Solicitor or Barrister: Which One Should You Choose? (Salary, Hours, Employers, Work Experience)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ส.ค. 2019
- should you be a barrister or solicitor? a question as old as time. this is the type of video i would’ve loved to watch before going to university to really understand the different routes into a legal career. talking hours, salary, employers, training and work experience, i really hope this provides a useful insight into the world of law. i’ve chopped and changed so much in terms of my career and done ridiculous amounts of legal experience, so i feel like i’m in a good place to share some advice. i hope this helps! shoot any questions or video requests in the comments below. until next week…
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sub count at upload: 5,690
You actually just might’ve saved my future life, I wanted to be a barrister before in the crime and family sector however I didn’t realise how underpaid and hard it is. So I think now I would prefer the corporate sector as a solicitor because there’s a higher chance of success.
Thank you so much, you earned a new sub
💖
Exact same here
I have practised as a barrister since 1987. I spent two of the early years working for commercial solicitors. For 27/33 years, I worked for people who could not afford to pay my fees. It just about worked, even after Legal Aid was scrapped in 1998 and the government turned us into professional gamblers for a living. It doesn't work any more. (certainly not since 2013) You either work for people who can afford to pay you or you cannot feed a family. As for getting your foot in the door, do the arithmetic with the official system. The 'front door' can't work and is a lottery even if you have a double first from "the right university". I came from a difficult background with a second class degree. I would not have a chance now.
@@ChelsieAngeles
Please , how can I contact with you direct please ?
@@jeremydable2468 I wanna to be Barrister..♥️♥️ It doesn’t matter how much I will earn ...For me Lawyering is a passion not a lottery ticket 🎫 ..♥️♥️
I choked when you said £100,000 salary as a newly qualified solicitor - seriously considering being a solicitor now
Hahaha that was me about two years ago 😂
Just so you know, that salary is only magic circle law firms (really difficult to get into)
I know it is hard but I was already considering to be one and this video helped me even more to be one I know it is very difficult but I am still going to try to be one
Charlie Devita tbf it’s more US firms than Magic Circle firms I think only freshfields crosses the six digits
After the recent price war, even silver circle firms are paying 6 figures to NQs. It's pretty good
I am officially being a lawyer, since the age of seven I have been interested in law, I want to be a solicitor ❤️
Good luck!!
Go for it follow your dream
Congrats bro
I wanna become Barrister.. ♥️🎓Since the age of 12...♥️♥️Now I’m 16
When I’ll able to join law school 🏫..Can u tell me ? Plz..
@@ChelsieAngeles 👍
Schools for 11 years: teaching us the square root of pi and how to use an adverb correctly.
Schools 30 seconds before you leave: 7:03
😂😂
Literally the best video
Thank you very much for this video. As someone who is not accustomed to the common law system and your way of qualifying lawyers I find this rather short video extremely useful. In my country, Poland, we also have quite a rocky road to become the barrister or the solicitor but as I see in the UK its utterly difficult.
Thank you so much. I have always wondered which one would be a better choice.
You just got another subscriber!🙂
Currently a first year law student. Can't believe how you got so much work experience in the first year.... I'm literally struggling to get one..
hi! my best advice is to apply to everything, law related, non-law related, whether you're interested or not. it all helps develop you as a person. plus get help from careers services at your uni/do mock interviews/CV workshops if possible!! good luck, it'll all come in time!
@@ChelsieAngeles Thank you very much! Hopefully I'll have impressive work experience in the first year xx
Pro bono voluntary work is a good way of getting experience early on
Really good video - just to say that you wouldn’t be able to sit in court and take notes unless you were there in a professional capacity. Otherwise, you’d be asked what you were doing! Also, you didn’t mention direct access, which is something that many barristers now offer and this has to some degree blurred the line between the two professions a little. Am just trying to be helpful by adding this. I’m a barrister myself and have been for over 15 years. It was hard when I was trying to get into it 20 plus years ago and I’m sure it’s even harder now. Your advice at the end about doing work experience in things that you don’t necessarily want to do is absolutely spot on! Thanks for a great video.
This's the kind of video i've been looking for, thank God i found this. Thanks :]
Thanks for this video. I recently started in a county court as a court usher and have literally zero clue how anything works or who people are. I would ask people are they your solicitor and they would correct me, "no. They're a barrister." I would smile away thinking "isn't that the same thing?!?!?"
