© by Joanna Drabble

Solicitors & Barristers

© by Joanna Drabble

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson you should: -

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Qualifications & Training

• Academic Stage

• The Vocational Stage

• The Professional Stage

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Solicitor’s Qualifications

• Law degree

• Legal Practice Course (LPC)

• Training Contract

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© by Joanna Drabble

Barrister’s Qualifications

• Law degree

• Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)

• Pupillage

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To Summarise...

Law Degree

Legal Practice Course

Bar Professional Training Course

Training Contract Pupillage

Solicitor Junior Barrister

© by Joanna Drabble

© by Joanna Drabble

Criticisms of training..

• Costs

• Non-law graduates only studying GDL

• Over supply

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Duties......Solicitors

• Work in private practice

• Advocates in lower courts but can appear in Higher Courts with Certificate of Advocacy

• Work commonly includes conveyancing, wills and probate, matrimonial

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Duties......Barristers

• Advocacy – Crown and Higher Courts

• Counsel’s opinion

• Drafting legal documents, particularly claims

• Follow the “Cab Rank” rule

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To Summarise...• Solicitors work in private practice, barristers in

chambers

• Solicitors represent cases in lower courts and barristers represent cases in higher courts however so can solicitors with a Certificate of Advocacy

• Solicitors cover various areas of law, barristers specialise

• Both can be sued for negligence

• Both can become Q.C.’s

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Equality within the legal profession?

• Only 23% of women are partners of law firms

• Men earn £15,000 more than women

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10% of solicitors and barristers are from ethnic minorities

However, over 15% of ethnic minorities work at the CPS

So, is the legal profession representative of society?