How to become a Solicitor

What does a Solicitor do?

There are more than 85,000 Solicitors currently working in all areas of law in England and Wales providing specialist legal advice for members of the public, organizations and businesses. The training, experience and skills that Solicitors develop are sought after by all kinds of employers;
Criminal Solicitors help clients who have been arrested and are passing through the criminal justice system.
Solicitors are employed by businesses to oversee multi-million pound mergers and some firms of Solicitors have branch offices in major financial and commercial centres throughout the world.
Solicitors may also decide to specialize in sport, media and entertainment law and could find themselves representing a famous client in their contract negotiations.
Solicitors are employed in-house by non-profit making organizations and by local and central government to advise Chief Executives, Civil Servants and Ministers on new legislation.
Solicitors may also work in private practice drafting wills, investigating compensation claims for injury victims, helping clients buy and sell property, representing them at an employment tribunal or they may advise accident victims on making compensation claims.

If you have a university non-law degree you need to take a one year full time or two year part-time Common Professional Examination (CPE) then, a one year full time or two year part-time Legal Practice Course (LPC) and finally, two years full time or four years part-time training contract with a firm of Solicitors-The Professional Skills Course.

This course prepares non-law graduates for a legal career as it covers the seven main foundation areas; contract, tort, foundations of criminal law, equity & law of trusts, European Union law, property law and public law.

Everyone who qualifies as a Solicitor completes the LPC, which is offered by numerous colleges and universities across the country. It ensures that participants have the necessary skills to work in a Solicitor’s office. All students who wish to embark on the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or enter into a training contract must enrol with the Law Society as student members. The Society then maintains records of these students at each stage of their training.

After successfully completing the academic stage (Degree or Common Professional Examination) and the vocational stage (the Legal Practice Course) the next step is the two year training contract. This part of the qualification process allows students to put into practice all they have learnt. The majority of training is in private practice but you can train within local and central government, commerce and industry, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Magistrates Court Service. You should be aware that competition for training contracts is fierce and it is advisable for students to start applying for contracts in the second year of their undergraduate studies.