Jobs In Construction Law

I quite like the sound of construction law jobs.

Seems to me to be a natural progression from a project manager, surveyor, or contract administrator role. All the aforementioned will allow someone to acquire a solid working knowledge of several types of building contracts which I imagine is what forms the foundation for most construction law jobs.

Brushing up on contract theory and best practice would then probably put me in a better position to advise clients on contract matters than those who've started out as lawyers and then specialised in the built environment. This is because I'd have lots of hands on practical experience of how contracts are operated on projects whereas a lawyer never having worked in a project role would have none.

It would be nice to have a bit more of a specialism and being a fountain of knowledge for all things contractual could come in really handy. A construction law job would probably provide this to.

I could enroll in a construction law course and find myself dual qualified in a couple of years time or at least become a member of the chartered institute for arbitrators. Certainly the financial rewards are there especially if I was dual qualified.

My hourly charge out rate would certainly increase and there's probably more scope for me to pick my hours and work from home because my role would be more advisory than hands on keeping the project moving day after day.

But for me, there in lies the rub. I don't really want an advisory role as I enjoy the day to day activity of moving a project along just a little further day after day.

I don't think I really want to advise someone as to what should be done and leave it at that, I get far more satisfaction from coming up with a solution and implementing it myself. The solution or best practice method is usually obvious whilst the implementation; the getting something done in the face of politics, budget restraints, red tape, and mis-communications is what really gives me a buzz at work.

Maybe there are some contract law jobs that would allow me to get my hands dirty - its something i intend to look into. But for now the rewards and glamour of my future construction law job will have to wait as I'm getting too much enjoyment from what I'm doing now. And on reflection - who can ask for more than that.

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Paul James