Talking to some mates, they said international law is a good area to specialise in due to it not being flooded. Can I get a second opinion?
Additionally, they gave me the same advice as you did neo o, learn a language and start volunteering and developing an admirable track record.
To be very honest with you, every facet of law is flooded nowadays. This is because there are only around 66,000 lawyers in Australia and yet law schools are pushing out almost 15,000 law graduates each year. At non-G08s, the minimum to receive an interview at the big law firms is a distinction. Jobs receive hundreds of applications within the first few days they are posted. Even volunteer (read: unpaid) positions are often filled almost instantly.
If you genuinely love the law, then I'd say do it. But do it with your eyes and ears open. There are three things employers look for: (i) good grades, (ii) extra-curricular (competitions and exchange in particular are valued) and (iii) work experience - and you must have all 3 if you want the 'good' jobs whether that be working in-house at companies such as PWC, the 'big 6' law firms, being a policy advisor etc. The good thing is the salary at the top end is still rather high (if you get to the top, its 80k base salary + the firm will cover the expenses of your practical legal training which is another 10k+) but it is a tough degree. If you want the good grades and to have good extra-curriculars/work experience, get ready to work from 9am-11pm pretty much every day for two or three weeks straight with no weekend off every few months or so. If you get a paralegal job (which is what you'd get as a law student if you're lucky)...let's just say the longest shift I've done is from 6:45am to 10pm. That is the reality of law.
Also, I see a lot of people in this thread go 'just start off small' or 'go rural' but there are three downsides to that: (i) the area of law you can practice - rural means conveyancing etc. which isn't the most profitable or interesting (and after the first three years when you get your unrestricted practicing licence its highly unlikely you can move out of your area of specialisation), (ii) the pay (small firms pay as low as 35-40k/year) and (iii) the competition is still high.
