I’m barred in SC and been living and working here for about 3.5 years. I took the bar exam in Jul 2014 and then moved in August of that year, so I didn’t get a chance to practice at all.
I’m now working as a paralegal in non-motor personal injury. I’ve got an application in with my firm to see if they will fund QLTS prep and exam right now, so fingers crossed!
I also did an LLM on this side of the pond so I think that eased my legal transition.
Anyhow, the good news about law in the UK is that paralegals can do a hell of a lot more here than they can in the US, so even if you don’t pass/take the QLTS immediately you should still be able to get some good experience. I’m still not qualified officially on this side of the pond and I run my own cases from start to finish.
I’ve got a close friend/mentor who was a prosecutor in Philly before moving here and then switched to defence work. But this was quite a long time ago and she transitioned back when it was still the QLTT. Unfortunately she moved back to the US a couple years ago so I’m afraid I don’t have any criminal legal contacts over here anymore.
I will say that there is not really such a thing as a PD here since each individual has to apply for legal aid via their chosen lawyer. It’s a bit weird so if you want to stay in defence you’ll want to look for firms who take on criminal legal aid work.
If you are considering a switch to civil, I’d stay away from motor PI as there are some big reforms coming down the pipeline that will seriously limit the industry. Thankfully non-motor is safe for now!
As to gluten free, I’ve got celiac and I’ve been GF for nearly ten years. Honestly it is about a million times easier here. Every corner shop has a GF section and pretty much every restaurant will know what you’re talking about. Even the small village pub near my in-laws does GF gravy and Yorkshire puds for me! I have always found it easier here in that respect, even when I was just visiting back in 09.
As to prescriptions, I’m on a lot and had no issues getting them all here. I think this is probably a very YMMV situation here and will depend on your local GP. I just showed up with all my pull bottles on my first visit and they wrote my prescriptions right then. I’ll also add that your prescriptions will be free if you move to Scotland, Wales, or NI, but not England.
Good luck with everything, and please feel free to message me if you want! I don’t check the forum as regularly as I used to, so PM will be the best way to catch me.
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