1. Becoming a Solicitor in the UK
studyinglaw.co.uk/how-to-become-a-solicitor
Becoming a solicitor in the UK isn't easy. It's a hard, but rewarding career path. You really
need to commit yourself 100% to becoming a solicitor. Not only with the effort you put in
studying the law, but financially too. Let's look at the process to become a solicitor.
You should start early with trying to become a solicitor. As early as you can. After High School
why don't you try and get a week work experience working at a local law firm? This will put
you ahead of 90% of people already and you will learn loads, even if it's just for one week.
This will show employers you have had an interest in law from an early age.
Next comes college and your A levels. Obviously you should choose law as one of your subjects
of study. But also you should choose other subjects which are either close to law, or will give
you good legal skills. The subjects that can give you good relevant skills are Philosophy,
English, history and Politics. Some good subjects for knowledge that could be useful in your
legal career are business Studies, accounting and Economics. You should aim to get good
grades so you can get into a good university and therefore increase your chances of getting a
training contract.
During your time studying law at university you should get involved with law societies and pro
bono activities to further increase your CV. A great thing to have on your CV is mooting, even if
you're not going to be a barrister. So join the mooting club! At the end of your second year,
over the summer, you should aim to get a vacation scheme at a big firm. This will give you a
real taste of being a solicitor. Then you should start to apply for the Legal Practice Course
(LPC) - the last stage of your training.
Hopefully you will have achieved a 2:1 at university. Now you need to learn the practical legal
elements. You should start apply for a training contract, hopefully you will obtain one before
the end of your course and can go straight into a law firm after you have finished your LPC. If
you haven't obtained one then keep applying! It's a numbers game.
Once you have worked for 2 years at a law firm, congratulations! You're now a solicitor. You
can continue to work in your current firm, find work elsewhere, or even start your own firm!