Becoming a solicitor
According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) summer survey published on the 8th July 2008 trainee solicitors are now the highest paid graduates in the UK, putting law ahead of investment banking for the first time. An average starting salary is reportedly £36,500. Salaries offered by leading firms can be seen on The Lawyer's website.
Below is a general overview of the solicitor's profession in England and Wales and introduces you to some key aspects of their work.
What do solicitors do?
Solicitors provide a range of legal services to companies, organisations and individuals on a broad selection of legal issues, in diverse areas of practice.
Three key factors shape a solicitor's day-to-day work:
- types of firm
- areas of practice
- types of clients
Types of firm
The majority of solicitors work in private practice in:
- high street firms;
- medium sized firms;
- large commercial firms; or
- niche firms specialising in a particular area of practice e.g. art litigation
The type of firm you join has a huge impact on your training contract and your future career as a lawyer. For example, it is likely to determine the amount of client contact you have, the departments you will be able to sit in and opportunities for travel. However, be wary of generalising and applying to too many different types of firm. Research each firm you apply to carefully and, where possible, play to your strengths by only applying to those firms in which you are genuinely interested. Your interest may have arisen through previous work experience, from your degree subject which has led you to believe you would enjoy the type of work, or because you feel your personality is suited to the kind of working environment a particular type of firm would offer. Find out by looking at biographies of lawyers on the firms' websites to see what sort of experiences working at that particular firm affords.
Many students overlook opportunities to undertake a training contract in industry, with charities such as Liberty or in the public sector (e.g. the Government Legal Service). Check with the Careers Service for opportunities arising during the year. Alternatively, working in these sectors is proving an interesting and popular option for solicitors post-qualification. If this is your goal, find out what sort of firms their solicitors came from.
Areas of practice
The work of all solicitors may be characterised in terms of problem solving. Solicitors help find solutions to their clients' problems within the framework of case law, statute and regulations. This skill is key to the practice of each and every solicitor. However, the context of such work varies greatly across the vast array of practice areas within the profession. In large City firms for example, there will be a distinction between the finance and litigation/dispute resolution departments. Solicitors in the former will give advice on structuring deals and may go on to guide a transaction through to completion. Litigation lawyers' work, on the other hand, may involve overseeing a client's internal investigation or representing a client in court or at a public inquiry. Other departments normally found in large commercial firms are tax, employment, competition, pensions and environment.
Medium-sized and smaller firms may offer specialist advice on a niche area e.g. publishing, entertainment or conveyancing but others will offer a huge spectrum of services. Some firms will assist with almost anything that comes up when a client walks through the door and you might find yourself dealing with all sorts of subject areas such as housing, employment tribunals, human rights, probate (wills) and small claims cases.
A solicitor's practice therefore does not necessarily become more varied within larger firms. Usually, in fact, the opposite is true with newly-qualified solicitors expected to specialise within one department from the outset. This means you should carefully consider how you want your expertise to develop during your training contract and post-qualification. Do you enjoy working in an unpredictable environment or would you prefer knowing everything there is to know about a particular narrow specialisation within law?
Read the papers and the legal press to find out what practice areas genuinely interest you. Research training opportunities and lawyer profiles at various firms and identify those that best suit your ambitions.
Types of clients
This is another factor that shapes a solicitor's practice and will have a huge impact on your experience as a trainee.
For example, two solicitors might both practice litigation. If Solicitor One works predominantly for international banking clients, he or she may very rarely go to trial. Disputes may reach a private, negotiated settlement or end up in arbitration and there may be interim applications made for which it is likely that a barrister may be instructed. Solicitor One may have one large matter taking up most of their time for a year.
Solicitor Two may have a criminal litigation practice and be in court every week doing bail applications and pleas in mitigation. He or she may be dealing with a large number of clients at any given time.
Who do you imagine your future clients will be? Do you want to work for private clients, the homeless, charities, start-up internet companies or global businesses whose problems may even make headlines in the FT? Identifying the type of clients for whom you would like to work will help you target specific law firms and you will appear more motivated and focused in applications and interviews.
Finally, whatever area holds the greatest appeal for you, our invaluable vacation placement scheme or informal work experience opportunities will enable you to find out far more about the organisations involved and offer great insight into the roles of many different solicitors.
What qualities do firms look for?
Each of the organisations mentioned above may be looking for different qualities in their trainees. For instance, the brochures of large commercial firms might state that they want team players who are deal-driven and business-oriented. A high street firm may be looking for someone who is a self-starter with a proven interest in a particular area of law e.g. crime. However, all organisations will be looking for applicants who are highly motivated with well-thought through reasons for pursuing a career in the relevant area of law.
If you want to become a trainee solicitor, you will need to demonstrate to your future employer that you possess common sense. You will be expected to possess a good academic track record and relevant work experience. In addition, successful candidates will have reflected on what type of solicitor they want to be, their reasons for this and be able to demonstrate that they have researched the subject carefully.
International lawyers
If you are a qualified lawyer in a country outside England and Wales you may be able to convert your qualification to English and Welsh law and practise as a solicitor in England and Wales. To find out more please visit BPP Professional Development - Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT).
Barrister to solicitor?
If you are a qualified barrister in England or Wales and you would like to practise as a solicitor you can convert your qualification. To find out more please visit BPP Professional Development - Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT).