After studying a law degree or taking the Law Conversion Course, graduates can choose to partake in further study and become a qualified lawyer. A lawyer is a person qualified to give legal advice. There are several types of lawyers but the most common routes that people go down are qualifying as a solicitor or a barrister. The choice is important as the two paths lead to very different working styles and require different steps in order to qualify.
What is a Solicitor?
A solicitor is often the first lawyer a client will interact with. They work closely with clients and typically give non-contentious advice with the occasional role of litigation. Their predominant duties fall in the line of advising private clients, drafting legal documents and sorting out negotiations between parties. A solicitor’s work life is by large at a desk, however, solicitors can receive ‘rights to audience’ that allow them to represent clients in lower courts.
To qualify as a solicitor, the LPC course or SQE must be taken after graduation from the LLB or Conversion Course. The Legal Practice Course (LPC) is a one- or two-year vocational training period that is followed by a two-year training contract. From 2021, graduates will instead take the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) in order to qualify; this route is more flexible in the time it takes to qualify as the exams can be taken at any point during the qualification, however, two years of work experience must be obtained before qualifying.
What is a Barrister?
The type of lawyer that most often comes to mind when thinking of a lawyer is a barrister. Barristers very simply go to court. They will often receive case details from a solicitor and review the evidence in order to prepare the case for court. Although the most notable element of a barrister’s work style is their capacity to represent in court, barristers are often specialists in specific legal areas and depending on their chosen specialism, their time in court can differentiate significantly. An example is that criminal barristers spend most of their time in court, whereas commercial barristers lead a more chamber-centered work style.
A key difference is also that barristers, unlike solicitors, are mostly self-employed. Barristers commonly work in chambers where they pay ‘rent’ for a tenancy to practice amongst other barristers at the chamber. Although self-employed barristers make up around 80% of barristers in the UK, there are also a portion of employed barristers. Employed barristers often come in the form of in-house advisors to law firms, banks, corporations, or government institutions.
To qualify as a barrister, you must undertake the Bar Practice Course (BPC) which is a one-year vocational component that must be followed by pupillage.
How To Decide
What are you good at?
Being a solicitor or a barrister requires different skill strengths. The first point in deciding which to choose should be to reflect on what your strengths are and what you enjoy. If you are a good team player and enjoy collaborating with others, then a solicitor’s role at a law firm may be your calling. If, on the other hand, you enjoy working in a more independent way, the self-employed barrister might be better suited to you. Are you best at performing administrative tasks or do you shine in public speaking?
The subjects that you enjoyed during your law degree can also help in your decision. A solicitor is able to work with more breadth in regard to legal areas as they are not required to specialise in the same way as a barrister; if you enjoyed a multitude of subjects on your LLB then the solicitor’s path may allow you to handle cases in all the areas you enjoyed. If you most enjoyed criminal law, perhaps you want to only deal with criminal cases and specialise in that as a barrister.
Competitions that you have participated in can also be a valuable indicator as to what you best offer as a lawyer. Did you join your university’s mooting society or form part of a debating team? Did you engage in a commercial awareness competition? If you enjoyed an activity where you had to vocalise your opinions or debate your points, you might enjoy the advocacy element of a barrister. If you excelled at a commercial awareness competition centered around corporate legal news, perhaps your interests incline more towards a career as a corporate solicitor.
Salaries
Both solicitors and barristers work undeniably hard and long hours and receive good pay as a professional, however there is a key difference in salaries. Unless employed, barristers don’t receive a salary. If you enjoy stability in terms of a salary, pensions and benefits in a job, being a barrister most likely won’t offer you that. The income you receive is based on how many cases you undertake in a year. Depending also on your area of specialism, barristers can take home anything between £16,000-£200,000 in their second year of qualifying.
Being a solicitor offers you stable income along with benefit perks and pensions that vary from firm-to-firm. Newly qualified solicitors have a large range of expected salaries depending on where they are based. Regional law firms and high street practices can offer between £22,000 and £45,000, whilst larger city firms can offer between £50,000 to £70,000.
What experiences do you have?
Work experience can help considerably in giving you insight into your chosen career path. Mini-pupillages and court visits can put into perspective what a barrister does in their day-to-day life; a mini-pupillage at a particular chamber can allow you better understanding of the duties of a barrister working with the specific specialisms of that chamber. Internships and vacation schemes at law firms can provide crucial awareness of the line of work that that firm participates in; some may even offer training that can lead to a training contract down the line.
Open days
It can also be helpful to attend open days. There are open days available at university providers for the LPC and the BPC that can help you in terms of understanding the relevant process in obtaining your qualification. You can also attend open days at various firms or chambers that offer the event as an opportunity for you to learn more about them. All open days are a very good opportunity for you to gain insight but also for you to ask further questions that you may have about your choices.
By Stephanie Heringa
