Barrister Careers

Work Environment:

As a barrister, you'd provide legal advice to professional clients and solicitors, and act on behalf of organizations and individuals at public enquiries or tribunals, or in court.

Being a barrister, your job would include:

• giving written legal-opinions on cases
• undertaking cases, recognized as briefs
• meeting clients to talk about their case and provide legal advice
• acting on clients behalf in court: representing the case to jury and the judge, questioning witnesses and summing up

• giving advices on the law and legal case of client
• arranging cases for court, with reading reports and statements of witness, and getting legal arguments ready
• negotiating arrangements for clients
• studying law points by previous parallel cases

Then again, in chancery law (estates, company law, trusts, tax and wills), or civil law (torts, family law and property), you'd do office based advisory-work.

Qualification, Education and Experience:

You should first accomplish an academic training phase, and subsequently a practical pupilage, to be a barrister.

You could accomplish the academic phase by achieving any of the qualifications given as below:

• a degree in other subjects, with GDL (Graduate Diploma into Law) or a postgraduate CPE (Common Professional-Examination)
• an acknowledged degree in law

You usually require 3 A levels, and minimum 5 General Certificate of Higher Education(GCSE) grades (A to C), to achieve a qualifying degree in law. Other qualifications like a Higher Education course might be allowed. You might also be required to accomplish the LNAT (National Admissions-Test for Law) to achieve a degree in law at few universities. Check with distinct course providers, for correct admission requirements.

The majority of barristers start training immediately after gaining degree or postgraduate qualification in law, although this isn't necessary.

For all stags of barrister training, competition is tough, thus any related experience can increase your chances. Particularly, you might have a benefit if you could get a mini pupilage, a short phase of working experience.

Training Details:

Once you passed the academic phase, you should accomplish 2 additional phases of training and study to be eligible to work as a barrister. And these stages are given below:

• Pupilage: practical training for 12 months by a practiced barrister. You'll employ 6 months on supervised practice and 6 months shadowing, and get official courses into advice and advocacy to counsel
• Vocational phase: you should accomplish a 2-year part time or 1-year full time Bar Professional-Training Course (BPTC), and twelve sessions with any of the 4 Inns of Court

For further details regarding pupilage and BPTC, visit the websites of the Bar Standards Board and Bar Vocational Council.

After qualifying, you must also participate into usual CPD (Continuing Professional Development) all through your vocation. For further details regarding CPD requirements, check the website of the Bar Council.

After practice of around 10 years, you can apply to take-silk and be judge, or be a Queen's Counsel (senior barrister).

Skills and knowledge:

• capability to avoid being emotionally concerned in cases
• public speaking abilities
• capability to work under-pressure
• excellent writing and research skills
• an analytical manner and concentration to details
• outstanding advocacy and communication abilities
• discretion, for handling confidential data
• capability to scrutinize large-amounts of data

Salary and Other Benefits:

• Remunerations throughout pupilage can be about £11,000 for a year.
• In initial-years of practice, income can be around £26,000 to £210,000 for a year, based on reputation and specialization.
• Remuneration in the Crown Prosecution-Service can be around £29,000 to £62,000.
• Earnings within private-practice can get to above £760,000 annually.

Working Conditions:

Your hours of working would generally be long and comprise weekends and evenings, specifically in the beginning of career.

Within private-practice, you'd share offices with other barristers recognized as chambers, and distribute working time between court and chambers. Being a hired barrister, you'd be working at offices of employer. Sometimes, you might be required to travel to attend tribunals, meetings, or court.

While in court you'd put on formal outfit comprising a gown and wig, otherwise business outfit is anticipated.

Different Opportunities:

Most of the barristers work by chambers within private practice and on freelance basis.

Then again, you can select the employed Bar, by working as a legal adviser within magistrate's courts or companies, or practicing full time for particular employer like the Crown Prosecution Service or Government Legal Service.

Refer paralegal (corporate law) resume sample, paralegal (real estate law) resume sample, paralegal resume sample to write perfect resume.

Administrative and Clerical Careers
Alternative Therapies Careers
Animals, Plants and Land Careers
Arts, Crafts and Design Careers
Catering Services Careers
Construction Careers
Education and Training Careers
Environmental Sciences Careers
Financial Services Careers
General and Personal Services Careers
IT Careers
Legal Services Careers
Maintenance, Service and Repair Careers
Management And Planning Careers
Manufacturing And Engineering Careers
Marketing Sales And Advertising Careers
Medical Technology Careers
Medicine And Nursing Careers
Performing Arts Broadcast And Media Careers
Publishing And Journalism Careers
Retail Sales And Customer Service Careers
Science And Research Careers
Security And Uniformed Services Careers
Social Services Careers
Sport Leisure And Tourism Careers
Storage Dispatching And Delivery Careers
Transport Careers