Planning to go down the bar next year, this was a really good insight!
To note, your Inn of Court or the Law School you attend do a lot of scholarships which will cover costs for GDL/BPTC + living costs for those going down the Barrister route! :)
very true! although very rare too!
Literally a worthwhile video
Found the video interesting and useful so thank you . I am planning on starting my law degree at NCL this year.
Chelsie thank you for great career counseling
I am only 13 but i wanted to start to gain more knowledge about law and ur video explained everything so clearly it really helped me know the diffrence a lot better
Can’t wait to be a barrister👩🏽⚖️ 👩🏽🎓
the LPC is now not needed as of September 2021, rather 2 exams now take its place called the solicitor qualifying exams (SQEs). Its a lot cheaper than an LPC (costs roughly £4000) and makes it more accessible (LPC can cost up to around £17,000).
So helpful, well explained. Thank you!
really helpful comparison, thanks! One does wonder why anyone takes the financial risk going through the BPTC though.
Great love it how you get to the catch... And no beating around.
thank you for this video. i am 15 and have been passionate about law since i was a baby (good at arguing my point o guess). this helped so much, and has made me realise how much better being a soliciter would be so i thank yo iso much (may have just saved me!)
This actually cleared up so much stuff for me thank you so much
Nice wanting to be a solicitor and am presently in law school , thank you for this, it helps a lot
I'm trying to figure this out because I'm taking my options and this all effects my future. This really helped thankyou
This was phenomenal!! Thank you
I think it would be useful to also mention that for people going to the Bar, it's not entirely true that you have to pay for it all yourself - all Inns of Court have incredibly generous scholarships and lots of people get full scholarships, whilst many get close to that. In my opinion getting one of those actually does skim out the people that might not be right for the Bar, because if a panel of experienced barristers don't want to finance you even minimally maybe it should make you think about whether you want to go and splurge money on the course at all in the first place (though of course some people don't get a GDL one, but do get a BPTC one). Two of the Inns also provide residential scholarships if you get a scholarship, meaning that you get a year living in central London entirely for free (!!!) through them. Providers also have scholarships which you interview for by doing advocacy exercises etc, and some of those are also full scholarships.
Carolina Bax are these for anyone or usually for people from a lower socio-economic background or household income?
Anyone can apply from any background - I know of some people who are not really in need of a scholarship at all financially who have got a full scholarship, so they are not at all reserved to lower socio-economic backgrounds. The scholarships are firstly based on merit, but financial need is taken into account straight after that and amounts will vary based on that.
There is always an interview following an application - some places shortlist applicants, like Gray's Inn, based on the paper application, whilst others like to interview all applicants but for a shorter amount of time, like Middle Temple. Hopefully this helps but specific Inn websites are more helpful with regards to their own internal criteria targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/law-barristers/advice/291653-over-%C2%A35-million-of-funding-up-for-grabs-how-to-win-yourself-a-scholarship-with-an-inn-o
Also, this is obviously more in the long-term, when you get pupillage, lots of chambers give what they call a drawdown award, where you can ask for a small percentage of what would be your pupillage award (salary) to help you pay towards remaining costs of the BPTC.
I also know also that some Inns offer free work experience, travel expenses included (which are hefty when doing mini-pupillages travelling across somewhere like London, as often you're sent to far-flung courts) through access schemes for specific backgrounds (I think it's Inner Temple that offers it, and it should be called the Pegasus scheme). There is also a helpful blog called Blessing at the Bar that you might find useful. I hope that helps!
ah it makes me so happy that you're so helpful to each other! 💖
True but also there are plenty of people without scholarships at the bar, and with who aren't
was just going to comment this, misleading video
So I'm in college and I was hoping that you would do a tutorial on how to write an alevel style law essay or university level essay writing
as i'll be doing essays all year, i'm sure i'll cover this. so consider it added to my list!
This video is so useful. Thank you so much!
Great video. Many thanks for uploading it…
Your exposition has an informal spectacle!.
