Trainee Solicitors and Law Students

Some trainee solicitors and law students are learning that the UK legal profession no longer offers the solid and reliable legal careers it once did. In fact, the Law Society of England and Wales has recently announced that it is to run a campaign warning students about the risks of pursuing a legal career.

Respected legal publication, The Lawyer, has stated that 7000 people completed the Legal Practice Course in 2008, whereas there are only 6000 training contract places available to graduates in 2009. Add to this the fact that many of the graduates will be competing for trainee solicitor jobs in commercial city law firms as opposed to high street firms and the competition for places is often much greater.

Furthermore, many firms are cutting the number of training contract places they are offering whilst they try to weather the current recession. Some firms are even asking students to defer the training contract places they have already been offered which obviously reduces the number of contracts available for students in following years. The problem, therefore, may well get worse before it gets better.

As well as highlighting the job shortages, the Law Society is also seeking to ensure that students are aware of the cost of a legal training. The cost of the Legal Practice Course averages around £10,000 and it is not uncommon for law students to finish their studies with debts of around £30,000 or more.

If this wasn’t bad enough, the job market for newly qualified solicitors is equally unsettled. Young lawyers are often the first to go when a firm decides that job cuts are necessary. This creates a surplus of newly qualified solicitors in the market place and many have to take lesser positions such as paralegal or legal clerk and wait for the market to improve.

Coupled with the difficulties of the current job markets and the cost of legal education is the ongoing question of social mobility. A recent report, commissioned by Alan Milburn, specifically targeted the legal profession with a request to address the question of students from poorer backgrounds being given a fair opportunity to enter the legal profession. A criticism from some quarters is that entry into the legal profession is not a level playing field and that those from better backgrounds have the advantage over those from poorer backgrounds.

So, it’s an uncertain time at the moment for many law students who are hoping to enter the legal profession. Of course, many will make it and will go on to have successful legal careers. However, the Law Society wants to engage with those who might not be as successful and ensure they are aware of the risks of pursing such a career.

For all those thinking about doing so, my advice would be to ensure they have fully researched the path they plan to follow and don’t leave anything to chance. They should also get some legal work experience at an early stage in order to set themselves apart from the competition when it comes to applying for training contracts.

Matt Oliver is the founder of Trainee Solicitor Surgery, a website and blog which gives real world careers advice to anyone seeking legal work experience or a law training contract.

The Credentials of Any Good San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer

The hallmark credentials that you want to see when hiring a San Diego criminal defense lawyer on a serious felony charge are pretty much the same for a criminal defense lawyer anywhere. When you are charged with a serious felony in a state court system where your exposure is many years in prison you don’t want someone “practicing” or dabbling on your matter. You want a consummate talented and respected professional that regularly handles the type of criminal charge that you are charged with.

The bottom line is that you want a lawyer with a winning reputation. The profile that makes up that type of lawyer consists of a number of characteristics. You want a lawyer that is well educated. While the law school a lawyer went to isn’t necessarily the characteristic that makes the difference, the better law schools produce lawyers who understand the theory of the law better which makes them better able to make arguments that persuade judges.

You also want a lawyer who has a good presence and who is respected in the courts. The more respected your lawyer is, the better he will be able to negotiate, win critical motions, and get rulings favorable to your case. A good lawyer who is respected in his community will be respected anywhere he or she goes to handle a case. The prosecutors and the judges get the picture quickly by the way the lawyer handles themselves.

You want a lawyer who has been practicing many years if your case is a serious felony such as murder, vehicular manslaughter, forcible rape, or child molestation. The more years a lawyer has practiced means that he or she has handled more situations, more cases, and more trials. That combined experience means that they will be able to analyze your case quicker and with more accuracy than a lesser experienced lawyer. Years of experience means they know all the moves and how to implement them effectively at the right moment.

Make sure your lawyer has successfully handled many cases of the type of charge you have. If you are charged with murder, for instance, you want a lawyer who has handled and tried several murder cases. A top gun lawyer should be able to cite several examples of jury trial results and favorable settlements in the type of case you have. There is no reason not to hire a lawyer with a long record of winning. Every lawyer has won a case or two. You want the lawyer with a long list of successful results.

In every major community in this country competent skilled professionals exist who are capable of getting you the best results. A little work trying to find one will be worth the effort. If you throw your money away on someone who isn’t up to the task you won’t find out until it is too late. You can always change lawyers but you may have spent all of your resources. Major Tip: Don’t ask people to refer you to a good lawyer. You may just be getting a friend or a business referral. Ask people: “Who are the five or ten best San Diego criminal defense lawyers to handle a serious state court felony trial case?” You will likely get a list of great lawyers. The good lawyers will all talk to you and you will be able to see the difference and choose who you are most comfortable with and can afford.