The law is reason, free from passion. – Aristotle
UK Attorneys in Action: Basic Principles
Typically, trial lawyers in United Kingdom are divided in 2 main categories – barristers and solicitors. Barristers have more privileges – they have higher rank than solicitors and principally plead cases. In their turn, solicitors are involved in preparation of court materials to conduct them consequently to barristers. Solicitors can aspire to the position of legal advisers in different organizations and have the right to conduct litigation in lower courts. The presence of two categories doesn’t meet the standards of contemporary international practice and is mainly due to historical reasons, British judiciary conservatism and the complexity of litigation in Anglo-Saxon legal system as well as reluctance of barristers to lose the preferred position and material advantages.
How can British School Graduates become Lawyers?
There are 3 stages in the way from school graduation to the position of lawyer in UK – academic, professional and practical. On that basis, there exist two ways to meet the academic requirements:
- Receive the Qualifying Law Degree (it is oficially recognized by UK professional bodies), ie higher education in the field of law, most often it is LLB (Bachelor of Laws).
- Have higher non-legal education and the diploma of secondary education in law (Graduate Diploma in Law).
The professional stage may be different depending on whether the student is going to become barrister or solicitor. Future solicitors have to undergo Legal Practice Course (or equivalent) and barristers must receive Bar Professional Training Course (or its analogue).
For passing the practical stage candidates for solicitors need to get Trainig Contract and contenders for barristers are to pass a so-called «apprenticeship», the Pupillage.
What are the Perspectives for Today?
English law in present-day business world is very prominent. Most part of the contracts is concluded in accordance with its rules, making the demand for English lawyer terrifically high.
Due to the crisis, very powerful players completely disappeared from the market, and the number of lawyers gretly dicreased. In today’s world the competition is extremely intense. The experts say that a man, who finds himself in England from other jurisdiction trying to make a career here, may face a diversity of difficulties. Currently, the proposal in the legal field in the labour market significantly exceeds the demand, what means that there are too many applicants who wish to get a vacant position of lawyer.
Myths and Secrets
In spite of common misconception, the LLM Diploma is not a very significant advantage. Though the presence of such certificate is considered in Eastern Europe to have superiority, and many lawyers try to receive it, in England it is not worth the paper on which it is printed. The vast majority of lawyers there have no such diploma.
Experience of work in other jurisdictions is a favourable thing but still not the major. To become a partner of the law firm in the City of London experts recommend you getting the qualification of solicitor. When it comes to hiring a lawyer with experience of work, it has precedence only if he or she already has clients in his or her «portfolio» and this can be a chance to apply for lawyer job in English or American company in London.
If speaking about the opportunities to find lawyer jobs in UK, the overall picture is today not as hopeless as it might seem. Indeed, there is a plenty of vacancies if you probe just a bit. Perhaps if you are planning to apply for some job in legal field, you’ve already discovered the list of companies where you would like to work. Such services as trud.co.uk offer its customers to get acquainted with the latest vacancies in many categories, including the legal one, absolutely free of charge. Personal injury solicitor, paralegal, legal assistant, commercial property legal secretary – all these and many other positions in the top-rate UK juridical companies are for your disposal at our website; try and know by doing!