Training to become a solicitor demands considerable commitment over a number of years. Do your own research to find out as much as you can about what a career as a solicitor is really like. Talk to people in the profession and try to get some work experience. Make sure you are right for the profession and the profession is right for you.
This section of the website aims to help you make the right choice. This information is also available for download in the following resources:
Understanding the realities
To succeed as a solicitor, you need to be determined and highly motivated. It will take at least three years to train if you are a law graduate, at least four years if you are a non-law graduate and at least six years if you are not a graduate.
You will need to:
- show you have the academic ability to cope with a demanding course
- compete with very able people to win a place
- be able to meet the costs of qualifying
- find a firm that will supervise you while you complete your training
- have a strong interest in and aptitude for the day-to-day work of a solicitor
Qualifying as a solicitor is not easy. You will face the intellectual challenge of exams and you will have to fund your studies. Many trainee solicitors finish their training with debts. Others are not able to finish their training because they cannot get a suitable job. There is no guarantee of getting a job either as a trainee or as a solicitor. However, some students are sponsored through part of their studies and the great majority of students who pass the Legal Practice Course qualify and enjoy successful careers.
The role of the Law Society
As the representative body for solicitors in England and Wales, the Law Society is here to support you at every stage of your training, qualifying and throughout your career as a solicitor. The Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society offers a range of services for students and trainees and newly-qualified lawyers. For more information visit the Junior Lawyers Division website.