This section covers the information about the main branches of the legal professions, Government's proposals for reform of the legal services, and publications and guidance we have produced about the legal professions.
Each legal profession differs from the next, although there is a lot of overlap between them. The professional bodies are responsible for regulating those working in their respective professions and for setting the training and education standards necessary to work as a qualified lawyer.
The Bar Council
The professional body for barristers in England and Wales. It has established the Bar Standards Board to deal with the regulation of barristers, while the Council itself provides representation and services for the Bar. Barristers are specialist legal advisers and court room advocates. They are independent and objective and trained to advise clients on the strengths as well as the weaknesses of their case.
The Law Society
The professional body for solicitors in England and Wales. It has established a Regulation Board that is responsible for all the Law Society's regulatory work apart from consumer complaints. The Board operates independently of the Law Society's Council and was established to ensure proper separation between the Society's regulatory and representative activities. A solicitor provides clients (individuals, businesses, charities, etc.) with skilled legal advice and representation, often appearing in court on clients' behalf. Solicitors principally work in private practice, in partnerships whose members offer services to clients.
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers
The professional regulatory body for licensed conveyancers. Licensed conveyancers are qualified
specialist property lawyers. All conveyancing, essentially the legal processes involved in transferring
buildings and/or land from one owner to another and dealing with the financial transactions, was the sole
responsibility of solicitors until 1987.
The Faculty Office
The professional body for the admission and regulation of notaries in England and Wales. Qualification as a notary is regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury under the direction of the Master of the Faculties.
The Institute of Legal Executives
The professional regulatory body for legal executives. Legal executives are qualified lawyers specialising in particular areas of law. They will have at least five years' experience of working under the supervision of a solicitor in legal practice or the legal department of a private company or local/national government.
The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
The professional body for trade mark attorneys in the United Kingdom. Trade mark attorneys advise their clients on a wide range of trade mark related issues, and act on their behalf in dealing with the registration authorities in the UK and European Union.
The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys
The professional body for patent attorneys (also known as patent agents) in the United Kingdom. Patent attorneys are specially trained and experienced in drafting patents and are experts in intellectual property law.
The Association of Law Costs Draftsmen
The professional body for law costs draftsmen. Law costs draftsmen are concerned with all aspects of solicitors' costs that are controlled by statute.
Legal advice and not-for-profit sectors
In addition, there are a many not-for-profit organisations that provide free legal advice. The Advice Services Alliance is the umbrella body for independent advice services in the UK. Its members are national networks of not-for-profit organisations providing advice and help on the law, access to services and related issues. A full list of these organisations on its website. The largest of these not-for-profit organisations are Citizens Advice and the Law Centres Federation.
Citizens Advice
The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice from nearly 3,400 locations.
Law Centres Federation
The Federation provides an initial point of contact for those seeking information about the work of Law Centres. Law Centres provide free legal advice and representation to the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society.
Routes into the Legal Profession
Over the years entry to the legal profession has become highly competitive, with those wishing to enter greatly outnumbering the places available.
Many people wishing to pursue a career in the legal profession or legal sector are unsure about where to start looking for information, or have begun their training only to find that they cannot secure a place on the next stage of the training.
This leaflet sets out the main qualification and education routes for entry into the legal profession. It also sets out what alternative routes are available should you be unsuccessful at a particular stage of your training.
Before embarking on a legal career, you are advised to contact the relevant professional or legal body for the latest information about the courses, qualifications and exemptions available.
The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman
The Legal Service Ombudsman's functions are:
If, after a professional body has investigated your complaint, you are still not satisfied, you can ask the Legal Services Ombudsman to undertake a further independent review of how your complaint was dealt with by that body.
The Ombudsman has the power to:
The Ombudsman may also investigate the original complaint, although the decision to do so is a matter for her discretion.
The Ombudsman also oversees complaints made to the Institute of Legal Executives, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers and the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents.
Contact details and more information about the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman
Department for Constitutional Affairs publications relevant to the legal profession.
| 4 December 2006 |
Diversity in the legal professions: working group report
The diversity working group report identifies potential barriers to entry and progression within the legal
profession. It recommends how those barriers can be removed and is aimed at the Government, the legal
profession, the professional bodies and academic institutions. The group was set up by the Department for
Constitutional Affairs (DCA) in November 2005.
| 25 July 2006 |
Routes into the Legal Profession
Over the years entry to the legal profession has become highly competitive, with those wishing to enter greatly outnumbering the places available.
Many people wishing to pursue a career in the legal profession or legal sector are unsure about where to start looking for information, or have begun their training only to find that they cannot secure a place on the next stage of the training. This leaflet sets out the main qualification and education routes for entry into the legal profession. It also sets out what alternative routes are available should you be unsuccessful at a particular stage of your training.
Before embarking on a legal career, you are advised to contact the relevant professional or legal body for the latest information about the courses, qualifications and exemptions available.
|23 November 2005|
Diversity in the legal professions: report
The paper sets out the government's objectives to increase the diversity of the legal profession. It was launched at the Legal Services Consultative Panel's (LSCP) standing conference on legal education on 23 November 2005.
Guide to making an application for: designation as an Authorised Body - or approval of alterations of Qualification Regulations or Rules of Conduct
This guide is addressed to any organisation which is considering making an application to the Lord Chancellor under Schedule 4 to the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (as substituted by Schedule 5 to the Access to Justice Act 1999) for:
| 7 December 2004 |
Guide to making an application for authorisation as an approved body to provide
probate services under section 55 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990
The aim of this guide is to explain to potential applicants:
Complaints about Barristers and Solicitors
Both the Bar Council and the Law Society (the Consumer Complaints Service) currently have responsibility for handling complaints about their members.