Legal Personnel Flashcards
1
Q
What are the three types of legal personnel?
A
- Solicitors
- Barristers
- Legal Executives
2
Q
What is the first route for a solicitor?
A
- Trainee must obtain an undergraduate degree in Law
- Legal Practice Course (LPC) = One-year course to learn solicitor skills: negotiation, client interviews, advocacy, legal research, drafting documents, and business skills
- Training Contract = Obtain a paid, two-year training contract with a legal firm, Crown Prosecution Service, or local authority.
- The trainee is admitted by the Law Society as a solicitor. The solicitor’s license must be renewed annually.
3
Q
What is the second route of a solicitor?
A
- The second route is identical to the first route other than the first stage receiving an undergraduate in another subject.
- They are able to compete a conversion course which is a Graduate Diploma in law which condenses the topics into a year
4
Q
What is the third route for solicitors?
A
- The third role is through the legal executive which is a non-graduate role
- The trainee would complete work based qualifications without a degree
- They must first become a legal executive which is a legal professional with limited authority
- They must complete the CILEX exam
- They can they take the legal practice course
5
Q
What is the role of a solicitor?
A
- Legal Advisers = Providing legal advice to clients
- Representation = They represent their clients in legal proceedings
- Drafting legal documents = Solicitors draft legal documents such as wills
6
Q
What is the regulation of solicitors?
A
- The Law society which is a governing body to support and promote solicitors
- Solicitors Regulatory Authority
7
Q
What is the role of a barrister?
A
- Advocacy = They represent and advocate for their clients in court
- Legal advice = Barristers provide legal advice particularly in specialised areas of law
- Legal Research = They research relevant laws and precedents to build their case
- They have rights of audience
8
Q
What are the three stages of barrister training?
A
- Academic Stage: Trainees must earn a law degree or, if their degree is in a different subject, complete the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examinations (CPE).
- Vocational Stage: Trainees take the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), where they learn practical skills like advocacy, legal research, and case preparation.
- Pupillage Stage: Trainees complete a one-year work placement, split into two six-month periods. In the first six months, they observe and assist barristers, while in the second six, they can represent clients in court under supervision. This stage is paid, but typically at half the salary of a trainee solicitor.
9
Q
What is the Barristers Governing Body?
A
- General Council Bar
10
Q
What is the Barrister Regulatory Board?
A
- Bar Standards Board = Regulates the profession and sets training
11
Q
Who are legal executives?
A
- They work in solicitors firms as assistants
- They pass the Insititute of Legal Executives Professional Qualification
- Specialise in a particular area of law
12
Q
What is the training for legal executives?
A
- Must pass the professional diploma in Law
- Worked in a solicitors firm for 5 years
- They can then become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute
- They would have to pass the SQE to become a solicitor
13
Q
What is the role of legal executives?
A
- Similiar to a solicitor but deals with straightforward matters
- This can be advising matters or cleints and can do a course on advocacy and rights of an audience
14
Q
What is the regulation of legal executives?
A
- Chartered Institutes of Legal Executives
- CILEx Regulation Board who investigate complaints
15
Q
What is the Legal Ombudsman?
A
- Deals with complaints against the legal profession and how they are handled
- It can order an apology, correct mistakes, refund fees and pay compensation
16
Q
What are rights of audience?
A
- A right of a lawyer to appear and conduct proceedings in court on behalf of their client.
