Solicitors advise clients about the law, and act on behalf of their clients in legal matters. Their clients can be individual people, businesses of all sizes, or other organisations like government departments or charities.

They can work in:

• private practice – providing a range of legal services such as conveyancing (dealing with property sales), probate (wills and estates), civil law, family law, litigation, personal injury and criminal law
• commercial practice – advising and acting for business clients in contract law, tax, employment law, patents, competition law, and company sales and mergers
• in-house legal advice for companies or central or local government
• Crown Prosecution Service (England and Wales) or Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Scotland) – examining police evidence to decide whether to bring cases to court.

Solicitors can carry out a wide range of duties depending on their employer and the type of law they practice, but their work generally involves:

• advising clients about legal matters
• representing clients in court, or instructing barristers or advocates to act for their clients in court
• dealing with paperwork, drafting letters, contracts and documents, and keeping financial records
• researching similar cases to guide their current work
• attending meetings and negotiations
• preparing papers for court.

Many solicitors choose to specialise in a particular area of law.

Hours and Environment

As a solicitor you are normally contracted to work 37 hours a week, but longer hours are common. In some jobs you may be on call at weekends and bank holidays, or need to attend police stations at any time of the day or night.

You will be mainly office-based but may occasionally travel to visit clients or attend meetings. If you specialise in criminal law you may spend a lot of your time in court.

Skills and Interests

To be a solicitor you should be:

• confident, with strong communication skills
• able to take in and analyse large amounts of information
• accurate and pay attention to detail
• able to explain legal matters clearly, both in speech and writing
• able to argue a case successfully
• capable of working under pressure
• tactful and sympathetic
• discreet when dealing with confidential information
• good with figures, if dealing with property and financial work.

Entry

England and Wales
To become a solicitor, you must complete two stages of training – academic and vocational.

You can complete the academic stage in one of three ways:

• by gaining an approved law degree
• by gaining a degree in any other subject, followed by either the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PgDL); or
• by qualifying as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) – see the Legal Executive profile for more information on this route.

Entry requirements for law degrees can vary, so you should check with course providers. Some universities ask you to pass the National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) before accepting you for a law degree - see the LNAT website for information (details in the Further Information section below).

See the Law Society’s website (in Further Information) for more information, including lists of approved law degrees, CPE and PgDL courses.

Scotland
To become a solicitor in Scotland, you must complete two stages of training – academic and vocational.

You can complete the academic stage either:

• by gaining an LLB degree in Scots law, or
• by taking a three-year pre-diploma training contract with a Scottish solicitor, and then passing examinations from the Law Society of Scotland.

See the Law Society of Scotland’s website for more information (details in Further Information).

Northern Ireland
You must complete two stages of training – academic and professional.

You can complete the academic stage either:

• by gaining an approved law degree (or having a degree in another subject and proving that you have a satisfactory level of legal knowledge)
• by having several years of relevant legal work experience.

Contact the Law Society of Northern Ireland to find out more (details in Further Information).

See the Training section below for details about the vocational stage of training in each country.

Training

England and Wales
After passing the academic stage, you must complete the vocational stage of training to qualify as a solicitor. This involves:

• the Legal Practice Course (LPC), which takes one year full-time or two years part-time
• a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors
• the Professional Skills Course (PSC), which you must pass during your training contract.

See the Law Careers Advice Network website for advice about finding a training contract.

(If you are a qualified legal executive you do not usually need to complete a training contract, but you must still pass the Professional Skills Course).

Scotland
After passing the academic stage, you must complete the vocational stage, which involves:

• the 26-week Diploma in Legal Practice (DLP)
• a two-year post-diploma training contract with a practising solicitor
• the Professional Competence Course, which you must pass during your training contract.

Northern Ireland
After passing the academic stage, you must complete a two- to four-year apprenticeship with a solicitor, including a year’s study at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies in Belfast.

See each relevant Law Society website for more information about the vocational stage in each country.

After qualifying
You must take a set amount of further training and development each year throughout your career. The Law Societies each run a compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) scheme for its members – see the relevant websites for more information.

Opportunities

Around three quarters of solicitors work in private practice, for firms ranging from high street solicitors with one or two partners to large international law firms. Other employers include:

• central and local government
• commercial companies
• charities and voluntary organisations
• Her Majesty's Courts Service (England and Wales)
• the Crown Prosecution Service (England and Wales) or Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Scotland).

Vacancies are advertised in national newspapers, The Lawyer, The Law Society Gazette, The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland, and on law websites.

In private practice, with experience you could become a partner in a firm of solicitors. As an experienced commercial solicitor you could progress to leading an in-house legal department, or into senior management. Alternatively, you could choose to take further training to become a barrister or advocate.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only. Pay for solicitors can vary a lot, depending on their employer and the type of law they practice.

Trainee solicitors can earn around £15,000 to £20,000 a year.
Qualified solicitors usually earn £25,000 to £50,000 a year.
A partner in a large firm, or head of an in-house legal department, can earn £100,000 a year or more.

Further information

26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh
EH3 7YR
Tel: 0131 226 7411 Law Society House
98 Victoria Street
Belfast
BT1 3JZ
Tel: 028 9023 1614 Ipsley Court
Berrington Close
Redditch
Worcestershire
B98 OTD
Tel: 01527 504433