The image of the legal profession created by countless TV dramas can often be one of tense stand-offs played out against grave courtroom backdrops. While elements of this can certainly be true, the on-screen stories represent the merest tip of the iceberg in terms of the work done by solicitors and barristers.
What they do: According to figures from the College of Law, solicitors make up the largest part of the legal profession with some 100,000 practising solicitors currently working in the UK. They offer legal advice and counsel to clients, and, depending on the kind of firm they work for, could be involved in drawing up contracts between large multinational corporations, resolving employment disputes within large UK companies, or helping private clients arrive at a divorce settlement or draw up a will.
They also work with barristers and brief them on cases due to go to court. Solicitors may also plead cases themselves in front of a judge and jury at the Crown Court if they gain Higher Rights of Audience, allowing them to fulfil the same role as a barrister.
Who they work with: A solicitor can be employed at one of several levels within the profession. The top five ‘Magic Circle’ firms in the UK (Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Allen & Overy, and Slaughter and May) and other large commercial firms work exclusively with major organisations and PLCs throughout the world, dealing with business and financial law. Slightly smaller national and regional firms will work with public and private companies, again advising on business law, litigation, tax and so forth, while high street firms work with private clients on more day-to-day matters including wills, probate and conveyancing. There are also niche firms specialising in specific areas of law, such as construction.
Solicitors can also be employed in-house by corporations, public bodies (such as the Crown Prosecution Service), government agencies or charities.
How to qualify: There are two routes into the profession. Applicants can take a three-year law degree (LLB) followed by the legal practice course (LPC) and a two-year training contract – much like an apprenticeship – within a law firm, before beginning work as a newly qualified solicitor; or those with a first degree in a separate subject can convert to law via the graduate diploma in law (GDL) before following the same LPC and training contract route. The GDL and LPC can be taken as full-time courses (lasting a year each) or part-time (two years each), and are offered at law schools throughout the UK.
Rates of pay: Solicitors’ pay varies hugely depending on their seniority, the kind of firm they work for and geographical location to a certain extent -rates of pay in London tend to be higher.