1. THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND HOW TO GET INTO IT
Career paths in the legal profession
Professional training courses and funding
Who employs lawyers?
What to do and when to do it
The slides from this presentation are available at

2. SOME CAREER PATHS IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION
Solicitor
Barrister
Legal executive
Paralegal
Licensed conveyancer
For more detail on these and other roles in law, see the Legal Sector Briefing at

3. Solicitor or barrister?
Law Careers Seminars
MAKING DECISIONS
Solicitor or barrister?
Both require:
Proven intellectual ability
Excellent communication skills
Analytical skills
Organisational skills
Commercial awareness
Determination and commitment
Jenny Keaveney

4. WHAT DO SOLICITORS DO?
Work directly with clients to advise them on a wide range of legal matters
Prepare cases – researching, drafting, liaising with other parties in the case, etc
Attend court, and may represent clients in court

5. WHO EMPLOYS SOLICITORS?
Law Careers Seminars
WHO EMPLOYS SOLICITORS?
Law firms – employ 76% of practising solicitors)
Large international firms
Large UK-focused firms
National/regional firms
Specialist (“niche”) firms
“High Street” firms
In-house legal departments in:
Business and finance (9%)
The public and voluntary sectors (12%)
Magic Circle - Allen & Overy (A&O), Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters. Silver circle firms Ashurst, Macfarlanes, SJ Berwin and Travers Smith
National firms such as Halliwells, Hammonds, Osborne Clarke, Pinsent Masons and Shoosmiths
28% of women work in-house as opposed to 21% of men
Jenny Keaveney

6. THE SOLICITORS’ PROFESSION – SOME STATISTICS
Law Careers Seminars
THE SOLICITORS’ PROFESSION – SOME STATISTICS
108,407 practising solicitors
42% of these work in London (where 27% of firms are located)
43% of practising solicitors are women
9.5% of practising solicitors are from ethnic minority groups
Law Society Annual Statistical Report, July 2007
42% of firms located in South-East (including London)
Jenny Keaveney

7. WHAT DO BARRISTERS DO?
Independent specialist legal advisers and advocates
The majority are self-employed but work together in sets of chambers
Others are employed in solicitors’ firms, business and public sector organisations
Need outstanding all-round communication and intellectual skills

8. THE BARRISTERS’ PROFESSION – SOME STATISTICS
Law Careers Seminars
THE BARRISTERS’ PROFESSION – SOME STATISTICS
15,030 practising barristers
80% of these are self-employed
66% men; 34% women; 11% from ethnic minorities
Approximately two-thirds of barristers are based in London
2007 stats
Jenny Keaveney

9. WHAT THE SOLICITORS PROFESSION OFFERS
Law Careers Seminars
WHAT THE SOLICITORS PROFESSION OFFERS
A more structured career path
Greater security
Greater support, including continuing professional training
Greater involvement with clients
and demands
Commitment to a firm and its culture
Team working skills
Sociability; adaptability; willingness to conform
Jenny Keaveney

10. WHAT THE BAR OFFERS Greater independence More opportunity for advocacy
Law Careers Seminars
WHAT THE BAR OFFERS
Greater independence
More opportunity for advocacy
Variety
and demands …
Greater personal confidence
A willingness to take risks
High-level presentational skills
Flexibility and tolerance of stress
Jenny Keaveney

11. MAKING DECISIONS Talk to practising solicitors and/or barristers
Law Careers Seminars
MAKING DECISIONS
Talk to practising solicitors and/or barristers
Get work experience
Use law careers publications and websites
Use the Careers Advisory Service!
Jenny Keaveney

12. BECOMING A SOLICITOR OR BARRISTER
Law Careers Seminars
BECOMING A SOLICITOR OR BARRISTER
Solicitors ? ??
QUALIFY
ASSISTANT
SOLICITOR
LPC
TRAINING
CONTRACT
LAW
DEGREE ?
??? ?
BVC
CALL TO
THE
BAR
TENANCY
PUPILLAGE
Barristers
Jenny Keaveney

