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| Careers in Law |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Monday, 16 October 2006 | |
Law Society Guide to the Legal Profession
information regarding Careers at the Bar, please see the appropriate page
In England and Wales the legal profession is divided into two main branches, solicitors and barristers (although the differences between the two are not nearly as distinct as once was). Both professional occupations are considered 'lawyers' despite the differing internal organisations and external governing bodies. This guide aims to enlighten you as to the former; solicitors. Solicitors
The Solicitor provides two functions: Representation and legal advice. Unlike Barristers they work directly with their clients often being the first port of call for anyone who has concerns relating to a matter of law. With the number of registered practicing solicitors far exceeding the number of barristers it would seem statistically that you are more likely to undertake this profession than the legal alternative.
Although solicitors can theoretically practice independently, as with many things in the law the practicality is much different. The majority of solicitors in private practice choose to work for a firm as an employee or partner from which they are paid an annual salary. While this means they are guaranteed a regular income it also means that they forfeit the opportunity to generate the kind of revenue that a good barrister can. In order to qualify as a Solicitor it is necessary to go through three stages:
The type of work encountered The type of work that a Solicitor does is varied and usually more concerned with managing their clients' legal affairs than actual litigation. It is usual for solicitors to instruct a barrister in cases that go further than the magistrate's court. Aside form the fact that most solicitors do not have rights of audience in the higher courts, a Barrister's greater experience in advocacy will be beneficial to their client. Governing body
The profession functions under the central and local bodies of The Law Society (note this article concerns solicitors, the governing body for barristers is the Bar Council). The law society has both an educational and regulatory function concerning two main responsibilities; one with regards to the welfare/promotion of its members and one with regard to regulating and disciplining those who operate under its umbrella. It is a pre- condition of any budding solicitor to be a member of the Law Society to allow them to qualify after which membership is not compulsory.
The Firm
There are six recognised types of firm with the label attached being determined largely by the number of partners and the revenue generated from clients each year. Traditionally most firms have been quite small, however many companies are beginning to see the advantages of fusing their assets in order to increase their position in the growing competitive legal market.
Please be aware that the following descriptions on 'types' of firm are a rough guide only. They are as follows:
The Magic Circle
Much as the name suggests, and Google search results have you believe, this isn't the 'premier organisation in the world for magicians' but a descripion of what is considered the top five firms of the profession.
The combinaton of attached elitism and the offer of the highest salaries available (although you'll have trouble finding issue with the salaries other international firms provide!) make competition to enter this sphere exceptionally competitive. And do remember: with great power comes great responsibility so expect to be worked hard if you apply to these firms.
The standard of training offered by these firms are of a very high standard. Do however bare in mind that the sheer size and international scope of these firms can mean a less intimate environment with typically over 100 trainees oer annual intake. If eating and breathing law is what makes you roll out of bed and attend University everyday (rather than the promise of an afternoon spent socialising in the Union) the Magic Circle certainly has plenty to offer you.
The London Commercial
As was advanced in the former description, you'll find it difficult to have qualms about the salary or standard of training offered by these firms, and indeed, struggle to find a significant difference in either. Like their Magic Circle counter-parts, these firms look for outstanding academic achievement records and have incredibly high expectations of other items populating one's cirriculum vitae.
The majority of work undertaken by the London Commercial and other City firms revolves around the business world, so dealing with 'Blue Chip' clients is standard. With this in mind, an understanding of the City and how businesses operate within the commercial context is advantageous: when they talk of 'commercial awareness' they aren't looking for blank faces from their potential future trainees.
While competition in this sector is tough, it is compensated by the support provided to successful candidates (in the form of maintenance grants and sponsorship for future studies, i.e. the LPC) and the exposure to significant transactions.
