A solicitor is someone qualified in law to legally defend or act on behalf of clients either private or commercial. A career as a solicitor opens up different areas of specialization from giving legal advice to companies or organizations to providing conveyancing services as a private solicitor. To qualify as a solicitor you must study and train full time for at least six years.
How do I become a solicitor?
- Finish studying for a qualifying law degree and complete the Legal Practice Course(LPC) which you can do in a year on a full-time basis or two years on a part-time basis.
- If you’re doing a non-law degree, complete it and take the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) conversion course or the Common Professional Examination (CPE) followed by the Legal Practice Course.
- If you don’t have a degree but are working in the legal profession you can take the fellowship or membership route of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.
The legal practice course is only functional until September 2021 and will be replaced by the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) which will offer two stages of qualification: a practical legal skills exam and legal knowledge assessment. Candidates can qualify if they have a degree in any subject or if they have a comparable qualification like a legal apprenticeship.
The LPC is usually followed by a two-year training contract under a solicitor’s firm.
Where can I work as a solicitor?
A solicitor’s career can allow you to do different legal work. Qualified solicitors can work in:
- Law firm – you can privately practice and offer services on civil and family law, criminal law, and conveyancing services.
- Crown prosecution service (to take cases to court)
- Specific organizations where you can be an in-house solicitor for their legal department.
Duties of a solicitor
After you qualify as a solicitor some of your duties will be to:
- represent clients in court
- instruct barristers or liaise with clients
- draft legal documents such as wills, contracts, and letters
- research cases
What professional skills do I need?
While the job involves representing clients and handling other areas of law, solicitors require certain skills to do the job well. These include:
- Good communication skills
- Leadership skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Good interpersonal
SRA Character and Suitability Requirements
Before you start your legal career as a solicitor the SR(the register of all solicitors in England and Wales) will have to assess your character and suitability. Your qualification can be affected if you have criminal convictions or other details in your personal history that go against qualification rules.
The SRA assessment will be done before you admitted as a solicitor or cab be done earlier if you wish. You will need to complete a screening process before completing and submitting your SRA’S Character and Suitability application form.
Pearce Legal Solicitors are regulated by the SRA and can help you with all your legal matters. Find out more about us on https://pearcelegal.co.uk/who-we-are
