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The U.K. Lawyer

by Abogado Despado

If you are looking in to a career in the field of law, you are not alone. Many people are choosing to pursue a profession in law because it offers a wide ranging and exciting career. To do well in the field of law you need to have certain qualities, and a solid academic background, good writing and communication skills, computer skills, math skills and attention to detail. Additionally you should have the personal attributes of commercial awareness, interest in current affairs, high ambition and confidence, the ability to notice the fine details of unfamiliar things. You should be strong in the areas of research and analysis and posses the ability to calmly participate in debate. The most importantly, a zeal for long, hard work.

Practicing lawyers in the UK are divided into two groups, the solicitor and the barrister. The type of lawyer that most people want to hire is the barrister, he is the one who wears wig and gown. Now that you have that picture, Barristers are the ones who advocate in the high courts and the Solicitors are legal workers who do not wear a wig or gown. Solicitors give can help to brief the barristers about the particulars of the case. If a solicitor were to appear in a higher court, he would speak to the jury or judge in normal language. To be able to exercise the right of audience, a solicitor needs appropriate training. So, the barrister is like a trial lawyer, partner in the firm etc. and the solicitor is like a research attorney, or junior partner. Remember that the courts in Great Britain are much more formal settings then those in the United States.

The barrister usually is self employed and has two types of clients. The first are professional clients and the second type are lay clients, or individuals. Professional clients are actually solicitors who are paid to represent a person of company. You cannot retain a barrister directly if you are not in the field of law. Barristers work in chambers and courts, usually without partners or hired staff. Solicitors work in law firms, usually as groups. Clients may contact the solicitors directly through the law firms where they work. The solicitors are the first step of legal procedures for most people who need help in this field. Solicitors are similar to a family doctor, or General Practitioner in the field of medicine, in that they do the initial diagnosis to help determine a course of action and decide which specialist to see next.

Solicitors do many different types of work depending on the case. Their duties would be quite different in a case of a divorce then they would be in the defense of an accused murderer. If they were defending an accused murderer, the solicitors would work closely with a barrister. Solicitors usually specialize in different aspects of the Law including shipping, tax law, personal injury law, medical malpractice law or one of many others, or they may choose general law. But sometimes of a whole law firms specializes in only one specific area. Even though a law firm deals only with a specific specialty, they may help clients in simple and general matters. Just as a US lawyer is not licensed in a specialty, but in Law as a whole.

A barrister has obtained a right of audience in high court. This only happens after he has become qualified and certified to be a barrister. The barrister needs to have specialization in one of the two branches of the law. The specialty must be in civil practice or in criminal practice. After specializing in one, a barrister can become sub specialized in their field of expertise.

About the Author:

Abogado Despado is the owner and webmaster for http://www.yulawyer.com which is the #1 resource for attorneys on the web. Be sure to visit his complete archive of articles here: http://www.yulawyer.com/articles/

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