How You Could Work In The Legal System
There are three different legal systems in the UK, with Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England and Wales each having their own set of legal principles. There is a wide range of jobs available, with solicitors making up the largest occupational group. Some legal jobs are concerned mainly with court work. Others involve advising clients, transferring property, investigating deaths, securing patents or supporting other legal professionals.
Many people in the legal sector work daytime hours, Monday to Friday, but evening or weekend work can be necessary. Much of the work is office based, while some people spend time in courts. A number of jobs involve travelling to see clients, the police and other organisations.
A number of people in legal services are self-employed, including many barristers (advocates in Scotland) and solicitors. Major employers include private firms, Her Majesty’s Courts Service and the Crown Prosecution Service (England and Wales), the Scottish Court Service, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Scotland), and the Northern Ireland Court Service and the Public Prosecution Service (Northern Ireland). Political researchers and political/constituency agents are employed by political parties.
There are over 120,000 practising solicitors in the UK, more than 15,000 barristers and advocates, and many others employed in the legal sector. A few thousand people are employed in politics.
People working in legal services should have excellent communication skills, both in speech and writing. They must also be discreet and respect confidentiality.
Many legal jobs require degrees or specialist professional qualifications. However, many other posts are filled by experienced clerical and administrative staff with qualifications such as GCSEs/S grades or NVQs/SVQs. A few jobs are open only to qualified barristers or solicitors. There are no set entry requirements to enter political work, but entrants generally bring experience and qualifications from other occupational sectors.
Some jobs involve a combination of on-the-job training and in-house courses. For others, full-time or part-time attendance at university or college is required in order to take up the position. All jobs in this sector have the possibility of promotion to a higher level. In some cases this may mean seeking a partnership in a private practice.
|