How Important is it to know which sector of law you want to focus on when doing the GDL?☺️
i’m currently in my first year at sixth form and i been wanting to become a solicitor since i was a child i pray i get into the high street firms xx
how did your A levels go? Because I got fucked but I managed to get into Law School thru clearing 😭
Blockstar i wanna change my alevel subjects 😭😭 so i have to firm another year in sixth form
emmanuelle Aká damn man, good luck with that 🤣🤟🏿
Blockstar what subjects did you take?
emmanuelle Aká what are you taking
This video has been so helpful. 💕
Such a clever sausage ! Video well done 👏
Very useful video, I'm currently in my first year of a non law degree planning to convert via the gdl route.
The concept of a “qualified law degree” (QLD) will be no more in a year or two. Also, there are many scholarships for the BPTC provided by the Inns of Courts or by the providers themself. Additionally, you’re called to the Bar after the BPTC and not after pupillage.
What do you mean by the concept of “qualified law degree” being no more?
@@faheem4988 The solicitor qualifying route is changing towards the SQE
Elise Tanjon so to become a solicitor you wont need a law degree?
@@faheem4988 No, but it would be a great advantage as you need to have extensive knowledge of the law. You can read about it on the SRA's website
Elise Tanjon Oh. Thank you 😊
thank you for this !!
Thanks for this video the information is really helpful.
Pupilage is rarer than gold dust. If you become a barrister, respect !
Latest figures show a 1 in 9 chance
No pupillage is required to be called to the Bar post-vocational Bar course, only if the aspirant is an intending practitioner in England & Wales. Otherwise, British Commonwealth Bar students going back to practise in their own or home countries would be put at a disadvantage and/or start flooding the pupillage market.
Hi the video was really helpful. Thank you for sharing. Also I would really like to know how difficult is it to secure a training contract for a foreign student. And what is the average payscale.
Loved the video❤️❤️ thank you!
Best information video ever🥰
I really love this video. This is my first video I'm viewing from your channel...just discovered you. Nevertheless, you wouldn't mind my asking where did you get your LLB and that other follow on qualification...not sure of its name? But, I couldn't have imagined that's how legal training is done in the UK i.e. having to choose which pathway of either becoming a solicitor and/or a barrister, if I heard you correctly with latter. Anyway, have you done any review on law books that you would have used in your LLB programme- books that are considered 'staples' or 'the prescribed' texts that are vital to the successful completion of any LLB degree in the UK, notwithstanding this can vary from place to place? Thank you for producing these videos. Keep it up and I shall be looking at your other videos in the coming days. Take care....from the other side of the Atlantic.
When you do a vacation scheme, is it in the summer break? If not, how do you work your degree around the scheme? Also, would you go for the LPC or SQE? Thankyou
Such an informative video!😊
thank you so much! very informative!
This was so helpful thank you
Really good video but a couple of things wrong with being called to the bar that viewers might find helpful.
You are called to the bar at the completion of your BPTC (Now the BPC). You will be called at your Inn before you start pupillage. If you have deferred exams, it may be during pupillage (but must be before your second sixth). You are called before pupillage begins and some may even get called then not practice at all, or may practice somewhere else within the Commonwealth.
On completion of your pupillage, it is correct that you may not get tenancy, but that is very rare and usually due to you needing to undertake a third sixth (extended pupillage at another set of chambers). If you do complete your pupillage and receive your practicing certificate but are unlucky enough not to get tenancy, you are a Barrister and you can practice (albeit as long as you have the relevant insurance to do so). So there are downsides of not gaining tenancy, but it is not the end of the world and it certainly doesn't prevent you from continuing your career as a Barrister. Some may seek the employed Bar instead (which is essentially what it sounds like, working for a large company such as the BBC or a FTSE 100, but inhouse).
Route to the Bar is time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive - but when you get that pupillage offer, it is all worth it!
I'm doing Law and Criminology in college at the moment and I'm wondering how would a degree apprenticeship in being a Solicitor stand because they are around 5 years
I’m an American attorney and found this incredibly interesting.
hi! just wanna ask, what age were you when you start working and getting paid as a lawyer?
Great video....Solicitors are not always employed, many are fee earners so they are self-employed. Solicitors do not hand a case over to a Barrister at the Advocacy stage. A Solicitor can advocate at court and doesn't always need a Barrister. Even when a Solicitor instructs a Barrister the case is still the Solicitor's. There are however Direct access Barristers...
