum and refugee; discrimination; civil rights, including freedom of speech, assembly and religion; all that good, sexy stuff. (Well, it's sexy to me, anyway.)
It baffles me somewhat that Tom and Ruth's biggest fear of me going into the law, apart from it not being "me" is job security. Presumably, what you have to do to get a job is do well in your law degree. The in-school bit. Assignments and exams, you know, all that stuff that I'm good at. And presumably you have to get involved in the extra-curriculars that are available to you. The mooting, debate clubs, and pro bono work that I would just love to have in the palm of my hand, all set up, with just my name to sign on a sheet and I can get started doing it. The stuff that would really interest me. Somehow, call it ego and vanity, but somehow I think if I got stuck into it, I wouldn't fail to get a job at the end.
And, having been recently assured that in these days of fluid national boundaries, a minimum of re-trainig would almost certainly allow me to practice pretty much anywhere in the Commonwealth, this job is, amazingly, more portable than teaching is, for me, anyway, because of the circumstances with my "teachable majors."
Finally, I know Night is all worried about the long-hours and intense stress atmosphere that she's seen in law firms, but I really think that's mainly the City. Barristers are self-employed. They take what work they can get, and once they feel they're getting enough they take as much or as little of it as they like. Some live on salaries similar to teachers, which is fine, but that's because they work less. I could choose to live somewhere more modest, out in Zone 2 or 3, instead of somewhere razzy or slightly bigger, closer to the centre. If I found I was loving the work, wanted to progress, make more of a name for myself -- wanted all those things -- then I could take on more cases.
Of course, there are still niggling doubts. You definitely have to hit the ground running, and if I event want to think about taking up that place at the College of Law next year, I'd better plan to get some volunteering lined up with a Citizen's Advice Bureau when I get back from Canada (Halkevi stopped contacting me, I doubt deliberately, but I think they didn't really know what to do with me -- my Turkish wasn't really good enough for the CAB, but I think they realised that teaching English, while very useful for them, was not really the volunteering I was looking for). It would also mean bringing up to Tom again his offer of sorting me out some work experience, but that's not a big deal.
Of course, I do wonder about Tom and Ruth's opinion, because obviously they do have my best interests at heart, and know me fairly well, and are both solicitors themselves so know the law environment in the UK, and they just generally aren't very enthusiastic about the idea of me doing law. They're really not. (But then again, Ruth was really enthusiastic about the idea of me being a midwife, which my mum thinks is mad, so maybe they don't know me all that well -- not as well as the Canada family, anyway!)
Finally, law means giving up the Big Dream. Oxford. (Which is going to have to have an entry all to itself.) Because getting a law degree with the plan of then attempting an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies instead of, you know, building your career, is just insanity.
I've a moment or two to spare before I head off to Night's for a girls' evening in, and this is still on my mind, so I should empty said mind while it is.
OK, at least I've sorted one thing out in my head. McGill Law has now rejected me twice, for their own inscrutable reasons. There is no other programme in Canada that appeals to me as McGill Law does, and it would be counterproductive to train in the States. McGill is a four-year programme, and the big appeal of law for me is to get a qualification and get going. Four years, now that I'd be twenty six even if I was to get in next year, is too long. So, we're looking at the UK. Which used to be a big downside in my mind because I was all, oh, angst, angst, bar or firm, bar or firm?
Well, I've accepted the situation as it is, which is that here the law is a professional qualification, not an academic degree which can and often does lead on to other things (not that it can't, it's just not thought of in that way as much here) and decided that the law, the law itself, still appeals to me in and of itself. But that given the choice between being a barrister and being a solicitor, it would be being a barrister every time.
I have no particular logical, rational, facts-based reason for this, although I've read all that the College of Law provides on the difference between the careers. The ritual, the funny wigs, the courtroom etiquette, the pomposity of it all just appeals to me. And, yes, the fact that it's still considered a bit prestigious. I am vain, people, VAIN, OK? And I would like to feel that I really was the one doing the advocating, actually vocally appealing for people's rights.
Because it would also definitely be human rights law that I would be interested in. Immigration, asylum and refugee; discrimination; civil rights, including freedom of speech, assembly and religion; all that good, sexy stuff. (Well, it's sexy to me, anyway.)
It baffles me somewhat that Tom and Ruth's biggest fear of me going into the law, apart from it not being "me" is job security. Presumably, what you have to do to get a job is do well in your law degree. The in-school bit. Assignments and exams, you know, all that stuff that I'm good at. And presumably you have to get involved in the extra-curriculars that are available to you. The mooting, debate clubs, and pro bono work that I would just love to have in the palm of my hand, all set up, with just my name to sign on a sheet and I can get started doing it. The stuff that would really interest me. Somehow, call it ego and vanity, but somehow I think if I got stuck into it, I wouldn't fail to get a job at the end.
And, having been recently assured that in these days of fluid national boundaries, a minimum of re-trainig would almost certainly allow me to practice pretty much anywhere in the Commonwealth, this job is, amazingly, more portable than teaching is, for me, anyway, because of the circumstances with my "teachable majors."
Finally, I know Night is all worried about the long-hours and intense stress atmosphere that she's seen in law firms, but I really think that's mainly the City. Barristers are self-employed. They take what work they can get, and once they feel they're getting enough they take as much or as little of it as they like. Some live on salaries similar to teachers, which is fine, but that's because they work less. I could choose to live somewhere more modest, out in Zone 2 or 3, instead of somewhere razzy or slightly bigger, closer to the centre. If I found I was loving the work, wanted to progress, make more of a name for myself -- wanted all those things -- then I could take on more cases.
Of course, there are still niggling doubts. You definitely have to hit the ground running, and if I event want to think about taking up that place at the College of Law next year, I'd better plan to get some volunteering lined up with a Citizen's Advice Bureau when I get back from Canada (Halkevi stopped contacting me, I doubt deliberately, but I think they didn't really know what to do with me -- my Turkish wasn't really good enough for the CAB, but I think they realised that teaching English, while very useful for them, was not really the volunteering I was looking for). It would also mean bringing up to Tom again his offer of sorting me out some work experience, but that's not a big deal.
Of course, I do wonder about Tom and Ruth's opinion, because obviously they do have my best interests at heart, and know me fairly well, and are both solicitors themselves so know the law environment in the UK, and they just generally aren't very enthusiastic about the idea of me doing law. They're really not. (But then again, Ruth was really enthusiastic about the idea of me being a midwife, which my mum thinks is mad, so maybe they don't know me all that well -- not as well as the Canada family, anyway!)
Finally, law means giving up the Big Dream. Oxford. (Which is going to have to have an entry all to itself.) Because getting a law degree with the plan of then attempting an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies instead of, you know, building your career, is just insanity.