Officer Careers Advice Thread

**temple_447** · 23-02-2006, 20:01

NAP6W - It's been said before in previous Forum you are the weakest link.....................

Maybe we should start a Forum for the avid wannabe - you could even be the founder MEMBER

Badge Man my foot!!!!!!!!!!

**ladylo82** · 05-03-2006, 20:19

I am in the final year of a law degree and am considering joining the army after qualifying as a lawyer in the not too distant future. Any advice/opinions from army lawyers, female officers and officers in general (I suppose) about their experiences would be very much welcome.

**Biscuits_AB** · 05-03-2006, 20:27

Don't.

**Scabster_Mooch** · 05-03-2006, 20:29

I am in the final year of a law degree and am considering joining the army after qualifying as a lawyer in the not too distant future. Any advice/opinions from army lawyers, female officers and officers in general (I suppose) about their experiences would be very much welcome.

3.5 years is a looooooooong time.

**philosopher** · 05-03-2006, 20:33

3.5 years? Can't you do your articles in the army?

**Scabster_Mooch** · 05-03-2006, 20:38

According to "Army Career Guide to Officers" p 27,

To join you will already need to be a fully qualified advocate, barrister or solicitor. Your first year will be spent on probation...

So it would appear that you cannot do your training contract in the army.

The army careers website echoes the guide:

Education Standard

You will need to be qualified as a solicitor or barrister of England and Wales or Northern Ireland, or an advocate or solicitor of Scotland.

http://shared.armyjobs.mod.uk/JobDes...alServices.htm

**philosopher** · 05-03-2006, 20:41

You learn something new every day.

**58_Pattern** · 05-03-2006, 20:46

I have to say and it hurts but Military Lawyers are failed civilians. I defended my men against them and defeated them hands down. I did a Courts Martial once for a junior rank who was drunk, took girls into the block and was as guilty as sin. He was charged and elected for a CM. We proved the RMP were also drunk, jealous and allowed the offence to take place. They were off duty in the NAAFI and saw a good lad arrive with some top totty. He annouced a Video and quiet drink and these red caps sneaked out and hid a bush near his accomodation. I defended him and proved that as Red Caps they were guilty of not stopping him. They showed poor leadership and tried to F252 a guy whilst drunk themselves. The DLS wept. I have a very poor opinion of both the Army Legal Service and the CPS. If your good then practice in chambers and be paid on merit. Use your skills and join another element of the Army. I used to fly with a guy who had a law degree and was brilliant. Use your skills in man management look at the recent CM's of our lads that failed. They failed because they should never ever of taken place. Go and make the big bucks in civvie street. Try Banking or Group Risk or Regulatory Risk or the Consumer Credit Act and follow the $$$.

**Scabster_Mooch** · 05-03-2006, 20:48

Yea, I too was surprised when I read about that. Can't see how the Army hopes to attract any good lawyers into its ranks - the best lawyers will probably be on about Â£30k - 40k/yr after qualification.

**philosopher** · 05-03-2006, 21:01

The worst lawyers (solicitors anyway) do tend to end up in the CPS, local government or doing criminal legal aid (and maybe the ALS). The CPS have the excuse that they will regularly turn up, be handed a stack of case files and be told that they are in court in half an hour.

To be honest though, I can't see the army needing too many high flyers.

Medical law is pretty sexy.

**cpunk** · 05-03-2006, 21:17

Originally Posted by philosopher

The worst lawyers (solicitors anyway) do tend to end up in the CPS, local government or doing criminal legal aid (and maybe the ALS). The CPS have the excuse that they will regularly turn up, be handed a stack of case files and be told that they are in court in half an hour.

To be honest though, I can't see the army needing too many high flyers.

Medical law is pretty sexy.

I have a cousin who is a QC doing medical malpractice; she makes an enormous amount of money, but she seems to work at least 25 hours a day, seven days a week. Her husband is the taxation partner in a big City solicitors: he makes more than she does and doesn't have to work much more than 12 hour days, five days a week. There is no comparison between them and the Army lawyers I have met, which is not to dismiss the ALS, but to suggest that it is a specialised niche which certainly isn't anything like as well rewarded as civilian practice. It's one of those areas where you have to make a choice: the Army version is stable and secure, but it isn't going to prepare you for the big, bad world if you ever decide to leave.

**Biscuits_AB** · 05-03-2006, 22:01

Originally Posted by philosopher

3.5 years? Can't you do your articles in the army?

Nope..............not the last time I looked anyway.

**Rayskin** · 07-03-2006, 00:08

I am interested in a career in the army and i think that i could be either an officer or a soldier. but what the officers actually do.
The thing is when i join. I want to be the fan which the shit hits. I want to be in with the action. getting jobs done. I DON'T fancy the idea of sitting in a tent looking at a map deciding how to take a building without damaging it too much because of the "political" damage. because this is my (probably very wrong) take on what officers do. I also don't want to get fucked around moving from place to place all the time e.g. get moved from reg to reg.
any replys would be great.
p.s any regs which would fill the points above.
cheers
ray

**CardinalSin** · 07-03-2006, 00:12

Er...rayskin...I think you've been watching too much telly, sunshine. All that gruff-voiced 'army...best the best' and Ross Bloody Kemp pretending to be be hard is just...well, it's just telly.

Why don't you go out and meet some people. If they're Army then all the better.