1.3 Legal Personnel

Question 1

What are the types of legal personnel?

Answer 1

Barrister
Solicitor
Legal executive

Question 2

What are the 3 stages of training for a barrister?

Answer 2

1. Academic stage
2. Vocational stage
3. Practical stage

Question 3

What is the academic stage?

Answer 3

• Successful completion of qualifying law degree or:
• Degree in another subject plus the Graduate Diploma in Law
• Successful completion of the Bar Course Aptitude test

Question 4

What is the vocational stage?

Answer 4

• Bar Professional Training Course
• Students must undertake core subjects + optional modules (eg: advocacy, litigation)
• Student must join one of the 4 inns of court

Question 5

What happens in the practical stage?

Answer 5

• Apply for pupillage
• 12 months total
• First 6 months is shadowing, during the second 6 months they can undertake their own cases with supervision

Question 6

What are legal executives?

Answer 6

Qualified lawyers who specialise in one area of law

Question 7

What are the governing bodies of each legal personnel?

Answer 7

Barrister - bar council
Solicitor - law society
Legal executives - CILEx

Question 8

What is the role of the Legal Ombudsman?

Answer 8

To resolve disputes between clients and legal service providers

Question 9

Advantages of the judiciary

Answer 9

• not under pressure from government
• judges are impartial
• you can appeal against judge decisions

Question 10

Disadvantages of the judiciary

Answer 10

• problems with gender and ethnic balance
• class and background issues
• inconsistency in sentencing with lower courts