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Has any H&S Specialists practising in law
Rank: New forum user 
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Hi folks,
like everybody else, I want to continue my professional development. I am looking at my next course to complete. The usual environmental and quality spring to mind, areas which have been grouped into the OHS job roles and functions.
My main question is or has anybody went down the route of studying law with the particulars of OHS, or has anybody have a law qualfication and has subsequently went down the route of OHS? If they have can they give me any particular study routes or options. My only rule is that it would have to be distance learning, due to my geographical coverage of my current role. I think it would be a good qualfication and of use to any business.
My other option would to look at the teaching side, and would be interested in anybody who teaches nebosh etc, at colleges and particularly universities, how they got there, and any advice on getting qualified to do so?
thanks
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Rank: New forum user
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If you are particularly keen on studying some higher academic qualification then University of Salford offer an MA in Health and Safety (and Environmental) Law. The course is by distance learning so that should also help satisfy your geographical challenge.
I've not taken the course myself and not researched it fully but it looks like it may be worth investigation if this is the route you chose to follow.
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Rank: Super forum user
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To actually practice H&S Law you would have to be a qualified solicitor / barrister first - which is long, hard and very expensive training and difficult to get qualified in due to a lack of placements (I know, I looked!!!).
Bascially you need somewhere in the region of £15,000 and either 3 years full time or 6 years part time and then a placement in a law firm on very bad money for very long hours with very uninteresting dogs body work before you can be qualified - non of that study or work would be related to H&S law really.
Lawyers who specialise in law are just that. Lawyers who then specialised in H&S law.
It would help to know what your ultimate aim is by formal study of occ health law. There's very little demand for being an expert in H&S law unless you are a solicitor / barrister and that is a niche market.
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Rank: Forum user
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Agree with Clairel. To get into H&S law specifically would be a big challenge, you're pitching yourself at a very niche market. You would have to do a law degree or conversion course, then study the LPC (if going the solicitor route), find a training contract with a law firm, complete your training contract (two years), qualify and be retained and then look to specialise in H&S law. I would imagine that H&S lawyers are very much like a lot of H&S practitioners, they fall into H&S through existing roles.
Still, a law degree in its own right is still a great achievement and of benefit to H&S practitioners. I have a law degree myself and it's definitely served me well in my H&S roles.
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Rank: Forum user
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Clairel,
I accept a lot of what you say but not all of it. I obtained the NEBOSH Nat. Gen Cert. before going on to obtain a BSc (Hons) in Occupational Health and Safety from Leeds Metropolitan University. Having worked as a health and safety practitioner for eight years I went back to college to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Law and then on to my Diploma in Legal Practice. This allowed me to become a trainee solicitor and after two years I qualified as a solicitor. Throughout my training I was involved in health and safety projects and I certainly was not a dogsbody. Neither my health and safety or my law training boring, although I fully accept that it was hard work, long hours and the pay wasn't the best. My training has been very, very expensive (probably just short of £30,000) and I now earn marginally more than I would as a health and safety practitioner. That said, I have now been qualified for over 5 years and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Would I do it all again... not a chance but I would not discourage anybody else from trying. I am in court two days a week and the remainder of my time is spent advising clients on reguatory (health, safety, environment, fire safety, etc.) and commercial (contracts, public procurement, etc.) issues. I also provide practical health and saety as well as legal advice to clients.
Regards.
DJ
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Rank: Super forum user
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DJ I think that you are then exception rather than the norm.
I did research the career extensively recently and getting training contracts is tougher than ever. The local companies I phoned up were getting about 170 applications for 1 available training contract. Working in local firms is by far the most rewarding experience as a trainee (from what I researched) and working for the big firms does seem to entail long boring laborious work (from everything I found out).
I was just trying to be realistic. Health and Safety in legal work is a niche market and therefore there are not going to be lots of job available left right and centre. The current climate for trainee solicitors is apparently the worst it's ever been. Hoping to get a trainee contract with a local Law firm or one that does specialise in health and safety is one hell of a gamble when you consider how much time and money legal training costs.I'm not saying he shouldn't take that gamble but he needs to be aware of the risks.
I love the legal side of things (I was an inspector and so I used to prosecute in court) but I was trying to give a realistic side of the story. I'm glad it worked out for you but it would be deceptive to suggest that there are health and safety legal jobs out there and it would also be wrong not to point out that many trainee solicitors have an horrendous time of it in training.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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I studied the MA with Salford and found the legal aspects of H,S&E law very interesting. It may have furthered my career or provided me with more diverse opportunities, however the recession has put that on hold. In any case, knowledge is a powerful tool and having a good knowledge of the law as well as health and safety in practice is a distinct advantage I believe.
Good luck whatever you choose.
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Rank: Forum user
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Clairel
I think you are correct on many points and wrong on others but we will have to agree to disagree. Regards. DJ
DJ I think that you are then exception rather than the norm.
I did research the career extensively recently and getting training contracts is tougher than ever. The local companies I phoned up were getting about 170 applications for 1 available training contract. Working in local firms is by far the most rewarding experience as a trainee (from what I researched) and working for the big firms does seem to entail long boring laborious work (from everything I found out).
I was just trying to be realistic. Health and Safety in legal work is a niche market and therefore there are not going to be lots of job available left right and centre. The current climate for trainee solicitors is apparently the worst it's ever been. Hoping to get a trainee contract with a local Law firm or one that does specialise in health and safety is one hell of a gamble when you consider how much time and money legal training costs.I'm not saying he shouldn't take that gamble but he needs to be aware of the risks.
I love the legal side of things (I was an inspector and so I used to prosecute in court) but I was trying to give a realistic side of the story. I'm glad it worked out for you but it would be deceptive to suggest that there are health and safety legal jobs out there and it would also be wrong not to point out that many trainee solicitors have an horrendous time of it in training.
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