uqureshi

Hi Guys,

I've been following some other threads on this forum as well regarding legal jobs in UAE. I posted the same info and questions on a thread here but no-one replied, so I hope it's okay to create a separate thread for it. Below is what I have done in a nutshell:

- Pakistani Matriculation 66% (Pathetic)
- A-Levels (BBC) grades
- HND Merit/distinction profile
- First Class Degree after Top Up from Herriot Watt Dubai.
- GDL and LPC from Nottingham Trent Uni
- Got LLM as well after clearing some other exams etc.
- Have experience of different jobs, lived in Dubai for sometime.. know culture, some Arabic as well - but NO legal experience.
- I tried pretty hard to get a Training Contract in UK but no joy, especially I was an International Student and required a different Visa to work in UK I had quite less time to get a TC and it just didn't work.

I now moved to UAE with my brother and although I am not worried about living costs for now, I still need some job obv. So the thing is my academics are not awesome and I have genuine reasons for that, took gap years to save and pay for my fee and currently have some debt as well.

Q: Now to actual question:
I have applied to certain firms etc. for legal positions and I understand that I won't be paid a really good salary because I don't have any experience or completed a training contract either. So, when I go for interviews and they ask me about the expected salary -
What should I say? What do you guys think will be good enough or a justified salary considering the academics, work experience etc. and my nationality (Pakistani) ? I know that people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. get paid lesser salaries than their counter parts from UK, US, Canada etc.

It's just the way it is.. so it is an important factor as well.

Any helpful answers or suggestions will be highly appreciated.

Thank you everybody!

scot47

Are there jobs for Emirati lawyers in London ? Or Lahore ? Why should an English lawyer expect to find a job in a foreign jurisdiction with a different legal code ?

uqureshi

Then why are there so many foreign law firms in Emirates? Be it UK (Magic Circle) to pretty good US ones. Perhaps, your question should've been what area of law I am interested? i.e. Corporate Law and there are many UK qualified Corporate lawyers in Emirates already.

I have got some offers but I know since I didn't complete any TC, that's why the offered salaries are not that high. So, I am willing to do TC even here as well -- not sure if that's possible.

P.s. your response was really helpful and yes if you study English law you can practice in Lahore.

Thanks

Bahtatboy

Because, for one thing, many contracts concluded in the Middle East are governed by English law.