Solicitor
What is the work like?
As a solicitor it would be your job to advise clients about the law, and act on behalf of your clients in legal matters. Your clients could be individuals, groups of people, companies or public organisations.
You could work as a solicitor in a range of settings, including:
- private practice, where you would provide a range of legal services such as conveyancing, probate, civil and family law, litigation, personal injury and criminal law
- commercial practice, advising and acting for businesses in areas including contract law, tax, employment law and company sales and mergers
- in-house legal advice for companies, the government or local authorities
- the Crown Prosecution Service, examining evidence to decide whether to bring cases to court.
Your duties would vary according to where you worked, but would typically include:
- advising clients about legal matters
- representing clients in court, or instructing barristers or advocates to act for your clients
- drafting letters, contracts and documents
- researching similar cases to guide your current work
- keeping financial records
- attending meetings and negotiations
- preparing papers for court.
You would often choose to specialise in a particular area of law.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
To become a solicitor, you must first of all meet the necessary academic standards, and then you must complete vocational training.
In England and Wales, you can meet the academic standards in one of the following three ways:
- by gaining a qualifying law degree
- by gaining a degree in any other subject, then taking the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
- by qualifying as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) – see the Legal Executive profile for more information on this route.
To get onto a law degree you will generally need at least five GCSEs (A-C) and two A levels with good grades, or alternatives such as an Access to Higher Education qualification. Some universities may ask you to pass the National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) before accepting you for a law degree. You should check exact entry requirements with course providers.
Once you have met the academic standards you must then pass the Legal Practice Course (LPC), which can be one year full-time or two years part-time.
See the Law Society’s website for more information, including details of approved law degrees, CPE/GDL and LPC courses. See the Training and Development section below for details about vocational training contracts.
In Northern Ireland, you can meet the academic stage by either:
- gaining an approved law degree (or having a degree in another subject and proving that you have a satisfactory level of legal knowledge)
- having substantial experience of relevant legal work.
After this you must complete an apprenticeship of between two and four years with a solicitor. This will include a year’s study at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies in Belfast or the University of Ulster in Londonderry. Contact the Law Society of Northern Ireland for more details.
What further training and development can I do?
In England and Wales, once you have met the academic standards and passed the Legal Practice Course, you must complete further vocational training by:
- getting a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors
- passing the Professional Skills Course (PSC) during your training contract.
See the Law Society website for advice about finding a training contract. (If you are a qualified legal executive you do not usually need to complete a training contract, but you must still pass the Professional Skills Course).
Once you have fully qualified, you must also take a certain amount of further training and development each year throughout your career. The Law Societies run compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) schemes to help members achieve this.
See the relevant Law Society websites for more information about the vocational stage and continuing professional development in each country.
Where can I go for more information?
40 Linenhall Street
Belfast
BT2 8BA
Tel: 028 9023 1614
London
WC2A 1PL
Tel: 0870 606 2555
Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
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What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Salaries while training are around £15,000 to £20,000 a year.
- Once qualified, salaries can rise to between £25,000 and £70,000, depending on experience and the type of employer.
- Salaries for partners in large firms or heads of in-house legal departments can reach £100,000 a year or more.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You would normally be contracted to work 37 hours a week, but longer hours are common. In some jobs you may be on call at weekends and bank holidays, or need to attend police stations at any time of the day or night.
You would be mainly office-based, but may occasionally travel to visit clients or attend meetings. If you specialised in criminal law you would spend a lot of your time in court.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- strong spoken and written communication skills
- the ability to take in and analyse large amounts of information
- a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
- the ability to explain legal matters clearly to non-experts
- confidence and a persuasive manner
- the ability to work under pressure and manage several cases at once
- tact and empathy
- respect for confidentiality
- ability with figures, if you deal with property and financial work.
What opportunities are there?
Around three quarters of solicitors work in private practice, for firms ranging from small high street firms to large international law companies. Other employers include central and local government, the courts service, Crown Prosecution Service, law centres, businesses and charities.
Jobs may be advertised in the local, national and legal press, and by specialist legal recruitment agencies.
With experience, in private practice you could eventually become a partner in a firm of solicitors, or as a commercial solicitor you could manage an in-house legal department. Alternatively, you could choose to take further training to become a barrister.
You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open new window):
The Lawyer
Law Society Gazette
Legal Week
Totally Legal
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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