This document outlines the qualifications and training required to become a solicitor or barrister in the UK legal system. It discusses the academic and vocational stages of training, including obtaining a law degree, completing the Legal Practice Course for solicitors or Bar Professional Training Course for barristers, and undertaking a training contract or pupillage. The duties of solicitors, who work in private practice, and barristers, who work as advocates in courts, are also summarized. Finally, the document questions whether the legal profession achieves equality, as women and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented.

1. Solicitors & Barristers

2. Lesson Objectives By the end of the lesson you should: -

3. Qualifications & Training Academic Stage The Vocational Stage The Professional Stage

4. Solicitor’s Qualifications Law degree Legal Practice Course (LPC) Training Contract

6. Barrister’s Qualifications Law degree Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) Pupillage

7. To Summarise... Law Degree Legal Practice Course Bar Professional Training Course Training Contract Pupillage Solicitor Junior Barrister

9. Criticisms of training.. Costs Non-law graduates only studying GDL Over supply

10. 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

11. Duties...... Barristers Advocacy – Crown and Higher Courts Counsel’s opinion Drafting legal documents, particularly claims Follow the “Cab Rank” rule

12. 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

13. Equality within the legal profession? Only 23% of women are partners of law firms Men earn £15,000 more than women

14. 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?