The legal profession offers a variety of roles which can provide a prosperous career, but it may surprise you that not every solicitor has completed a degree in law with nearly 19% of a poll saying they had done their degree in another area with a further 23% moving from different careers. Despite the recession he legal industry continues to thrive and look for skills offered from a range of different backgrounds and skill sets.
If you do not have a degree you can qualify by completing a Graduate Diploma in Law also known as the Common Professional Exam or a Law Conversion course which enables graduates with a non-law degree to ‘convert’ their existing education with a one year course.
Even if you have completed a law degree or qualification you will still be required to complete a ‘Legal Practice Course’. The LPC is the last compulsory academic qualification before becoming a solicitor. The qualification ensures trainee solicitors have the knowledge and skills they need. This course can be taken all over the UK and takes one year full time. Before becoming a fully qualified solicitor you need to under take a two year ‘Training Contract’ which is usually a paid position and involves practice based learning.
If you are a qualified solicitor within the EU then there is a range of rules you must follow if you wish to practice law within the UK. Otherwise EU member states are free to do business and offer legal services amongst themselves.
If you are from outside the EU and wish to practice Law in the UK you must obtain a ‘Certificate of Eligibility’ from the Law Society of England and Wales in order to sit the ‘Qualified Solicitors Test’. The QLT is a conversion test which enables foreign solicitors to practice in the UK. In order to qualify for the QLT you must have more than 2 years legal practice experience of which at least one year must have been gained by practising the law of England and Wales, supervised by a solicitor who has been admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales.
These tips are brought to you by Macclesfield solicitors Hague Lambert, who specialise in wills and conveyancing
