The legal profession

In any country a legal profession plays an important role. It is different in different countries.

The legal profession in England and Wales is divided into two branches: barristers (advocates in Scotland) and solicitors. Barristers and solicitors perform distinct duties, though they overlap in some aspects.

If a person has a legal problem, he will go and see a solicitor. There are over 50000 solicitors in Britain. Solicitors deal with many problems. They give general advice to their clients. They prepare cases and evidence. They deal with petty crimes and some matrimonial matters in Magistrates’ courts. In civil actions solicitors can speak in the County courts. They also deal with matters outside court. If a person wants to make a will, the best man to advise him is a solicitor.

To qualify as a solicitor, you join a solicitor as a «clerk» and work for him studying part time for the Law Society exams. The Law Society is the professional organization of solicitors.

Barristers are different from solicitors. They give legal opinions to solicitors and clients. They are experts in the interpretation of the law. Barristers conduct cases in higher courts. With minor exceptions, a barrister can act only on the instructions of a solicitor, to whom a lay client must go in the first instance. In all but the lowest civil and criminal courts barristers have an exclusive right of audience. They draft pleadings and other documents needed to support a case; and in particular, they should be experts on advocacy – under England legal procedure witnesses’ oral evidence and the oral presentation of legal arguments play a larger part in trials than they do in most countries.

Unlike solicitors, barristers do not have public offices. They work in what are known as chambers, often in London. They all belong to institutions called Inns of Court, which are ancient organizations rather like exclusive clubs. They are four altogether: Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn.

About one in ten practising barristers is a «Queen’s Counsel». This title is granted to certain senior barristers by Queen on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. A Queen’s Counsel is known as «silk» because he is entitled to a silk gown instead of a woolen one.

To qualify as a barrister, you have to take the examinations of the Bar Council consisting of the most distinguished members of the Inns of Court. After passing the examinations a barrister becomes a member of some Inn of Court. There are over 5000 barristers in Britain.

American legal system does not follow the English practice in the organization of legal profession. There is no formal division of the profession. Though there is some specialization in the actual activities of American lawyers, any American lawyer is free to engage in any sort of legal activity.

The job of a lawyer requires a lot of necessary professional skills. A good memory, self-possession, intelligence, honesty and the ability to work hard are some of the essential traits one needs to be a good lawyer. As for me, …

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14