1. Solicitors and barristers
The Legal Profession
Solicitors and barristers

3. A career in Law in England and Wales
Solicitors
Barristers

4. The role of solicitors
Lawyers in the UK generally practise as solicitors in private firms, as legal advisors in corporations or government departments
Solicitors carry on most of the office work, provide expert legal support and advice to clients, take instructions from clients and prepare and deliver the client’s instructions to a barrister
Specialisation (divorce, contracts, drafting wills, consumer problems, conveyancing etc.)
Direct access by clients

5. Training
The first degree – if not in law, they must take Graduate Diploma in Law
One-year Legal Practice Course (LPC), then the CPE – Common Professional Examination
Serving articles (traineeship) – 2 years of
training with a senior solicitor
Admitted as solicitors by Law Society
Certificate to practise renewable every year

6. Advocacy rights
After the training, a trainee is admitted as a solicitor by the Law Society
Advocacy rights in the Magistrates’ Court and the County Court
The Access to Justice Act of 1990 allowed them to apply for advocacy rights in the higher courts (only 2% applied)

8. A day in the life of a solicitor

9. The Law Society The governing body of solicitors
A regulatory body that can set rules and discipline solicitors
The representative of the interests of solicitors

10. Barristers
They provide specialist legal advice and have the right of audience in every court in England and Wales
Court work – providing representation
Specialist legal advise – giving opinions
Sole traders with unlimited liability
Self-employed practice - chambers

11. Training Intending barristers need a qualifying law degree (LLB)
Graduates in non-law subject undertake a one year conversion course known as GDL (postgraduate Diploma in Law)
Bar Vocational Course to gain practical skills of advocacy
The student barrister then applies to one of the Inns of Court

12. Call to the Bar
After passing the BVC and completing the necessary attendance at an Inn of Court, the person is called to the Bar and is officially qualified as a barrister
Pupillage
Tenancy

13. Pupillage One year pupillage in chambers
Two parts: a non-practising six months when pupils shadow their pupil master
Practising six months when pupils undertake to supply legal services and exercise right of audience

14. Full Qualification Certificate
Pupils must learn:
the rules of conduct and etiquette at the Bar
to prepare and present a case competently
To draft pleadings and opinions
The qualified barrister applies for a tenancy in chambers

16. The Inns of the Court
Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple
Keeping terms (dining at their Inn a fixed number of times or attending weekend courses run by their Inn)
Call to the Bar – passing the examination conducted by the Council of Legal Education

17. The Bar Council The governing body of barristers
Regulatory and representative functions
Main purpose: to maintain and enhance professional standards
Complaints against barristers are handled by the Bar Standards Board

18. Junior and Senior Barristers
When a junior barrister has practised at the Bar for years, it is possible to apply to become a senior barrister, or Queen’s Counsel, whose work concentrates on court appearances, advocacy and opinions
An independent selection panel recommends who should be appointed to the Lord Chancellor

19. Solicitors and barristers
Solicitors are in direct contact with the lay client; can be sued for negligence
They represent clients in courts of inferior jurisdiction
In more serious cases, they do the preparatory work and approach the barristers
Barristers represent the client in all courts

20. Vocabulary exercise
Complete the following: Professional _________ must be passed before anyone can become a solicitor. A solicitor is bound contractually to his or her client and can be sued for _____________. Barristers may take instructions only from __________, not from _________ directly.

21. Answer key
Professional EXAMINATION must be passed before anyone can become a solicitor. A solicitor is bound contractually to his or her client and can be sued for NEGLIGENCE. Barristers may take instructions only from SOLICITORS, not from LAY CLIENTS directly.

22. Focus on the particular daily activities of barristers and solicitors and match the following verbs and nouns. Mark who performs each activity: a solicitor (S), a barrister (B), or both (S,B).
provide advise take brief draft research and analyze
supervise plead represent hold negotiate calculate
_____________________ specialist legal advice
_____________________ documents
_____________________ claims for damages
_____________________ the implementation of agreements
_____________________ instructions from clients
_____________________ clients in court
_____________________ a barrister
_____________________ documents, letters, contracts, wills
_____________________ cases in court
_____________________ conferences with clients
_____________________ settlements
______________________ clients

23. Answer key PROVIDE specialist legal advice B
RESEARCH AND ANALYSE documents S
CALCULATE claims for damages S
SUPERVISE the implementation of agreements S
TAKE instructions from clients S
REPRESENT clients in court BS
BRIEF a barrister S
DRAFT documents, letters, contracts, wills S
PLEADS cases in court BS
HOLDS conferences with clients B
NEGOTIATE settlements B
ADVISE clients B

24. Find the terms and expressions containing the word BAR which match the following definitions.
_____________________ = a lawyer who is qualified to plead on behalf of clients
_____________________ = in the UK, a training course which enables people who wish to become barristers and who have registered with the Inns of Court to acquire the skills and knowledge to prepare them for the specialised training of the pupillage
_____________________ = a ceremony held at the end of this training course, when a candidate enters the profession
_____________________ = organisation regulating the legal profession

25. BARRISTER = a lawyer who is qualified to plead on behalf of clients
BAR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COURSE = in the UK, a training course which enables people who wish to become barristers and who have registered with the Inns of Court to acquire the skills and knowledge to prepare them for the specialised training of the pupillage
CALL TO THE BAR = a ceremony held at the end of this training course, when a candidate enters the profession
THE BAR COUNCIL = organisation regulating the legal profession

26. CV of a Newly Qualified Solicitor
Read the CV (pp ) and answer the folowing questions:
Which university did Mark Bradley graduate from?
Which degree was he awarded?
Which legal firm did he have his training contract with?
Which areas of law did he specialize in during his traineeship?
What types of documents can he draft?
Which other legal services (besides drafting documents) did he provide in the area of corporate, commercial property, trusts & tax law?
In which law department did he work as a paralegal?
Which key skills and competences that are of importance for direct communication with clients did he acquire?

27. Thank you for your attention!