Solicitors need higher rights to act as advocate in the higher courts of course. DPA barristers cannot conduct litigation unless they have applied for that add on.
Most solicitors are fee earners but that doesn’t make them self employed.
@@lulabellelikes4228 How long does it take to get the higher rights after qualifying? Thanks
Great content! Please keep making more such videos.
Just a point of clarification. You don’t need to get pupillage to get called to the Bar. You get called to the Bar right after your BPTC and become a Barrister (unregistered).
While in order to become a solicitor, you need to complete your training contract.
It depends where in the UK you are. In Northern Ireland you need a master to be called to the Bar
True but its like a dog without teeth as you cannot practise as a barrister and there are very strict rules in the code of conduct as to how you hold yourself out.
Thank u for this video needed this
This was a good explanation!! I’m going on to second year of college. And I’m wondering if it’s possible to skip university and maybe start on an apprenticeship?? I’m trying to become a legal executive or paralegal
Good Luck on that one... I have been trying for so long and to no avail, better pay for the course yourself or start off as a legal secretary and if your lucky you would have them pay for you to exceed
Good reading is "Secret Barrister" and "Fake Law" before making a decision
i'm not sure whether to go to Uni or do an Apprenticeship, I do like doing things more than learning, hence the apprenticeship bias for me but my parents keep nagging me about uni having a superior status when applying for the job post degree. What do you think? Solicitor apprenticeship or LLB hons
Hi, what route would be best if you’re around 38 years old and working full time?
as an american this is super interesting
👍
Brilliant video
If you have an LL.B from a foreign country that practices common law say Ghana or Canada and want to become a solicitor or barrister in the UK. How do you go about it?
Gabriel Otiboe-Narh if you have an LLB from a Ghanaian University like University of Ghana you’ll probably have to go to Makola ( Ghana Law school) for a year , get called to the Ghana bar and do you’re post-call to the UK bar. That’s if you want to be a barrister. If you had an LLB from a UK University say the University of London LLB but studied via distance learning in Ghana then you’d just need to get into an Inn of Court, then do the BPTC.
As for the LPC I’m not sure but I’d suggest you contact LPC providers personally to enquire if they accept Ghanaian LLB
I completed a llb 5 years ago then I joined the royal navy I retirement a few months ago will city law firms recruit me ?
What do you think about 1 year of placement, do you think it is helpful or should I do 3 years and that's it?
Im 14 and hoping to be a barrister, new sub xx
Would have been also great to know about GDL providers.... How do you rank them and find out issues before getting in?
There is no ranking for GDL providers. You literally learn the same things everywhere and earn a degree with similar powers. If you secure a training contract, the company will most likely dictate your provider, as they are going to pay for your GDL and SQE from now and onwards (LPC isn't goanna be a thing anymore). Most firms send their pupils to ULaw or BPP (both have terrible rankings - ULaw is ranked 7.923 and BPP is ranked 6.338). It seems that they both specialise, however, in the area of law, so that's probably why firms choose them. If you don't manage to secure a training contract, you should apply for scholarships at actual universities (public). Don't go for the LLM route, as many programmes don't cover SQE1 or SQE2 or even neither sometimes. If you aspire to be a barrister, look for GDL funding from the Inns of Court and, again, uni scholarships. Hope that helped. If you need anything else, just drop me a response here 🙂. Best of luck!! 😁
I came here because i was bout to go to court haha wish me luck guys
Nice video very informative thanks
There are lots of barristers and solicitors constantly switching roles to find work. Only a few solicitors and barristers become very successful. For the rest it's just a very hard slog for an average wage that you could earn even if you weren't a legal professional.
I’d second that. Most tradesmen earn more than some solicitors. Commercial law pays well but don’t expect to have a life.
With the skills you have as a lawyer, I'm sure there are easier ways to make money.
Amazing this is great thank you so helpful
Hi
It’s really helpful for me...♥️♥️
Thanks a lots...💕💕
Tysm you helped me so much ❤️
I’m coming to York in September and have been getting tons of tips from your videos. One thing I noticed is that you have a coffee machine in your room, is this allowed? I’m dying to bring one but though it might not be. Thanks :))
Congrats for getting into York!! Well, you're not allowed one. However, I had one for my second year all year. You get inspections twice a year and they notify you when they're coming, so just like hide it or unplug it for them and you'll be fine! 😂 I didn't and I still didn't get fined or told I couldn't have it or anything! Imo a coffee machine is a university essential!
