Being a lawyer and that too in a country like the UK is definitely more than a dream. Students every year seek highest degree courses that make their career reach a top level through which they are able to get high prospects and opportunities. When it comes to studying law in the UK it means England and Wales as they share legal jurisdiction.
In this blog, we will talk about how students can pursue their career in law in the UK and what different opportunities they can get while they study here.
How can I become a lawyer in the UK?
As a lawyer in the UK, you have three choices: barrister (or advocate in Scotland), solicitor, or qualified legal executive. You can also work as a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or the Government Legal Profession (GLP). A solicitor provides advice directly to clients and works outside of the courtroom. In private practice, they either work for firms or as self-employed barristers.
From 2021 onwards the graduates who are in England or Wales need to pass the solicitors qualifying examination (SQE) that analyzes the student’s knowledge of law, skills, and ethics. Students need to complete 2 years of qualifying work experience (QWE) before qualification. Students complete their LLB degree in 6 years if they choose the LLB degree route.
Students who want to qualify as a solicitor:
Three-year undergraduate degree (+ 1-year GDL conversion course if required)
- One-year Legal Practice Course (LPC)
- Two-year Professional Skills Course
- Two-year law training contract in a law firm.
Lawyers often hire barristers to represent their clients in court. There are 3 stages of the typical route to the bar:
- The academic stage involves getting an undergraduate law degree or a one-year postgraduate conversion course, commonly the graduate diploma in law (GDL).
- The vocational stage is known as the Bar course, also known as the Bar professional training course (BPTC).
- The professional stage is undertaking a pupillage with a barristers chambers which is a form of on-the-job training that lasts one year.
According to the Times World University Rankings by subject 2022, the following UK universities top the list for law:
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- University College London (UCL)
- London School of Economics and Political Science
- University of Edinburgh
Different routes to Qualification
If you want to qualify for solicitor without a degree then you have to apply for solicitor apprenticeship opportunities after the UK government’s Trail Blazer Initiative. This allows and offers school leavers a chance to enter the workplace and seek employment without attending university. It gives them the opportunity to qualify as solicitors irrespective of their educational backgrounds.
Anyone who has qualified as a solicitor in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland is eligible to apply for the Intra UK Transfer Test to re-qualify as a solicitor in Scotland. Lawyers from other jurisdictions who wish to practise as barristers in England and Wales are required to submit an application to the Bar Standards Board (BSB). This application provides evidence of their legal qualifications. Foreign lawyers may apply to the BSB for exemption from the Academic, Vocational, and/or Professional Stages of training.
Exemptions are usually granted conditional on passing some or all sections of the Bar Transfer Test.The Bar Standards Board regulates barristers and specialized legal services businesses in England and Wales, in the interest of the public. The Bar Council provides representation, support, and services for barristers in England and Wales. The Law Society represents solicitors in England and Wales. They exist to help, protect and promote solicitors across England and Wales. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates all solicitors in England and Wales, as well as registered European lawyers and registered foreign lawyers.