There are many good reasons fior deciding on the law as a career.  There are so many facets to it for one thing.  Not everyone needs to be a solicitor, barrister or judge.  The number of other roles is lengthy and all are very absorbing and lifetime career worthy.  Knowing a little about the system and how it came about will be useful for the would be trainee . . .  The legal system in our country is one of the oldest, having evolved over the last 1000 years.   It still continues to change and develop according the the needs of society and although it throws up some eye watering contradictions and oddities in places, is generally regarded as one of the safest and most independent in the world.   Whereas for the anglo saxons, justice was a metered out in a combination of local courts presided over by the local lord or his steward.  Sometimes the king presided himself, these were called the curia regis, i.e. kings court.  Some of the punishments were too terrible to contemplate here.  We are thankful that things definitely moved on!