Legal Professionals Flashcards
Which Act is reserved legal work governed by
Legal Services Act 2007
(Reserved legal work can only be carried out by a qualified lawyer and regulated by an approved regulator eg. SRA or supervision of authorised person)
Examples of reserved legal work
- conveyancing
- litigation
- advocacy (speaking on someone’s behalf in court)
- probate
- oaths administration
Contentious v non-contentious
- dispute and intend to start legal proceedings
- no dispute but parties require legal representation to make sure their interests are protected
Solicitors rights of audience
Qualified solicitors have automatic rights to
- tribunals
- mags
- county court
- coroner’s court
Cannot exercise rights of audience in senior courts until complied with additional training and obtained ‘higher rights’
Solicitor qualification routes
SQE examination
- must have a degree in any subject
- pass both stages of SQE
- 2 years qualifying work experience
- pass character and suitability requirements
A law firm may sponsor you and you can get a legal apprenticeship
- paralegal (2 year)
- chartered legal executive (5 year)
- solicitor (6 year)
Paralegal
Umbrella term for person who carries out legal work but not legally qualified
- cannot carry out reserved legal work unless supervised by authorised persons and regulated by SRA etc
Chartered Legal Executive
- completed all qualification at CILEx
- not authorised person so would need authorised person supervision unless they are a practitioner regulated by CILEx regulation
Barristers right of audience
Once qualified they have full rights in all senior courts
Barristers qualification routes
- law degree
- successful vocational training (the bar)
- being called to the Bar by an Inn of Court
- 12 months pupillage (supervised on the job training)
What are barristers
- qualified lawyers and authorised persons (most are specialist advocates)
- regulated by Bar Standards Board
- majority self employed
Why instruct a barrister
- specialist advocacy
- complex litigation documents
- clients no longer have to go through sols to instruct a barrister
Barrister: Cab Rank Rule
Barrister must accept any case referred to by a solicitor provided it is in their area of practice, they are available and a reasonable fee is payable
- designed to ensure all Ds can be represented in court and protects barrister if they represent someone bad
Fusion of Professionals
Bar Council and Law Society argued against it despite it being cheaper and widely done in other countries
Good to keep separate as:
- detachment from clients means an objective approach
- barristers can specialise efficiently as their overheads are lower
- public aren’t aware of service barristers provide so need solicitor’s guidance
- public interest lies in access to justice
Judicial Assistants
Appear in:
- High Court
- CoA
- Supreme Court
- assists judges
- aimed at qualified barristers/sols early in their career
Court Ushers
- make sure everyone in a case knows their responsibilities
- make sure everyone attends
- liaises between parties and the judge
Qualified legal advisors
In Mags to support magistrates
Court Clerks
Assist judges with procedures and admin
- also appear in senior courts
How are judges appointed
General:
- after application, online testing, interviews, selection days
- judges appointed by Judicial Appointments Commission
- 5/7 years post qualification experience
CILEx fellow can apply for judicial posts up to District judge in county or mags court
- non qualified specialists can be lay tribunal members