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OxfordGuideToCareers2017
OxfordGuideToCareers2017
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LAW<br />
The UK legal sector is undergoing a considerable amount of change, driven<br />
by factors such as the Legal Services Act, the increasingly international<br />
nature of legal work and substantial reviews of legal education and training<br />
following the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR). Combined with<br />
the lasting effects of the recession and waves of government cuts, this means<br />
that today’s lawyers face exciting and challenging opportunities in their work.<br />
As such, whilst many Oxford graduates still follow the traditional routes<br />
<br />
opportunities in the longer term.<br />
136<br />
SOLICITORS<br />
At present, the majority (74%) of the UK’s 118,000<br />
<br />
which are owned and managed by the partners. These<br />
<br />
<br />
of commerce (such as corporate matters and commercial<br />
litigation) and those that deal with clients with personal<br />
legal dilemmas (such as family issues or criminal matters).<br />
The remaining 26% of solicitors work outside private<br />
practice partnerships, and their number is growing. After<br />
<br />
experience, many solicitors move away from private<br />
practice into a variety of governmental, business or not-for-<br />
<br />
UK and internationally.<br />
GETTING IN AND ENTRY POINTS<br />
This is a highly regulated profession, with several steps<br />
<br />
to practise as a solicitor. First there is the academic stage,<br />
<br />
(i.e. the BA in Jurisprudence) or, for non-law students, the<br />
<br />
<br />
through the Legal Practice Course (LPC), which is required<br />
for both law and non-law graduates. Finally, there is the<br />
practical stage, a “period of recognised training” usually<br />
known as the Training Contract.<br />
<br />
discussed, so keep up to date by following<br />
the Solicitors Regulation Authority and legal<br />
news.<br />
There are approximately 5,000 training<br />
contracts available each year, and well over<br />
90% of them lie within the private practice<br />
sector. The remaining positions are to be<br />
found in the Government Legal Service,<br />
local government, legal departments in industry, and,<br />
occasionally, the Crown Prosecution Service. Once this<br />
phase is completed, you are entitled to practise as a<br />
solicitor. Short periods of paid work experience are<br />
<br />
Summer holidays, as well as opportunities to attend ‘Open<br />
<br />
career for you.<br />
BARRISTERS<br />
There are approximately 12,000 barristers at the<br />
independent (or self-employed) Bar, practising in 339 sets<br />
of chambers across England and Wales. A further 3,000<br />
work in an employed capacity for numerous organisations,<br />
including the Government Legal Service and the Crown<br />
Prosecution Service, as well as in commerce and industry.<br />
There is much discussion in the legal press about the future<br />
of the self-employed Bar, stemming from the increasing<br />
pressures on public funding and its allocation, the increase<br />
in solicitors’ rights of audience, and government reforms in<br />
the way that legal services will be provided (including the<br />
Legal Services Act). However, barristers continue to provide<br />
essential and effective services, often attracting headline<br />
cases from both the UK and beyond. Barristers practise in<br />
a wide variety of legal areas – some well known, such as<br />
family, criminal and property, and others less so, such as<br />
intellectual property and international border disputes.<br />
There can be considerable differences in the nature and<br />
lifestyle of a barrister’s work, and some almost never appear<br />
in court. Family or criminal barristers may appear in court<br />
most days, whilst barristers specialising in commercial work<br />
may spend the majority of their time drafting pleadings and<br />
opinions. However, advocacy remains a vital skill for the<br />
barrister, and it is one of the most distinctive elements of<br />
this role.<br />
Pia Dutton<br />
Barrister, 3 Verulam Buildings<br />
“The route to the Bar is hard and<br />
competitive. You must look the prospect<br />
of failure square in the eyes, and be<br />
prepared to stand up again if you<br />
fall. If you are able to do this, you will<br />
eventually succeed.”<br />
GETTING IN AND ENTRY POINTS