The legal sector offers a diverse range of career opportunities, from family, criminal and commercial law, to specialisms such as media, sport, IT and the environment. It’s a competitive industry, particularly for barristers, but one that offers many rewards.

Solicitor or barrister?

We all know the law is made up of barristers and solicitors, but how do you decide between the two?

Solicitors

• Undertake a one-year Legal Practice Course, followed by a paid two-year training contract in a solicitor’s firm.
• Enjoy working, normally in teams, on complex legal deals and problems.
• Instruct barristers to take on cases and liaise between them and the client during trials.
• Often work late at nights and at weekends when a deal is near completion.
• Play more of a behind-the-scenes role than barristers.
• Are employed by a firm and, therefore, receive regular pay packets and benefits.

Find our more about becoming a solicitor.

Barristers

• Undertake a one-year Bar Vocational Course, followed by a one-year pupillage (often on minimum wage) at one or more sets or chambers.
• Rely on quick thinking and effective public speaking to argue their case in court.
• Tend to work on their own rather than as part of a team.
• Need to assimilate information quickly, often receiving details of their next court case the night before it happens!
• Normally specialise in one out of three different areas: civil, commercial or criminal.
• Are self-employed and pay their own tax, pension, etc.

Find out more about becoming a barrister.

Other graduate careers in law

A law background opens up a wider range of career choices than just solicitor or barrister. Find out more about alternative legal careers.

Employers of solicitors and barristers

Law is not just confined to London; corporate solicitors have a presence in all the major cities in England and Wales. Many firms also have bases in Europe and worldwide. Branches of well-established medium-size solicitors firms are found in most large towns and every high street boasts one or more small law practices.

The majority of self-employed barristers work in the capital, but there are many sets of chambers across the country, focused in areas around the Crown Court circuits. Further possibilities for both solicitors and barristers include in-house legal posts, jobs in local-government law departments or roles in the Crown Prosecution Service and the Government Legal Service.

Skills, training and work experience

Graduates without a law degree will need to take the one-year Common Professional Examination / Graduate Diploma in Law (part-time and distance-learning options are available at some colleges). After this or a relevant law degree, further training is needed.

The Legal Practice Course (LPC) is for intending solicitors, the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) for prospective barristers. To qualify, solicitors need to complete a two-year training contract and barristers a one-year pupillage.

Candidates must remember though that competition is fierce. Those chasing training contracts and pupillages should be aware that many recruiters may prefer applicants with a 2.1 or a first-class degree and might also specify A-level grades. The largest solicitors’ firms require applications two years in advance.

For BVC graduates, only a limited number of pupillages are on offer and an even smaller number of tenancies in chambers.

The features in this section provide details of the specific skills required for different jobs. These will have been honed through your degree course and extracurricular activities. The final prerequisite for working in law is a good knowledge and understanding of the profession.

For this reason, work experience is vitally important before you start applying for professional training. Those aiming for a career as a solicitor can arrange placements on a local basis or through formal vacation schemes with larger firms, for which early application is essential. Those considering the Bar should organise at least one mini-pupillage themselves.