The Work and Training of Barristers and Solicitors

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The Work and Training of Barristers and Solicitors

In the Western world, where the majority of employment occurs in the

service sector, rather than the primary sector as it does in the

developing world, there are certain jobs that carry a very high

status. Careers such as doctor, accountant and lawyer are to name but

a few of these high status jobs and it is lawyers that I am going to

be focussing on in this essay.

In England, since the 15th century lawyers have been split up into two

professions, barristers & solicitors. Solicitors have traditionally

been the people who research cases and barristers have traditionally

had rights of audiences in court.

There are 60,000 solicitors in the U.K. and 6,000 barristers of which

4,000 are currently working in London. Solicitors have traditionally

run the business side of the law profession running offices.

Solicitors duties can include interviewing witnesses and issuing

writs, conveyancing, divorce proceedings, drawing up wills and last

testaments, advocates in magistrates courts, commercial contracts,

tax, immigration and employment issues. Solicitors may handle a

cross-section of work however; there is a trend especially in London,

for solicitors to specialise in one type of work. There has also been

a recent tendency, for solicitors to form large partnerships, with as

much as 100 partners however, they may not form companies. Some

solicitors may also go into public employment, such as local

government or into industry as legal advisors. Solicitors are partly

regulated by both the courts and the Law Society since the Solicitors

Act 1974 came into force. The Law Society is the contro...

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...ple, who may not have

degrees, are bought into help out with the administration and

presentation of cases and eventually through gaining insight and

experience in the legal profession as a whole are given honorary

degrees to practice law after say fifteen years service. However, even

if the, two professions don't merge I still think there has to be

structural changes to even out the legal profession. As it seems

strange that 2500 more people have joined the bar even though

solicitors have basically the capabilities to do the same job as

barristers. I think judges should have to respect solicitors who have

gained rights of audience; I think the tests for solicitors to be

given rights of audience should be made easier and that solicitor's

salary be raised in line with barristers to entice people to become

solicitors.

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