Becoming a Lawyer: The Road Taken

For many of us at the University of Manchester, whether studying law or not, becoming a solicitor or a barrister is the dream. While getting a MULS membership is, of course, the first step, the next steps include understanding what your route will look like and the kind of opportunities available to you at each stage.

Step one for both careers is virtually the same.

1.         Your degree – 3 to 4 years

For law students, this step means working hard to get a 2:1 or higher so that you’ll be a competitive candidate later on.

For non-law students, becoming a lawyer typically requires you to get your Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), which is 1 year long, to apprise you of the foundational legal knowledge you need.

Remember to try to apply for internships, work experiences, extracurriculars, and conduct volunteer work during your undergrad; these will help strengthen your candidacy when the time comes. And yes, non-law students can apply for legal internships at law firms.

For aspiring solicitors:

2.         SQE 1 & 2 – typically 1 year

Your next step will be passing the Solicitors Qualifying Exams. There are two objectively hard exams, but courses are available to you for self-study, or you can enrol in programmes offered at the University of Law or BPP, where you can turn studying for this exam into a post-graduate degree.

3.         Qualifying work Experience – 2 years

To get qualified, you need qualifying work experience. This is essentially any legal work experience, like a paralegal, for example. However, if you’re lucky enough to pass the competitive process, you’ll obtain a training contract.

Law students typically start applying for training contracts in their second year, but you can apply for one anytime thereafter. If you get a TC with a law firm, they’ll provide you with all the legal experience you need as well as (in most circumstances) the funds for an SQE programme (where you’ll get your post-grad)— it’s a good deal, which is why it's competitive. The TC consists of 4-6 seats in different practices and, in some cases, one international seat for a well-rounded experience.

4.         Character and Suitability Assessment

As you’d probably expect, upon application to the roll of solicitors of England and Wales, the SRA run a check on you to assess things like criminal convictions or bankruptcy. Once your application is approved…

You’re qualified!

For aspiring barristers:

2.         Join an Inn of Court

There are four Inns: Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple. With respect to your preferences, after you graduate from your law degree or your law conversion course, you’ll join an Inn to receive the call to the Bar when the time comes. The Inn will provide networking, scholarships, and qualifying sessions.

3.         The vocational component – typically 1 year

Next, you’ll start studying on the bar training course as required by the BSB. Through a collection of assessments, you’ll focus on developing skills such as advocacy, drafting, legal research, criminal and civil litigation skills, and more.

4.         Qualifying Sessions

You're then required to complete a series of 10 qualifying sessions. These consist of dinners, advocacy, networking sessions, and more. However, this phase does not hinder your timeline, as these sessions can be completed alongside your vocational component.

5.         Call to the Bar

Your Inn then ‘calls you to the Bar’, and you’ll be a barrister by name but cannot represent clients in court just yet.

6.         Pupillage – 1 year

In this stage, you spend the first six months as a non-practising pupil, and the following six months practising under supervision.  Remember, you should apply for a pupillage during your Bar training course, because, as you’d expect, this is a highly competitive paid position.

7.         Apply to BSB for a practising certificate

You’re qualified!

Both professions are uniquely competitive, empowering, and life-changing. Whichever route you choose, be proud of any successes or failures that may come your way; you are exactly where you need to be.