You actually just might’ve saved my future life, I wanted to be a barrister before in the crime and family sector however I didn’t realise how underpaid and hard it is. So I think now I would prefer the corporate sector as a solicitor because there’s a higher chance of success. Thank you so much, you earned a new sub
I have practised as a barrister since 1987. I spent two of the early years working for commercial solicitors. For 27/33 years, I worked for people who could not afford to pay my fees. It just about worked, even after Legal Aid was scrapped in 1998 and the government turned us into professional gamblers for a living. It doesn't work any more. (certainly not since 2013) You either work for people who can afford to pay you or you cannot feed a family. As for getting your foot in the door, do the arithmetic with the official system. The 'front door' can't work and is a lottery even if you have a double first from "the right university". I came from a difficult background with a second class degree. I would not have a chance now.
I know it is hard but I was already considering to be one and this video helped me even more to be one I know it is very difficult but I am still going to try to be one
the LPC is now not needed as of September 2021, rather 2 exams now take its place called the solicitor qualifying exams (SQEs). Its a lot cheaper than an LPC (costs roughly £4000) and makes it more accessible (LPC can cost up to around £17,000).
Really good video - just to say that you wouldn’t be able to sit in court and take notes unless you were there in a professional capacity. Otherwise, you’d be asked what you were doing! Also, you didn’t mention direct access, which is something that many barristers now offer and this has to some degree blurred the line between the two professions a little. Am just trying to be helpful by adding this. I’m a barrister myself and have been for over 15 years. It was hard when I was trying to get into it 20 plus years ago and I’m sure it’s even harder now. Your advice at the end about doing work experience in things that you don’t necessarily want to do is absolutely spot on! Thanks for a great video.
hi! my best advice is to apply to everything, law related, non-law related, whether you're interested or not. it all helps develop you as a person. plus get help from careers services at your uni/do mock interviews/CV workshops if possible!! good luck, it'll all come in time!
Thank you very much for this video. As someone who is not accustomed to the common law system and your way of qualifying lawyers I find this rather short video extremely useful. In my country, Poland, we also have quite a rocky road to become the barrister or the solicitor but as I see in the UK its utterly difficult.
I am only 13 but i wanted to start to gain more knowledge about law and ur video explained everything so clearly it really helped me know the diffrence a lot better
To note, your Inn of Court or the Law School you attend do a lot of scholarships which will cover costs for GDL/BPTC + living costs for those going down the Barrister route! :)
The concept of a “qualified law degree” (QLD) will be no more in a year or two. Also, there are many scholarships for the BPTC provided by the Inns of Courts or by the providers themself. Additionally, you’re called to the Bar after the BPTC and not after pupillage.
I think it would be useful to also mention that for people going to the Bar, it's not entirely true that you have to pay for it all yourself - all Inns of Court have incredibly generous scholarships and lots of people get full scholarships, whilst many get close to that. In my opinion getting one of those actually does skim out the people that might not be right for the Bar, because if a panel of experienced barristers don't want to finance you even minimally maybe it should make you think about whether you want to go and splurge money on the course at all in the first place (though of course some people don't get a GDL one, but do get a BPTC one). Two of the Inns also provide residential scholarships if you get a scholarship, meaning that you get a year living in central London entirely for free (!!!) through them. Providers also have scholarships which you interview for by doing advocacy exercises etc, and some of those are also full scholarships.
Anyone can apply from any background - I know of some people who are not really in need of a scholarship at all financially who have got a full scholarship, so they are not at all reserved to lower socio-economic backgrounds. The scholarships are firstly based on merit, but financial need is taken into account straight after that and amounts will vary based on that. There is always an interview following an application - some places shortlist applicants, like Gray's Inn, based on the paper application, whilst others like to interview all applicants but for a shorter amount of time, like Middle Temple. Hopefully this helps but specific Inn websites are more helpful with regards to their own internal criteria targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/law-barristers/advice/291653-over-%C2%A35-million-of-funding-up-for-grabs-how-to-win-yourself-a-scholarship-with-an-inn-o Also, this is obviously more in the long-term, when you get pupillage, lots of chambers give what they call a drawdown award, where you can ask for a small percentage of what would be your pupillage award (salary) to help you pay towards remaining costs of the BPTC. I also know also that some Inns offer free work experience, travel expenses included (which are hefty when doing mini-pupillages travelling across somewhere like London, as often you're sent to far-flung courts) through access schemes for specific backgrounds (I think it's Inner Temple that offers it, and it should be called the Pegasus scheme). There is also a helpful blog called Blessing at the Bar that you might find useful. I hope that helps!