Regional
Taking a smaller stance than the previous two firms some of those located in the regions still attract some big clients and are equal contenders with their London counterparts. The remainder of these firms retain their interest with regional clients. Although the standard of clients in some regional firms is different than those assimilated by the Magic Circle and City firms the standard of successful applicant remains high. Regional firms have the advantage of closer training relationships with higher supervision and greater opportunities to shine than the bigger firms, so although the salaries offered here are lacking the wow factor of those boasting international clients the high quality of training and increased level of flexibility makes the regional firm an attractive alternative. National These are often grouped with national firms as their internal organisation and type of work they undertake is similar, with the obvious difference being that some national firms have offices all over the UK. The client base of National and regional firms is dominated by private and public companies and public authorities. It is also not uncommon for National/Regional firms to advise international clients on National or regional concerns. High Street These firms operate strictly on a local level dealing predominantly with individual/legal aid clients and occasionally local businesses so the nature of the work is different to the Magic Circle, Commercial and National/Regional firms. The nature of the practice means that you will experience a lot more of how the law affects real people, with there being an increased scope for more hands on action early on. You can expect to be paid considerably less if you opt to work for a high street firm and many do not offer sponsorship of the LPC. However, far removed from the cut and thrust attitudes of the commercial firms many high street lawyers consider their jobs more rewarding than their commercial friends. The intake of trainees in also considerably less, so if you are looking for a more intimate environment where you?re likely to be home before the nine o?clock news the high street firm might be suited to you. The number of training contracts offered could be as few as three per annum so don?t be fooled into thinking that you will just walk into one of these firms.
Niche / Specialist Firms
These types of firm are usually quite small and are located all over the country. As their title suggests the type of work that they take on is limited, but their expertise in their area far makes up for what they are lacking in size. If you have a passion for one particular area of the law then a niche firm could be for you. Again you should expect to earn less than those working for the Magic Circle but salaries are equivalent or competitive with high street and some national/regional firms.
How do I choose?
Be realistic. If you're the type of person who works to live, then the Magic Circle firms are not for you. If your interests lie with people rather than professional entities go for the high street firms who whose staple work is concerned with matrimonial, criminal and conveyencing issues. Think about where the firms are located, what type of clients they have and the type of work they do. Get a feel for the companies by looking on the website, attending Law fairs and presentations. If you get the opportunity have a chat with some trainees and see if they are the type of people you would like to work with. The best way to get to know a firm is to work for them, so apply for the vacation schemes that they offer, or write letters to the smaller firms asking if they would be willing to offer you a placement for a week or two.
How do I go about it? Start early, most of law firms recruit two years in advance, particularly those larger firms within the city consortium. Because the competition to get into firms is fierce and becoming increasingly more difficult the reality of it is that the selection process begins much earlier than that. Every interest that you have, any experience, your academic record and any work that you have undertaken paid or unpaid will effect your chances of securing a training contract. So manage your time effectively and be aware that every bit of extra effort you put into making your CV look more attractive will give you a better chance of getting the job that you want. Join a society and take on an active role, that way you can have fun and develop some of the leadership and teamwork skills that law firms find attractive. Don't just cruise along with your studies, law firms look for a genuine commitment to the law and expect their recruits to be achieving a 2:1 degree. While this is flexible with some firms, it is not with most and with the high level of competition for places it helps to have some hard evidence of what you have achieved not what you could if you put more effort in. If you have an idea of the type of firm you want to work for choose your electives around there area of work; A commercial firm may find it difficult to believe you have a genuine interest in business if your electives are centred around Human Rights and Criminology. Vacation Placements
Most firms offer vacation placements, which usually last for two week and are paid. The amount varies from firm to firm (usually between ?150/?250 per week) and is supposed to cover travel and living expenses. The purpose of the scheme is for the firm to get to know you and for you to get to know the firm. It is more active than work experience and you will be expected to take a more responsible role. Some people say that it is like a two-week interview, and to some extent it is, you will be involved in many different aspects of what the firm is about including the socialising. Larger firms usually offer two schemes, one at Easter and one over the summer and you specify which time you would like to be considered for when you make your application.
