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Commercial solicitor: Career development

Newly qualified solicitors can choose the area in which they would like to continue after qualification. This may mean staying with the firm they have trained with - known as being retained - or moving to another firm.

Newly qualified solicitors are often known as associates or assistants. Gradually, they take on increasing levels of responsibility, building their technical legal skills. They also develop client-handling and business development skills. Most start supervising junior colleagues as they gain seniority.

Promotion depends on continuing strong performance rather than time served, especially meeting targets for amounts of work which can be charged to clients. This is more so in light of the Age Discrimination Act 2006, so that post qualification experience (PQE) is becoming increasingly irrelevant. While the traditional peak of a solicitor’s career has been to become partner, firms are increasingly offering alternative career routes to reflect both individuals' varying goals and a scarcity of partner vacancies. It is now common to see titles such as 'associate director' or 'counsel' to denote non-partner senior positions.

There is no set time for promotion to partnership. The earliest point for consideration is usually around six years after qualification. Partners are expected to develop the business and be involved in the management of the firm, as well as continuing to update their specialist knowledge.

Some commercial solicitors remain with the firm where they trained through to partnership. Others move firms to build specialist experience, set up their own firm or work as solicitors outside professional practice, e.g. in the legal department of a large company.

AGCAS

Written by Tim Bradshaw , College of Law

Last updated:

October 2009

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