A career as a solicitor can be rewarding and intellectually challenging.
There are many different areas of law you can specialise in, so the work can be varied.
A solicitor is different from a barrister. Someone who is looking for legal advice will normally see a solicitorfirst. If the client needs more specialist advice, then the solicitor may instruct a barrister.
Solicitors and barristers both offer legal advice, and can also represent their clients in court, but barristersare more likely to do advocacy work, representing clients in the higher courts.
Find out more about becoming a barrister on the Lawyer Portal website.
Becoming a solicitor takes a lot of commitment. You must study and train for at least six years full time, andcompetition for training contracts is high.
Try to find out as much as you can about what a career in the law is like by:
- talking to solicitors, for example at careers fairs
- applying for work experience
What solicitors do
Solicitors represent and defend clients’ legal interests, and provide advice in many situations, for example:
- giving expert advice on everyday issues, such as buying and selling homes, and dealing with relationship breakdowns
- helping businesses with commercial transactions
- protecting individuals’ rights, making sure they’re treated fairly by public or private bodies
- providing free help (pro bono) in certain circ*mstances, for example for people who are unable to pay for legal services
A solicitor’s work can be divided into:
- contentious legal work – resolving disputes between two or more parties, usually in a court or tribunal
- non-contentious legal work – dealing with the legal aspects of a client’s business or personal matter, for example managing a company merger, or making a will
A solicitor’s duties include:
- researching cases and legislation
- drafting letters, contracts, wills and other legal documents
- liaising with clients and other professionals such as barristers
- representing clients in court or at tribunals
Where solicitors work
Solicitors can work in:
- law firms (private practice)
- central or local government
- legal departments within organisations (in-house)
- the Crown Prosecution Service
- law centres
How much solicitors earn
The amount you could earnwill depend on a number of factors.
Skills
You need to be determined and motivated to succeed as a solicitor.
A legal career demands:
- intellectual ability – the law is complex
- flexibility – no two days are the same
- commitment – training requires significant effort and resource
- strong oral and written communication skills
A strong academic background is important, but employers also look for personal skills and attributes, forexample:
- dedication
- a capacity for hard work
- personal integrity and an ethical approach
- commercial awareness
- being able to communicate with people at all levels and win their respect
Qualifications
To be accepted for a law degree, you’ll usually need:
- at least five GCSEs at grade C or above, in English, Maths and sometimes a subject such as a foreign language
- a minimum of two A levels, and three A levels at A grade for the most popular courses
You do not usually need to have taken A level law to do a law degree, although a few universities have specificsubject requirements. You should research and compare courses to see what universities are looking for.
There are routes to qualifying that do not involve a law degree, such ascompleting an apprenticeshipor through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. These routes may also take longer.
Read more about:
How long it takes
It usually takes at least six years to qualify as a solicitor if you study law full time. It will be longer if youstudy a different subject for your degree and decide later you want to follow a legal career.
