Postgraduate study is a career-building option for lawyers in almost any stage or practice area, and need not be dismissed because of concerns about feeling like a ‘student’ again. Lawyers interested in one of the burgeoning areas such as IP/IT and regulatory compliance should consider study options available to provide professional insight, valuable networking opportunities and an extra qualification that will give them a foot in the door.

In particular, as the IP sector in Asia is growing, a number of lawyers are taking relevant IP law qualifications to become patent attorneys or to better understand the way technology and development intersects with the law – especially regulations surrounding ownership of research and products. Additionally, according to both course providers and graduates, there are a number of more traditional areas where further study can help a practicing lawyer to become recognised as a leading specialist in their area, while building up a firm’s reputation in family law or tax.

Even a practitioner with some years of experience in a particular area will find their careers benefit, according to a number of leading postgraduate course providers such as Australia’s College of Law and Monash University. These institutions and others offer more units focused on a particular subject or area, as opposed to a general LLM or Juris Doctorate (JD) course, as students demand more practical applications for their postgraduate degrees.

One lawyer already well-established career-wise used his experience in family law and completed a Masters of Applied Law, with a focus on family law. Brisbane’s Peter Hooper had been working in a large city firm before beginning the course, when he realised he wanted to start up his own practice and the qualification gave him both the legal and practical knowledge he needed.

Hooper now has a successful boutique family law practice, and explained the benefits the degree has given him. “When you go and see someone for professional legal advice, you want to know you are talking to someone with a comprehensive knowledge of the area of practice concerning you. Focusing on family law, the Masters has definitely given me that and helped me build my reputation as a family law specialist. It has assisted me to attain a deeper understanding of family law.”