13. PROFESSIONAL LAW COURSES
Law Careers Seminars
PROFESSIONAL LAW COURSES
Legal Practice Course/Bar Vocational Course
Skills-focused: preparation for practice
Coursework, practical assessments and written exams
Last for one academic year
Available throughout England & Wales
Must have the 7 exemption subjects for entry
Apply at the beginning of your final year
Fees range from approx. £6700 to £14000
Available throughout England & Wales - 28 LPCs; 8 BVCs
Exemption subjects: Obligations I & II; Criminal; Constitutional; Equity & Trusts; Property; European Law
£6710 -LPC at Wolverhampton £ BVC at BPP
Jenny Keaveney

14. THE LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE
Law Careers Seminars
THE LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE
Stage One
3 core practice areas (compulsory):
Business law and practice; Litigation (civil & criminal); Property law and practice
Conduct & Regulation (including accounts)
An overview of Wills & Tax
Skills
Research; Writing; Drafting; Advocacy;
Interviewing & Advising
Stage Two
3 vocational electives
Electives usually help you to focus on a specific area of practice, e.g. Corporate (Public Companies and Equity Finance; Debt Finance and Banking – Nottingham/Kaplan); Private Client (Childcare Law; Law & the Elderly Client) or specialist (Sports & Media Law – De Montfort)
Jenny Keaveney

15. THE BAR VOCATIONAL COURSE
Law Careers Seminars
THE BAR VOCATIONAL COURSE
Seven core skills (60% of the course)
Legal research; Fact management; Opinion writing; Drafting; Conference skills; Negotiation; Advocacy
Three “knowledge areas”
Civil Litigation; Criminal Litigation; Evidence
Background and Pervasive subjects
Professional Ethics; Human Rights; Accounts and Revenue; Business Associations
Options
Options cover, e.g, pro bono and tribunal practice; immigration (College of Law); employment, family (City); Chancery practice; European competition; sale of goods and credit (NLS)
Jenny Keaveney

16. HOW DO STUDENTS FUND THEIR LAW COURSES?
Law Careers Seminars
HOW DO STUDENTS FUND THEIR LAW COURSES?
Fees are just the beginning: will also need to pay, for example, Inns of Court or Law Society membership fees; accommodation, clothes (a dark suit for dining and role-play exercises), travel expenses
Minimum training salary: £17110 (London); £15332 elsewhere (July 2007)
c£31-36K in City firms ( more in US firms)
Newly-qualifed salaries £50-90K
Inns scholarships range from £165 ( to cover admission and Call fees) to £18000 (figures from Target Law 2006 p. 174)
Commercial & Chancery sets may offer £25-30K for 12 months (2 Temple Gardens & 3 Verulam Buildings offer £42K!)
All pupillages must now be funded to a minimum level of £5K for 6 months. Pupillage is a "contract for education and training", NOT a contract for employment. Therefore, pupils are not paid the minimum wage, they are paid whatever the Bar Council says is the minimum amount of pupillage funding (or above). Reasonable travel expenses are paid in addition to the pupillage award
Jenny Keaveney

17. OTHER ROUTES INTO LAW Legal Executive Paralegal Licensed Conveyancer
Notary

18. WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOW
Working hard and aiming for a good degree!
Thinking about your options
Researching different careers and employers
Thinking about what you have to offer
Starting to apply for vacation work experience
Noting deadlines for training contract, pupillage and course applications

19. WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOW
Career planning guides for:
Potential solicitors
Potential barristers
The undecided
can be downloaded in Word format from the “Career Planning Timetable” for law students at

20. USEFUL INFORMATION SOURCES
Target Law/Target Work Experience Law
The Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook
Prospects Law
Lawyer 2B magazine

21. ANY QUESTIONS?