Moving from private practice to the public sector: Rishika Mair’s experience

Moving from private practice into the public sector can feel like a significant career change. While many core legal skills are transferable, working within a local authority can bring different processes, priorities and ways of working to get used to. 

At Sellick Partnership, we regularly support legal professionals who are considering making this move. To give an insight into what the transition can look like in practice, Zofia Slater caught up with Rishika Mair, who recently moved from private practice into a local authority role. 

We asked Rishika about what prompted the move, how she has found the transition and what advice she would give to other legal professionals considering a career in the public sector. 

What made you decide to consider working in the public sector? 

Since leaving university, I had always worked in the private sector and really enjoyed it. However, I reached a point where I felt I had hit a ceiling in terms of where I wanted to take my career and my own personal goals. 

I was also ready to move away from some of the administrative pressures that can come with private practice, such as billing and time recording, and I wanted a role that offered me a better work-life balance. 

Since moving into the public sector, I feel like I have achieved that. 

How have you found the transition from a law firm to a local authority? 

There hasn't been a huge difference in terms of my day-to-day legal work, responsibilities or how I conduct myself professionally. A lot of it is very similar. 

The biggest adjustment has been getting my head around working from the other side and learning the different processes involved in local government. 

Working in the public sector has definitely broadened my knowledge and shown me that things can be approached differently. Overall, the transition has been absolutely fine. It has really been about learning the procedures and understanding how to apply the legal knowledge I already had within a different environment. 

Have you felt supported during the transition? 

Very supported. Everyone has been approachable and there is always somebody available when I need help. 

Even though we don't all work from the office all the time, we have Teams and email, so if I need anything I can message somebody and I always get a response. I've found the team really supportive. 

What are you enjoying about working for a local authority? 

Definitely the variety of cases. Every case I work on is different and there is usually something that makes it distinct from the one before. 

I've found there is a really good range of work and different levels of complexity. In my previous private practice role, the cases tended to follow a similar pattern, whereas I'm now being exposed to a much broader variety of work. 

What would you say are some of the key differences between working in the private and public sectors? 

One of the biggest differences I've personally noticed is the work-life balance. 

The caseload is still busy in the public sector, so it certainly isn't a case of having less work. However, I've found the way work is allocated to be more structured. In private practice, I could be given another case even when I already had a very busy caseload and schedule. In my current role, I've found there is more consideration around existing workloads and how and when new cases are allocated. 

Another difference for me is moving away from billable targets. I previously worked within Legal Aid, where there were restrictions around what could be billed for certain work. You might spend three hours on something, for example, while only being able to record or recover a proportion of that time. 

Not having the same focus on billing and chargeable-hour targets has therefore been a positive change for me. 

Would you recommend this career path to others? 

It has personally worked really well for me and I'm very glad that I made the transition. 

I definitely think it is worth considering, even if simply to experience a different way of working and see how another part of the legal sector operates. 

Private practice can be very fast-paced, whereas I've personally found my public sector role gives me a little more balance. There are, of course, differences to consider. Some of the financial incentives available within private practice, such as bonuses, may not be available in the same way, although public sector employers can offer other benefits, including pension schemes and a range of employee benefits. 

Ultimately, I think it's about looking at what matters most to you at that stage of your career. 

What advice would you give someone considering the switch from private practice to local government? 

Don't give up. 

When I started looking for another role, I knew I wanted to move away from Legal Aid work and explore something different. I initially found it difficult applying independently for positions within the public sector because the processes could be quite lengthy. 

After speaking to Sellick Partnership and getting support with the transition, I'm really glad I kept going and followed it through. 

I would tell people to keep their options open. If you immediately close yourself off to different opportunities, you can end up limiting what is available to you. Be willing to explore something different because it might end up being exactly what you are looking for. 

How did Sellick Partnership support you, and would you recommend the service? 

I would 100% recommend Sellick Partnership. I found the whole process really efficient. I think I first spoke to you on a Monday, had interviews on the Tuesday and by Wednesday I had an offer. 

What really stood out to me was the way you kept me updated throughout the process while making everything feel very calm. You listened to how I felt about the different options and never made me feel pressured. 

Even when I received an offer, you didn't push me to accept it. Instead, you helped me weigh up my options so that I could understand what I really wanted. 

I've worked with agencies previously where I've received an offer and immediately felt under pressure to make a decision. This experience was very different. I felt listened to and felt that you genuinely cared about finding the right outcome for me rather than simply getting me to accept a role. 

Considering a move into public sector law? 

Moving from private practice into local government can open up a different range of work and new ways to develop your legal career. As Rishika's experience demonstrates, many of the skills developed in private practice can transfer well into a public sector environment, while specialist recruitment support can help candidates understand the market and navigate a different recruitment process. 

Our specialist Legal recruitment team works with local authorities and other public sector organisations across the UK and regularly supports legal professionals looking to make the transition from private practice. 

Whether you are actively searching for your next role or simply want to understand what opportunities could be available to you, get in touch with our Legal team for a confidential conversation.