The work of a lawyer is interesting, challenging and rewarding. Lawyers give legal advice on a wide variety of issues and a career in the legal profession offers tremendous scope and prospects for young people.

Overview of the profession

The work of a solicitor
Solicitors give advice and assistance on matters of law. Specifically, they are the first point of contact for people and bodies (members of the public, companies and charities) seeking skilled legal advice and representation. Most solicitors work together in private practice, while others work in central and local government, or in-house in a commercial or industrial organisation.

For further information on the work of solicitor's and the different areas of law in which they practise, see our "Solicitors" section.

The work of a barrister
Barristers offer advice on legal issues and are on the front line, representing clients in court. They receive their information and instructions through a client's solicitor. When not appearing in court, they work in chambers where they prepare their court cases and arguments.

For further information on the work of barrister's and the different areas of law in which they practise, see our "Barristers" section.

Necessary skills
If you're looking for a career that gives you variety in terms of work, allows you to be self-employed and puts your advocacy skills to good use, a career at the Bar could be for you.

Broadly speaking, those working as solicitors will enjoy working as part of a team (ie, working together in the same firm), and are happy with plenty of client contact and paperwork (although the amount varies depending on the type of law practised).

Regardless of which branch of the profession you choose, academic ability is a high priority. Most employers expect a 2.1 degree or above, as well as commercial awareness and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. For more on this, see our feature, "What firms are looking for".

Firm types
Although barristers share chambers with each other, they are all self-employed and independent. In contrast, solicitors tend to form partnerships and practise together under the firm's name (although not all solicitors who work for a firm will be partners). Generally, law firms can be categorised as follows:

• General practice involves working in a small or medium-sized firm and offering legal advice to the local community. Among other things, lawyers in general practice work on drafting wills, investigating compensation claims for injury victims, helping clients to buy and sell property, representing workers at employment tribunals and representing individuals in family law matters.
• Commercial firms, particularly those in London, specialise in advising large corporate clients on multimillion-pound transactions. Such firms often have other offices in major financial and commercial centres throughout the country and abroad. Because of their size, breadth of experience and highly qualified staff, they offer advice in numerous areas of law, such as company/commercial, corporate finance, media and entertainment, and shipping.
• Niche practices specialise in a particular area of law, such as sports law, where they could find themselves representing a famous footballing client in contractual and sponsorship negotiations.
• Legal aid firms specialise in cases brought by clients who cannot otherwise afford solicitors' fees. Legal aid solicitors concentrate on advising on issues such as divorce law, personal injury claims, and landlord and tenant issues. Criminal law legal aid solicitors attend police stations and help members of the public who have been arrested on suspicion of having committed a crime.

Qualifying as a lawyer

Top grades are required throughout your academic studies to become a solicitor or barrister. The quickest route into the profession is to get top marks in GCSEs and A-levels, at least a 2.1 qualifying university law degree (for a list of institutions offering qualifying degrees, click here), and then further training and qualifications.

The further training depends on whether you wish to become a barrister or solicitor. For barristers, the one-year Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) followed by at least a 12-month pupillage in chambers is necessary. Pupillages are divided into two six-month periods, commonly referred to as 'sixes'. Solicitors take the one-year Legal Practice Course (LPC) followed by a two-year training contract, usually with a firm of solicitors, or the legal section of a commercial firm or government department.

For further information see our "Training contract" and "Pupillage" sections.

The LPC and BPTC are offered by colleges and universities throughout the country, and ensure that students have the necessary skills to work in a solicitors' office or barristers' chambers.

For solicitors, there are alternative routes into the profession - for example, qualifying as a legal executive through the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) and undertaking training while working. The minimum qualifications to study for ILEX qualifications are passes in four GCSE subjects at minimum grade C, including English. Further details of the qualifying route can be found on the ILEX website and in our "ILEX" section.

Graduates in a non-law degree subject can still qualify as a solicitor or barrister by taking the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before embarking on the LPC/BPTC although this entails an extra year's study and more expense. The GDL prepares non-law graduates for a legal career as it covers the foundations of law, namely contract, tort, criminal law, equity and trusts, EU law, property law and public law.

Timetable

It pays to be organised: the law is a profession that recruits years in advance (many employers recruit during the penultimate year of the law degree), which means it's never too soon for students to plot their path from school to university to a firm or chambers.

At school and college
Aspiring lawyers should get ahead of the pack by focusing on getting top grades; most university law courses require GCSEs at A and B grades and a minimum of three good A-levels (note that some firms and chambers won't accept an A-level in general studies).

In addition, they should seek out informal work experience opportunities, firstly through their sixth form or college. If school/college doesn't offer placements, it's time to network - that is, use existing contacts such as family or friends to find employers in the profession who are willing to offer a week or two's work experience.

At university
Students set on a career in law need to continue getting good grades throughout university and not make the mistake of thinking that it’s only the end-of-third-year exam performance that counts. First and second-year exam results are taken into account by firms and chambers when considering candidates for work experience, as well as training contracts/pupillages. Most will want to see a steady stream of 2.1s and firsts.

At university level, many firms have formalised spring, summer and winter work vacation placement schemes, and welcome applications from law and non-law students alike. At the same time, barristers' chambers offer paid work experience, known as mini-pupillages.

Applications for training contracts and pupillages should be made from the second year onwards.

FAQs

How do I choose a university/postgraduate provider?
Identify factors that are important to you – these might include location, entry requirements, the courses on offer and the standing of the institution within the profession. Take advantage of open days, check websites and ask those already in the profession for their opinions. Check www.ucas.com for universities, www.qaa.ac.uk for law department ratings and our "Courses" section.

If I do a law degree do I have to become a lawyer?
Not at all! Law graduates are in demand for having a high-status degree and a variety of options are available to them. See our "Alternative careers" section for further details.

What about the cost of all the training?
Law student debt is a serious issue and means that the decision to train as a lawyer shouldn't be taken lightly. Rewards after qualification and especially at partnership level are high, but there's lots of scrimping and saving to be done before then. Estimates from the Junior Lawyers Division show that students must finance the increasing cost of university life while paying tuition fees, as footing the bill for completion of their vocational qualifications. Often, this can mean debt figures of up to £40,000 upon commencement of the training contract/pupillage.

How competitive is the profession?
In a word, very: law is an extremely sought-after degree in British universities, with over 20,000 students applying to study it annually. In addition, pretty much anyone with a good degree can take a conversion course and go on to become a lawyer, which equals a lot of competition. Hence the need for hard work, top grades and work experience to show interest in the profession early on.