Solicitor

Occupation overview

This role has responsibility for providing legal advice to clients through:

  • acting ethically, with professionalism and judgement; · progressing legal matters and transactions;
  • applying legal knowledge and commercial judgement to produce solutions which meet clients' needs and address their commercial or personal circumstances;
  •  deploying the full range of legal skills - research, interviewing and advising, advocacy,
  •  negotiation, drafting, communicating orally and in writing;
  •  establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with clients and other people; and
  •  managing themselves and their own work effectively.

Skills

A. Ethics, professionalism and judgement

  1. Act honestly and with integrity, in accordance with the law and with regulatory requirements and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)Handbook and Code of Conduct
  2. Maintain the level of competence and legal knowledge needed to practise effectively, taking into account changes in their role and/or practice context and developments in the law
  3. Work within the limits of their competence and the supervision which they need
  4. Draw on a sufficient detailed knowledge and understanding of their field(s)of work in order to practise effectively
  5. Apply understanding, critical thinking and analysis to solve problems

 

Knowledge

B. Technical legal practice

  1. Obtain relevant facts  
  2. Undertake legal research
  3. Develop and advise on relevant options, strategies and solutions
  4. Draft documents which are legally effective and accurately reflect the client's instructions
  5. Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy
  6. Negotiate solutions to clients' issues
  7. Plan, manage and progress legal matters and transactions

 

Behaviours

C. Working with other people

  1. Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing
  2. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with clients
  3. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with other people

D. Managing themselves and their own work

  1. Initiate, plan, prioritise and manage work activities to ensure that they are completed efficiently, on time and to an appropriate standard, both in relation to their own work and work that they lead or supervise
  2. Keep, use and maintain accurate, complete and clear records
  3. Apply good business practice

 

Entry Requirements

Individual employers will identify any relevant entry requirements in terms of previous qualifications or other criteria.

Our recommended minimum entry requirements are:

  • 5 GCSEs, including mathematics & English - grade C or above (or equivalent);
  • 3 A Levels (or equivalent) - minimum grade C.

And / or:

  • Relevant employer- led work experience;
  • Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in a relevant occupation - Business Administration, Legal Services, Providing Financial Services;
  • Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in a relevant occupation - Legal Services, Professional Services, and Providing Financial Services (may be entitled to exemptions from training)
  • Paralegal Apprenticeship (may be entitled to exemptions from training);
  •  Legal Executive Apprenticeship (may be entitled to exemptions from training);
  • Law Degree/ Graduate Diploma in Law / Legal Practice Course (entitled to exemptions from training).

Duration

5-6 years

This may be reduced if exemptions from training are applicable.

 

Professional Qualifications / Recognition

This is a Level 7 Apprenticeship.

The standard is based on the SRA's Statement of Solicitor Competence . Achievement of the standard and the associated apprenticeship assessment plan will satisfy the SRA's regulatory framework for qualification as a solicitor, subject to the SRA's usual tests of character and suitability.

 

 

 

 

Originally published on Gov.uk, this information has been re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

";

Recruiting school leavers? We can help