A solicitor is somebody who gives advice regarding legal situations. They are usually employed by a client when a legal problem arises, and a client can be an individual, group of people or business. If you’d like to help people with their legal issues, then read on to find out how you can become a solicitor:
Your Role As A Solicitor
As a solicitor you’ll be expected to give clients the best legal advice. Depending on your area of study, your work will differ greatly. There are many different kinds of solicitors who specialise in giving different legal advice.
Legal advice can be given in many ways, over the phone, email, in a meeting or representing clients in a court hearing.
Solicitors will research different points of the law and draft up contracts, deals and other legal documents.
As a solicitor you can either be employed by a law firm, or in house at a commercial organisation.
How To Become A Solicitor
During the second year of your uni course, you should use your initiative and apply for a job at commercial law firms. A lot of commercial firms like Sloan Plumb Wood LLP actually employ their trainees two years in advance as they are looking for the brightest and best future solicitors!
The companies that do recruit trainees in advance will usually pay for a successful applicants law school costs and also give payments to help with living expenses as a student.
Places at these firms have lots of competition due to the sponsorship you get if you’re accepted. Smaller firms may recruit trainee solicitors only one year in advance, while a high street solicitors will usually only employ when a place becomes available.
Which Path Do You Want To Take?
Before you do anything you need to decide which type of law firm you’d like to work for. Do some research and work out which firms interest you. In law you need to be able to plan ahead, be organised and have a clear plan to help get you that training contract.
Also consider the reasons you want to become a solicitor – if the answer is money alone then you are in the wrong profession. Money will not satisfy you every day in your career! You need to have a keen interest in the subject you are studying and the area you want to work in to make sure you have total job satisfaction.
If you have a genuine interest in law, and believe you’ll make a good solicitor, then you are doing it for all the right reasons!
If you manage to land a training contract, you’ve completed the final hurdle in becoming a solicitor. It’s likely you won’t receive one until the 1st of September or later as firms are not aloud to offer one any sooner. Future solicitors must maintain the high standards of this profession so there are guidelines on who can be offered a contract, including completing a professional skills course.
