Law & Justice

If you become a solicitor, you’ll provide legal advice and support to individuals, companies and organisations. Depending on your specialism, your job could involve tasks like drafting wills, buying and selling property, resolving disputes or even arranging company mergers.

While most solicitors are employed by law firms, you could also work for a government department or the Crown Prosecution Service. Once you’re qualified, you’ll be able to represent clients in the lower courts. However, the majority of solicitors don’t appear in the high courts, as specialist training is required to do this.

1. Choose your role

We’ve already explored the role of a solicitor, so here’s a quick overview of the other legal professions.

Barristers

While barristers are best known for representing individuals and organisations before courts and tribunals, they also provide specialised advice and draft court documents. Choose your specialism with care if you opt for this law career, as your choice will determine the amount of time you’ll spend in court.

80% of barristers are self-employed and the rest work for organisations like the Government Legal Services or the Crown Prosecution service. If you’re self-employed you’ll share a set of chambers with a group of other barristers.

In Scotland, barristers are known as advocates and the training process for both barristers and solicitors is different. Check out the details here. Training also varies in Northern Ireland. 

Chartered legal executives

A legal executive is a qualified lawyer who has received advanced training in one particular area of law. The benefit of this legal career is that you won’t need a law degree and you can do your academic training via online learning.

There are currently around 20,000 practising legal executives, most of whom are employed by private solicitor’s firms, local authorities, legal departments and commercial organisations.

Law apprenticeships

If you need to earn while you learn, you could also consider applying for a level 7 higher apprenticeship. Although this 5-6 year programme is aimed at post A-level students, there aren’t any age restrictions.

2. Study law

In England and Wales, all barristers and many solicitors start by studying at undergraduate degree level. It’s fine to study something other than law at university, but you’ll need to complete a one-year law conversion course called the Graduate Diploma in Law. If you do opt for a qualifying law degree (LLB) it will include 7 core subjects:

• Constitutional and administrative law
• Criminal law
• Law of tort
• Contract law
• Land law
• Trusts and equity law
• EU law

During the final year of a law school degree, universities allow students to specialise in several optional subjects such as intellectual property law, tax law or family law or criminology.

If you decide to become a chartered legal executive, the study options are more flexible. There are no formal entry requirements and you can choose to study CILEx qualifications from home, at a college or via a combination of the two. This route starts with a level three diploma, followed by a level six higher diploma in law.

3. Vocational training

If you want to be a solicitor, the next step is a nine-month legal practice course (LPC), which covers areas like litigation, interviewing, research, drafting and creating contracts. But before you begin this, you should apply for your final work-based “training contract” as there aren’t enough contracts to go round. If you manage to gain a place, the law firm you’ve chosen should fund your LPC.

Keen to become a barrister? Then you’ll need to complete the year long Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC). This covers core skills such as advocacy, writing, drafting and negotiation.  During this time you’ll also become a student barrister with one of London’s four Inns of Court.

4. In-work training

If you’ve landed a training contract with a firm of solicitors, you’ll now receive 2 years of full-time practical experience in at least two areas of English and Welsh law. This is also known as a Period of Recognised Training. Finally, you’ll have to pass an assessment of your character and suitability for the profession.

Trainee barristers who complete their BPTC have up to five years to apply for a one-year pupillage with a barristers’ chambers or employer. This involves shadowing and working with a supervisor, appearing in court and providing legal services. During the pupillage you’ll apply for tenancy, so you can continue practising from a set of chambers. 

The final stage of training for legal executives involves a three-year period of qualifying employment under the supervision of a solicitor, barrister, licensed conveyancer or senior chartered legal executive. Some of this can take place while you’re studying, but you must complete one year as a CILEx graduate.