You apply for the vacation scheme in the year that you want to be considered, most applications can be done on-line now and need to be completed between December and March. You should check the firms website to find out the exact dates to make sure you don?t miss out. Completing the applications is an arduous process; some of the questions are quite obscure and require a lot of thought so make sure you give yourself enough time to do them well. Make sure that you read all of the small print and follow any given instructions to the letter. I would recommend that you set aside a day for each application that you make. Do your ground work at the law fair, attend presentations and the careers dinners so that you don?t waste your time applying to firms that haven?t got what your looking for. Quite a lot of the schemes operate on a first come first served basis so get your application in early to be ahead of the game.
Print off a copy of the application and get somebody to check it for you before you submit it, the smallest error may be the difference in you securing a place. In addition some firms may ask for you to send a cover letter along with the application, have this checked too for grammatical and spelling errors. If you do need to send a cover letter research the company and match your skills with there needs not the other way around. A firm wants to know what you can bring to it, not just how it can help you fulfil your careers goals.
Places for vacation schemes are over subscribed so don't be too disappointed if you don't get one, although they do look good on your C.V it?s not necessarily the key to getting a training contract, particularly if you aren't looking at working in a commercial firm. A lot of the high street practices would probably prefer some more hands on experience of the law, and so any other legal experience that you have will be equally as beneficial. So if you aren't lucky enough to do paid work experience try to sort out a voluntary alternative with a smaller firm.
Interviews
First of all pat yourself on the back or getting this far and then get back to your computer for more research. The firms website is a good place to start followed by their brochure which you may be able to pick up at the Law Fair.
Make sure you know what area the firm practices in, the type of clients it has and where it located. If your interview is with a commercial firm it is essential that you have knowledge of the commercial practices around which the businesses the firm acts for operate. A lot of candidates fall down on commercial awareness so do yourself a favour and read around the subject before hand. Be aware of what you have said in your application and make sure that you don?t contradict yourself. If you have said you spent the summer teaching Spanish in South America it might not go down to well if all you can muster is an hola! in the interview.
Be smart, be punctual and be yourself. Remember that an interview is a too way process, you should feel as though you are able to make a decision as to whether you would like to work there when you leave. Ask questions that illustrate you have done your research and demonstrate a genuine interest in the company instead of those that show you have spent the last fortnight memorising the dictionary. Take your time when answering questions and don?t be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat things or explain what they mean, they will be aware that you are nervous and accommodate for this.
Legal Practice Course
This is a year long that course that was introduced in 1993 and is concerned with the vocational element of becoming a Solicitor. It is a skills based course which teaches you all of the procedures, ethics, and so on that you will need to know and follow in order to practice. Like your degree there are compulsory and elective components, although if you find yourself being sponsored by a larger firm through the LPC don?t be surprised if they put a few suggestions your way as to what electives you should take.
But if it means having an extra £6,000 - £8,000 in your back pocket I suppose you would be daft not to listen.
There are over 26 providers of the LPC, with some firms preferring some schools to others. The city consortium for example will now only accept students from the College of law and BPP law schools because the way in which these programmes are structured is more suited to the nature of their work and practice. The disadvantage for some students is that the reservation of places by the larger firms for their anticipated trainees makes the competition for over subscribed places even fiercer.
Applications for the LPC should be made in your final year of study and are administered by the LPC central applications board and must be completed by 1st December of. Be picky in your choice of institution and make sure you research it first. Attend the trips to the Law Colleges organised by the department and the Careers service, look on the website and if you get the opportunity ask somebody who has been there.
Summary
Take advantage of the available resources
Commercial Awareness Even if you do not want to work for a commercial firm you will still need some knowledge of how the law operates in a practical context. Keep updated on all current affairs using reputable newspapers and legal journals - a few are suggested in the Links pages of the LawSoc website. And remember: All of your results count (even the ones in your first year!)
The LawSoc Team
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 27 November 2008 ) |