Barristor and Solicitor
Extracts from this document...
Introduction
Describe the ways in which solicitors and barrister are trained (18 marks) In England, since the 15th century lawyers have been split up into two professions, barristers & solicitors. Solicitors have traditionally been the people who research cases and barristers have traditionally had rights of audiences in court. There are 60,000 solicitors in the U.K. and 6,000 barristers of which 4,000 are currently working in London. There are two ways to become a barrister. One would be taking a law degree and the other would be a non-law degree. If you want to become a barrister it is best to think about it from an earlier stage, especially if that person wants to qualify by doing a law degree. When taking law degrees most law courses last 3 years at university and it is important to ensure that a student is studying for an LL.B. course as for the others, such as BA courses, may not have all the key subjects in the course. ...read more.
Middle
There are four Inn's they can join Gray's Inn, Inner Temple, Lincoln's Inn and Middle Temple. The overall running of the Inns is carried out by Masters of the Bench, who are senior barristers or judges. Only Benchers have the power to call someone to the Bar i.e. pronounces that the person is qualified. Scholarships are available to law students less capable in the financial terms. In the contents of the Bar Vocational Course, students are expected to choose 2 more optional subjects from a selection of several courses. Students are also expected to obtain 12 units. There are a number of ways of doing this e.g. dining where students are expected to attend dinners at their Inn where they will mix with other members of the profession. Each dinner earns students 1 point. Once someone has completed the Bar Vocational Course they are expected to enter pupilage. This is practical training with a pupil master, who must be a barrister for at least 5 years standing. ...read more.
Conclusion
In this some of the compulsory subjects would include litigation, property etc... Students can also take 3 optional subjects which will be on the private client field or in corporate work. Once they have completed the LPC they are expected to carry out a 2 year training contract, including a 20 day professional skills course. They are expected to carry out work in at least 3 area of law during this training. Traditionally, the trainees will be rotated around departments in the firm every 6 months. During the time of training they should be paid a minimum salary set by the Law Society. Students with non law degrees can also become solicitors however it will take a year longer to complete. The student must take a 2 year course rather than a one year course. This would involve studying for the Common Professional Exam or postgraduate Diploma in Law. The idea is to cram 3 years of university learning on the 7 basic law subjects into one year. They then go to take the Legal Practice Course. ...read more.
This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Legal personnel section.
Found what you're looking for?
- Start learning 29% faster today
- 150,000+ documents available
- Just £6.99 a month

Here's what a teacher thought of this essay
An accurate outline of the qualifying routes for solicitors and barristers with some accurate detail included.
Rating ****
Marked by teacher Nick Price 18/03/2012

Here's what a star student thought of this essay
Response to the question
Response to Question : The student has answered the question coherently and completely by giving a short introductory paragraph and then proceeding to explain how one would train to become a barrister or solicitor in chronological order. The introduction is ...
Read full reviewResponse to the question
Response to Question : The student has answered the question coherently and completely by giving a short introductory paragraph and then proceeding to explain how one would train to become a barrister or solicitor in chronological order. The introduction is good as it gives very specific background information that is not always remembered by the average A Level student (e.g ‘There are 60,000 solicitors in the U.K. and 6,000 barristers of which 4,000 are currently working in London.’) This is good as it shows they have prepared thoroughly for the exam. The response then sets out how to train as a barrister and then as a solicitor; this is written in chronological order which makes it easy to follow and understand. To add, rather than simply stating the name of the course one needs to take, the writer explains what the course involves and gives examples (e.g. ‘need to go to Law College and do the course ‘The Legal Practice Course’. In this some of the compulsory subjects would include litigation, property etc… Students can also take 3 optional subjects which will be on the private client field or in corporate work.’). This is good as it shows they have no simply rote-learnt some key terms but have also studied the details of the courses.
Level of analysis
Level of Analysis: This being a ‘describe’ command essay question, there is not a huge amount of analysis necessary. However the student does manage to break what may seem like a rather daunting and confusing path of qualifications into simple and coherent stages.
Quality of writing
Quality of Writing: The writer shows no problems in grammar or punctuation. However there is the odd mistake in spelling, for example they write ‘pupilage’ rather than ‘pupillage’. This may seem picky, but it is important to show that you know the key terms inside-out. Nevertheless, they use many key terms and use the correct names for the necessary courses, (such as ‘Legal Practice Course’ and ‘Bar Vocational Course’) rather than simply describing them. This shows thorough knowledge.
Did you find this review helpful?
Join our team of reviewers and help other students learn
Reviewed by danielle-dansmell 14/03/2012
Read less