The job of a solicitor is to provide legal advice and solve problems as well as representing clients in legal negotiations
. Solicitors spend a lot of time meeting with their clients and researching their cases as well and compiling legal documents and communicating with professionals. To become a solicitor requires a lot of training, law is a very competitive industry to get into so planning your career ahead is essential.
There is a very set route into becoming a solicitor and a person is required to complete all steps before they officially become a solicitor. If your degree is not in law you will need to complete a law conversion course in order to progress. Those with law degrees as well as those with law conversion degrees also need to go on to complete the Legal Practice Course in which you are taught about how to apply the law to real life situations. When you have completed the course you will then need to complete training at a firm of solicitors, here you will be known as a trainee solicitor. When training is complete you will be rewarded with the title of solicitor.
Obtaining a permanent job at a legal firm can be difficult due to the sheer amount of candidates entering the field of law. It is a good idea to thoroughly research your options in order to know when to apply for each stage.
Usually training contracts are provided by law firms however other legal organisations also offer them. Firms of solicitors vary in size and client base which means that the working environment will also vary greatly depending on where you work.
If becoming a solicitor is your career goal then you will need to make sure that you secure a training place early on, places are usually limited and very competitive. It is also a good idea to get as much work experience as possible.