Overseas candidates

We place a high number of solicitors and barristers whose qualifications come from non European jurisdictions, primarily, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Whilst we would love to assist every lawyer who approaches us, we must make it clear that, if you are situated overseas, we are unable to help candidates unless they can demonstrate they have one of the following:-

• A European Union passport
• A Working Holiday visa*
• An ancestry visa
• Right of Abode
• Spousal Visa (i.e. right to undertake employment because of spouse's situation)
• Dependency Visa
• Any other type of Work Permit

How marketable are your skills in the U.K.?

If you have a significant work history as a lawyer, they are almost certainly highly marketable! Much of the legislation and legal practice in the jurisdictions mentioned above is derived from U.K. law.

Therefore, for example, an experienced commercial property lawyer from Auckland will find herself in hot demand here, if the commercial property market is buoyant. The U.K. public sector is abundant with opportunities for planning and environmental lawyers and, typically, will welcome applicants with experience of the Resource Management legislation in New Zealand and Australia. Equally transferable is experience including Company Commercial, Personal Injury, Employment, Corporate, Childcare Law, Commercial Contracts, I.T. / I. P. law to name a few.

There are a few areas where the law in Australia and New Zealand seems to be somewhat different including Corporate Tax and some areas of banking. Notwithstanding this, these areas are typically in demand in the U.K. so employers may be more flexible in their willingness to allow time for overseas solicitors come up to speed.