Organisation and environment

Solicitors normally form partnerships with other solicitors and work in offices with support staff. Firms vary in size from one or two partners to large organisations with thousands of employees. Very few solicitors choose to set up as a sole practitioner. The qualification and practice of solicitors are regulated by the Law Society.

The number of solicitors has grown in recent years and there are now about 125,000 solicitors practising in England and Wales. Around 80 per cent of solicitors work in private practice. Other employers include: central and local government, 'in house' legal departments of commercial and industrial organizations, Law Centres, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and the armed forces.

Solicitors normally work in comfortable offices with good computer systems and a legal library. Solicitors are expected to wear formal dress when they meet clients or attend court.

Hours and salary

Most solicitors in private practice work 45 to 50 hours per week. The usual working day is nine to six-thirty, but sometimes it may be necessary to work extra hours in order to complete a contract or prepare for a court case.

Salaries for trainee solicitors vary considerably. A trainee working for a sole practitioner outside London could expect to earn around £15,000 a year while someone starting in a large London firm may earn £30,000.

Qualified solicitors typically earn between £25,000 and £60,000 a year. A partner in a large firm or a head of an in-house legal department may earn more than £150,000 a year.

Training

This career is open to graduates from all disciplines. Those who do not have a first degree in law must complete a one-year full-time conversion course known as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examination (CPE).

All graduates then have to undertake the Legal Practice Course (LPC). This course is usually taken full-time over one year (although part-time options are possible) and it teaches the practical application of law.

Prospective solicitors then compete to obtain a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors or an 'in-house' legal department. Typically, the training contract includes between four and six placements ('seats') in different departments of a firm and a short Professional Skills Course (PSC).

Currently, the Law Society's rules require all solicitors to undertake 16 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30