Solicitor
Solicitors provide expert legal support and advice to clients. They take instructions from clients and advise on necessary courses of legal action. Clients can be individuals, groups, public sector organisations or private companies.
Depending on their area of expertise solicitors can advise on a range of issues, including:
Solicitors may also use some of their time to represent clients who are unable to pay for legal services themselves.
Once qualified, solicitors can work in private practice, in-house for a commercial or industrial organisation, in local or national government or in the court services. Specific work activities will vary depending on the setting. Activities will also depend on the solicitor’s area of specialism and the nature of the case. However, typical activities can include:
This area of work is open to graduates from all disciplines.
Graduates in England and Wales with a qualifying law degree must take the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The LPC is usually taken full time over one year (although part-time options are possible) and is designed to ensure that graduates have the necessary skills to work as a solicitor. Applications for full-time courses should be made to the Legal Practice Course Central Applications Board . For details of part-time courses, contact individual institutions direct.
On successful completion of the LPC, you must undertake practice-based training, known as a training contract. Training is usually undertaken full time over two years or part time over a longer period. The practice-based training allows you to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained in a real work setting. The Professional Skills Course (PSC) is usually taken during the training contract and must be completed in order to qualify as a solicitor.
Graduates with a degree in a subject other than law must complete a one-year, full-time conversion course, either the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or the Common Professional Examination (CPE). Part-time courses are also available. You then follow the same training route as law graduates - completing the LPC and practice-based training, which includes the PSC. The GDL/CPE is valid for seven years.
Non-graduates who want to train as solicitors can follow the legal executive route to qualification. Full details are available from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) .
See The Law Society of England and Wales for full details on how to qualify as a solicitor. The LawCareers.Net website provides a checklist of what you should be doing and when.
Different training routes apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Contact the Law Society of Scotland and The Law Society of Northern Ireland for more details.
Students should explore funding opportunities for their legal training and apply for training contracts in the second year of their undergraduate degree. Competition for LPC sponsorship and training contracts is fierce and employers expect a 2:1 degree, excellent A-level grades (or equivalent), evidence of commitment to the career and experience of relevant extracurricular activities.
Most employers want to see evidence of relevant work experience. Becoming a solicitor demands a huge personal commitment of time and money and it is difficult to make an informed choice without first having gained experience. Large firms run vacation schemes, which are also used in assessing prospective trainees. They provide an excellent opportunity to establish contacts and network. You can also gain useful experience from participation in student law society activities, client interviewing competitions, mooting and pro bono work and business simulations.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following skills and aptitudes:
Not all training contracts or vacation placement opportunities are advertised, particularly in the case of smaller firms, so it is advisable to write speculatively to firms. Smaller firms are unlikely to offer sponsorship towards the LPC and many applicants are self-funding. In addition, those interested in working in general practice or so-called ‘high-street firms’ often find themselves undertaking the LPC without the security of having obtained a training contract in advance. This type of firm is likely to advertise trainee vacancies nearer to the time of appointment, and this is also the case with in-house and local government vacancies, whereas central government and City firms commonly advertise two years ahead.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
On completion of the Legal Practice Course (LPC), trainees in England and Wales must undertake practice-based training, known as a training contract. Training is usually undertaken full time over two years or part time over a longer period. The practice-based training allows trainees to apply the skills and knowledge they have gained in a real work setting. Trainees carry out many of the activities undertaken by solicitors, including seeing clients and handling cases. Work is closely supervised and regularly reviewed during this time.
Although most trainees carry out their training contract in a private practice, it is also possible to undertake practice-based training with a range of other approved organisations, for example within local government, commerce and industry, the Government Legal Service (GLS) , the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and HM Courts and Tribunals Service . Contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for a list of organisations authorised to take trainee solicitors.
The Professional Skills Course (PSC) is usually taken during the training contract and must be completed in order to qualify as a solicitor. The PSC covers financial and business skills, advocacy and communications skills, and client care and professional standards. On completion of all stages of training you must apply for admission to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales in order to practise as a solicitor.
Once qualified it is vital to undergo further training and development activities throughout your career. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) runs a compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) scheme, which includes attending training seminars, conferences and networking events organised by The Law Society of England and Wales . Other CPD activities include mentoring, undertaking research in law and writing. Large firms may run such courses in-house. Solicitors in private practice or working in-house for commercial companies or other organisations generally have their course fees paid by their employer.
It is also possible to undertake further study and research at postgraduate level (e.g. diploma, MBA, Masters).
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 assistants. They work on a fixed salary, usually under the supervision of a partner or senior assistant solicitor. 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 in private practice depends on continuing strong performance, especially meeting targets for the amounts of work that can be charged to clients. Progress is usually from assistant solicitor to senior solicitor and then associate. Progression is likely to involve becoming the head of a department within the firm, with responsibility for that department’s profit levels and staff.
It may be possible to become a salaried partner and finally an equity partner. This will depend on a combination of experience and level of earnings, and a willingness to make a financial investment in the firm. There is no set time for promotion to partnership. The earliest point for consideration is usually around six to eight 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.
Career development for in-house and local and central government solicitors generally follows a set structure and may result in a move into general management.
Solicitors who practise in litigious areas may seek to be accredited with rights of advocacy so that they can represent their clients in court without the need to instruct a barrister. Details are available from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) .
Depending on the size of the firm, it may be necessary to change employer in order to progress. Solicitors who develop a reputation in private practice may move to become in-house lawyers, often as a result of being head-hunted.
There are more than 80,000 solicitors working in private practices in England and Wales. Practices can range from sole practitioners to multinational firms with offices all over the world.
Other employers of solicitors include:
It is also possible to work for HM Courts and Tribunals Service , advising magistrates on areas such as criminal law, family law and licensing.
The armed forces, charities and law centres also employ solicitors.
Training contracts with small to medium-sized firms are often found as the result of speculative applications, rather than by applying for advertised vacancies. The UK Legal 500 contains lists of firms useful for investigating training openings.
Opportunities for contracts can also arise from making a good impression during vacation work placements.
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