Information on UK solicitors and solicitors
Traditionally, lawyers are trained in all the key areas of the law before choosing to specialize in a particular field, allowing them to become legal experts in that discipline. In Great Britain, the legal profession is made up of many people who can be described by the single name of solicitor, such as paralegals, legal executives, licensed carriers, patent and trademark attorneys, and notaries. The most notable distinction occurs between the two oldest streams of the legal profession, that of lawyers and lawyers.
Lawyers were historically the privileged ones in the inner workings of the courts of justice. They could give expert legal advice on the likely outcome of a trial or provide a defense before a judge that laymen or even UK solicitors could not. The traditional role of the procurator was that of a lawyer, that is, they would deal directly with a lay person to identify the nature of their problem and carry out preparatory work, such as legal research and evidence gathering. They would then refer the case to a lawyer on their client’s behalf if they deemed it necessary. Even today, in most circumstances, it is necessary for a lawyer to be instructed through a solicitor, although this is no longer true of all legal disputes, such as construction disputes.
Lawyers in England and Wales are generally represented by the Law Society of England and Wales (for lawyers) or the Bar Council (for lawyers), although there are other regulatory bodies for other lawyers, such as the Institute of Legal Executives. Education and qualifications are regulated by the Lawyers Regulation Authority and prospective lawyers must first have a qualifying law degree or take a refresher course. Many Bournemouth lawyers I spoke to were graduates of famous universities such as Durham, London and Oxford or Cambridge.
The Legal Complaints Service is an independent body to which anyone who is not satisfied with the way their lawyer has handled their case can make a complaint. The Bar Standards Board is the equivalent of lawyers. Together with the representative bodies, these regulatory bodies form the complete set of professional standards for lawyers. It is the same for all solicitors across the country, including Dorset solicitors.
After the initial euphoria of graduation, prospective lawyers who wish to practice as solicitors must register as student members of the Law Society and complete a year of study called a legal practicum course. This is usually followed by two years of apprenticeship (called contract training) before the lawyer is fully qualified to deal with clients without supervision. It is necessary for all law firms to ensure that their lawyers have successfully completed the academic and vocational stages of legal training.
Recent developments in legal practice in England and Wales (following the example of other jurisdictions) have shown that the strict separation between the duties of barristers and old-time barristers is of much less importance. Lawyers (so-called defense attorneys) appear regularly in lower courts and increasingly in higher courts now that the law governing superior hearing rights has changed. This trend is expected to continue for years to come, with some predicting the end of the Bar.