Chelsie Angeles right ok this is really helpful Thankyou!
Get your tips from someone with experience
Thankyou for the lovely advice, it has really helped me decide which career path I'd like to consider.
Is it just me or does your face features resemble Drew Barrimore 🤔
Hi there, thanks for the video! Am wondering if anyone knows if it’s a lot harder to become a solicitor after doing a conversion from a different degree than doing a law degree in the first place?
It isn’t
Don't do a degree at all. Do an apprenticeship.
The masters would be before the LPC wouldn’t it? What would you recommend doing a masters in? Thank you!
Some LPC programs are combined with masters these days (e.g. LPC + LLM or LPC + MSc) , and so you can complete the combined course in about a year or longer depending on whether full time or part time.
you can do it alongside it. most people opt to include a masters in their LPC for funding reasons. SFE wont help if u do lpc without it
can you please go in more detail about every single step like how to get a law degree i have always wanting to be a solicitor and i know it is hard but i am going to try my best to get there i am young but i am thinking about it now
Apply for LLB from any university, after completing LLB you then apply for LPC ( Legal Practise course), you then apply for training contract with a law firm, then two years of training and you're done
Ok but what's the song in the intro
It would be brilliant to have a choice of either professional as I don't have Legal representation and am currently struggling to know how to represent myself.
You just earned a new sub. Also, do you know if solicitor advocates have the same rights to audience that a barrister has? Just wondering
What about solicitors apprenticeships
Heard that there’s smth new so rather than working as two years to qualify you take the exams?
I’ve been critical of the
@ABAesq
recently, but I wholeheartedly agree with this statement and I appreciate the nearly universal rebuke of the senator’s threats against two sitting #SCOTUS justices if they don’t agree with his view of the #law.
@
@t
I am a student of law.First year first semester and i struggling.How can i improve my essay writing/assignment making Skills like argument, Critical analyses, persuasive writing?
Hu dear, i really want help. My question is. I have a master degree in law from Oslo, Norway. And want to move to London. I want you to plz tell me my oppurtunitys for job in UK. Let me know plz. I will me waiting. Kindely reply.
Extremely interesting and definitely and informative video. Appreciated, thank you very much
What skills i need to focus on to become a solicitor?
Could you please share with us how someone can relocate to the U.K. after getting admitted to the Bar in another country e.g Kenya
Excellent exhibiton for a foreigner as me
Which one are you going to do?
People want to be barristers - then find out how hard it is and get bought out by good salaries early on and become solicitors (admin paperwork).
It’s also worth baring in mind that 80k in London is like £11 in a pub.
So do you think it's easier to become a solicitor first before you become a barrister?
I'm on the telephone interview for a legal apprenticeship scheme :^) hopefully I will enter the CITY
If some one wanted to become a Judge, which is the better route to go down? Solicitor or Barrister? What is a QC?
QC - Queen's Counsel. Basically a very senior barrister.
You can be a judge via the solicitor or barrister route, although it takes a while to access as it is role that you usually do after significant experience as a practicing solicitor or barrister. Often barristers and solicitors will apply to part-time positions first to gain experience. You have to be appointed by the Judicial Appointments Commission to become a judge.
if you are already doing a 4 year undergraduate degree in law do you still need to do lpc after uni? or do you go straight into training contract ? i’m confused
Yes : the LPC or new-fangled SQE (Solicitors' Qualifying Examination) post-Uni. Previously, up to 40 years ago in England & Wales, it was possible to take the LPC - then called Law Society Part II or Solicitors' Finals covering 7 subjects, before or - oft-recommended for the practical slant - *after* completing a 2-year Training Contract, then called Articles of Clerkship. Alas, no more.
If I do an apprenticeship as a solicitor to I need to go to university
What do you do professionally ?
Is there any difference between LLB degree & BA in Jurisprudence degree ???
LLB is a qualifying degree and BA Jurisprudence isn’t, as it is purely academic, and doesn’t include the core subjects
What r the similarities between them?