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Introduction to the Legal Profession 14/11/2016 Introduction to the Legal Profession What’s interesting about Law? It’s everywhere around us every day – and not always in the most obvious places 1 14/11/2016 Benefits of becoming a lawyer? • It is intellectually challenging • Your work will be varied and interesting • You can help people/businesses and make a difference • There is a broad range of career options • International travel is possible • Your earning potential can be very high! • Your work might even make the news Different types of legal careers • Solicitor • Barrister • Chartered Legal Executive (ww.cilex.org.uk) • Paralegal • Court Clerks / Ushers • Legal researcher • Legal secretary • Company Secretary • Patent or Trademark Agent 2 14/11/2016 Solicitor v Barrister • Salaried • Self-employed • More support & • A willingness to take security risks • Greater conformity • More involvement • Greater with clients independence • Defined career path • Less close to clients • Competition strong • Competition fierce Different areas of law • Corporate and Commercial • Property • Criminal • Family • Dispute Resolution • Personal Injury • Wills, Trusts and Probate • Human Rights/Public law • Copyright and patent law 3 14/11/2016 Facts about solicitors • Currently 133,367 solicitors (65,147 female) practising in England and Wales – 2.3% increase on previous year (Over 165,000 solicitors on the roll) • Approximately 6,000 qualify each year • Over 18,500 solicitors from ethnic minority groups (15.5%) – a 4% increase on previous year • 91,000 solicitors work in private practice in approx. 9,400 firms currently operating in England and Wales • Over 15,000 are employed ‘in house’ within commercial and industrial organisations • Over 6,000 work in local and central government and the CPS • Solicitors also work in (more than 500) licensed ABSs Facts about the legal graduate recruitment market • 9.1% growth in UK law firm graduate vacancies 2014/15 • Number of training contracts registered increased to over 5,457 in 2014/15 • 52% of vacancies filled by graduates who had prior contact with the employer • 91.7% trained in a law firm but 221 trained in commerce & industry (increase) • 2015 saw the highest retention rate of trainees on qualification since 2008 4 14/11/2016 Facts about Barristers • Latest figure is 15,899 barristers in practice – 10,239 male and 5,660 female. (Total of 15,714 in previous year) • Approx. 400 were in pupillage in 2014/15 • 80% of barristers are self employed and work in offices called chambers. • Only 23% of barristers work outside of London. • 34.9% of pupil barristers obtained a 1 st in their degree and 54.5% obtained a 2:1 • Around 1 in 5 students who complete the BPTC are successful in gaining pupillage. What skills do you need to succeed as a lawyer? Ability to Attention to Commercial organise and detail awareness prioritise Interpersonal Communication Problem solving skills Research and Self-motivation Team work analysis and initiative 5 14/11/2016 Routes to Qualification Traditional routes into a career as a Solicitor or Barrister Qualifying Law Degree OR Graduate Diploma in Law Other degree 1 yr. full-time – any subject 2 yrs. part-time 6 14/11/2016 Pathway to the profession Solicitor Barrister Law degrees • There are 139 different providers offering courses in law. Options include: • Full-time single honours courses (e.g. Law LL.B) • Full-time joint honours courses (e.g. Law with Business) • Part-time courses • Accelerated courses (i.e. 2-year degree programmes) • Some universities offer work placements or years abroad as part of their programmes 7 14/11/2016 Factors to consider when selecting a law degree • Is it a ‘qualifying’ law degree? • Do I want to do straight law or study it with something else? • How long does the course last? • Do you meet the entrance requirements? • What optional units are available? • Should I do a law conversion instead? • Do I want to work in law? What will you study? • Compulsory subjects for qualifying law degree: • Contract Law • Land Law • Criminal Law • Public Law • European Union • Trusts and Equity Law • Tort • Optional subjects vary by institution, but common examples are family, employment, commercial, sports law, human rights, and many more. 8 14/11/2016 The University of Law LL.B • Ranked 1st for student satisfaction in 2016 NSS survey • Learn in a professional, realistic context • Created by law firms themselves • Taught by solicitors and barristers • Small group workshops • Timetabled employability sessions • A choice of 7 different locations • Entry requirements BBB / DDM Next steps. • Get strong grades in all your exams • Look into scholarships • Participate in as many extra-curricular activities as possible and take on positions of responsibility • Get some law-related work experience • Sign up to our Future Lawyers Network and follow us on Twitter • Take a look at www.liveprospectus.com for advice from current law students • Good luck! 9 14/11/2016 Questions? 10.
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