The pathway to becoming a lawyer in NSW in the 1980s when I went through the process was fairly narrow.
The major choices were the University of NSW, University of Sydney and a fledging Macquarie University that at the time had not gained much traction in the industry and was a little bit of an unknown quantity.
The Universities of Sydney and NSW have become what I would describe as the “Brand Universities” in NSW. Sadly the required mark or ATAR into those degrees is now over 99 out of 100. This is a reflection of supply and demand rather than the level of brain power that is required to be a lawyer.
Unfortunately the “required” ATAR can send the wrong messages to people who want to become lawyers. I would like to make a couple of points.
A student who gains an ATAR of 99+ is clearly highly intelligent.
This however does not mean that the person has the right type of intelligence to be a lawyer in private practice.
Successful lawyers in private practice need to be hard-working, diligent, good listeners, good problem-solvers, and people with drive to do things well, at considerable speed, for a fair price for all manner of people and businesses.
These qualities are not always found in someone with an ATAR of 99+.
So the message if you want to be a lawyer is do not despair.
There are many ways to qualify as a lawyer that do not require an ATAR of 99+ in the Higher School Certificate (although you still need to perform very well). There are now over 10 institutions in NSW, including the excellent Law Faculty at the University of Wollongong where many of RMB’s lawyers have trained.
You can study Law either full-time or part-time, and students performing well in degrees such as Commerce, Arts or Science can transfer across to Law degrees if they have good marks.
In short if you have the passion to become a lawyer you can get there if you want to.
Be aware that doing the theoretical training is only the beginning. The real work begins when you start to administer, handle and solve problems for clients – individuals and businesses.
It is a very satisfying life, one full of challenges and hard work punctuated by the joy of assisting others on daily basis. Every day is different, every client different, every case different.
Furthermore the great news is that the Law is still an honourable profession. I have no doubt that law firms are now more business-like than they have ever been, but there is still great honour and ethics involved in practising law.
And if you really want to get the full flavour of private practice I recommend you consider practising in regional Australia.