JobsAndCareersWithSarahWillingham2016 - 237

FOCUS :

LEGAL

C

hoosing a career
in law will give you
drama, excitement
and variety, and no
two days are likely
to be the same. But
becoming a lawyer
will take commitment and hard work, a
good brain - and the ability to use it.
It takes time and money too. If you've
already got a law degree from university,
you'll need to work for another three years.
If you've taken a non-law degree, it'll take
another four years of study. And if you're
not a graduate, you'll be studying for at
least six years to become a lawyer. That
alone is a good reason to make sure it's
the right career for you.
Lawyers fall into two camps - solicitors
and barristers. Let's take a look at both.

Become a solicitor
Solicitors work on a massive range of legal
issues - from divorce to helping
organisations. It's their job to act for their
clients, whether an individual or a business.
You could work at a private practice,
giving advice on family matters, or at a
commercial office, helping companies.
Working for the Crown Prosecution
Service (CPS) is another possibility
- examining evidence to decide whether
cases are brought to court.
Wherever you end up, you'll be
giving legal advice, researching new
cases, writing legal documents, liaising
with other legal professionals and
representing clients in court.
Experienced solicitors can apply
to become a judge with the Judicial
Appointments Commission, either
on a full or part time basis. Judges
also work on a fee basis, sitting for a
minimum of 15 days a year.

How do I do it?
There are three ways in which you can
embark on a career as a solicitor:
1) If you have a qualifying law degree,
you can take a legal practice course.
2) Those with a degree in a subject other
than law have to take a Common
Professional Examination (CPE) or
a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
3) Those who are not graduates can
join the Chartered Institute of Legal
Executives (CILEx) and qualify while
working in the profession.

After finishing your degree or CPE/GDL
conversion course, you still need to pass
the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and then
get a training contract - the final stage of
qualification.
Working hours are usually long - you
might need to work weekends and
evenings, especially when it's busy, or
you're dealing with a tough case.

What can I earn?
Trainee solicitors shouldn't expect to earn
more than the national living wage, but
once qualified you can take home between
£25,000 and £70,000 a year, depending
on your experience and employer. If you
become a partner in a large firm,
your earnings could rise to £100,000
a year - perhaps more.
For more information, visit www.
lawsociety.org.uk, the independent
body for solicitors.

Working hours can
be long, including
evenings and
weekends, but once
qualified, you can
earn up to £70,000
depending on
your experience
Become a barrister
Barristers are specialists, who work
on legal matters in different areas of law
- commercial, civil, criminal and family.
Usually self-employed, they work closely
with solicitors, who give them their
instructions and any information relating
to a case. When they're not appearing
in court they work in chambers to
prepare their cases.
Like solicitors, barristers are peoplefocused, and spend time advising their
clients on the strength of their case and
then working on that case with them. They
represent clients in court, setting out the
case and cross-examining witnesses.
They also negotiate settlements with the
opposition's legal team when a dispute is
resolved out of court.
J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 2 3 7
http://lawsociety.org.uk
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