Solicitors advise clients about different aspects of the law.
What does a solicitor do?
Solicitors advise clients about different aspects of the law. You may be dealing with property purchases, wills, divorces, or civil or criminal proceedings. You could work as a solicitor in a range of places:
- private practice – providing legal services such as conveyancing, probate, civil and family law, litigation, personal injury and criminal law
- commercial practice – advising and acting for businesses in areas including contract law, tax, employment law and company sales and mergers
- in-house legal advice - for companies, the government or local authorities
- Crown Prosecution Service – examining evidence to decide whether to bring cases to court
Wherever you work, you’re likely to be dealing with a range of clients so good people skills are essential. You’ll also need to be able to explain complex areas of law in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.
What do I need to do to become a solicitor?
- complete a qualifying law degree, followed by the Legal Practice Course (LPC)
- complete a non-law degree then take the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) conversion course, followed by the LPC
- complete the membership or fellowship route of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) while working in the legal profession – this route can be taken if you do not have a degree
Essential qualifications
- Undergraduate law degree and the LPC
- Or CPE or GDL course and the LPC
- Or complete exams leading to membership of CILEx
Desirable qualifications
- A level English
- A level history
- A level law
Where to find out more
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0