Great video....Solicitors are not always employed, many are fee earners so they are self-employed. Solicitors do not hand a case over to a Barrister at the Advocacy stage. A Solicitor can advocate at court and doesn't always need a Barrister. Even when a Solicitor instructs a Barrister the case is still the Solicitor's. There are however Direct access Barristers...
Solicitors need higher rights to act as advocate in the higher courts of course. DPA barristers cannot conduct litigation unless they have applied for that add on.
Great content! Please keep making more such videos. Just a point of clarification. You don’t need to get pupillage to get called to the Bar. You get called to the Bar right after your BPTC and become a Barrister (unregistered). While in order to become a solicitor, you need to complete your training contract.
True but its like a dog without teeth as you cannot practise as a barrister and there are very strict rules in the code of conduct as to how you hold yourself out.
thank you for this video. i am 15 and have been passionate about law since i was a baby (good at arguing my point o guess). this helped so much, and has made me realise how much better being a soliciter would be so i thank yo iso much (may have just saved me!)
Thanks for this video. I recently started in a county court as a court usher and have literally zero clue how anything works or who people are. I would ask people are they your solicitor and they would correct me, "no. They're a barrister." I would smile away thinking "isn't that the same thing?!?!?"
There are lots of barristers and solicitors constantly switching roles to find work. Only a few solicitors and barristers become very successful. For the rest it's just a very hard slog for an average wage that you could earn even if you weren't a legal professional.
Really good video but a couple of things wrong with being called to the bar that viewers might find helpful. You are called to the bar at the completion of your BPTC (Now the BPC). You will be called at your Inn before you start pupillage. If you have deferred exams, it may be during pupillage (but must be before your second sixth). You are called before pupillage begins and some may even get called then not practice at all, or may practice somewhere else within the Commonwealth. On completion of your pupillage, it is correct that you may not get tenancy, but that is very rare and usually due to you needing to undertake a third sixth (extended pupillage at another set of chambers). If you do complete your pupillage and receive your practicing certificate but are unlucky enough not to get tenancy, you are a Barrister and you can practice (albeit as long as you have the relevant insurance to do so). So there are downsides of not gaining tenancy, but it is not the end of the world and it certainly doesn't prevent you from continuing your career as a Barrister. Some may seek the employed Bar instead (which is essentially what it sounds like, working for a large company such as the BBC or a FTSE 100, but inhouse). Route to the Bar is time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive - but when you get that pupillage offer, it is all worth it!
No pupillage is required to be called to the Bar post-vocational Bar course, only if the aspirant is an intending practitioner in England & Wales. Otherwise, British Commonwealth Bar students going back to practise in their own or home countries would be put at a disadvantage and/or start flooding the pupillage market.
People want to be barristers - then find out how hard it is and get bought out by good salaries early on and become solicitors (admin paperwork). It’s also worth baring in mind that 80k in London is like £11 in a pub.
Perhaps, lest a distorted picture be painted by omission, consider other branches of the legal profession in the UK : like Legal Executives, Licensed Conveyancers and Notaries Public.
My advice is DON'T even consider being a Solicitor unless you have your own clients and are able to be your own boss after 5 years post qualification experience. If you are going to be employed all your life and be unfortunate enough to report to s**t boss(es), your life will be living hell and will not be worth living.
There is no ranking for GDL providers. You literally learn the same things everywhere and earn a degree with similar powers. If you secure a training contract, the company will most likely dictate your provider, as they are going to pay for your GDL and SQE from now and onwards (LPC isn't goanna be a thing anymore). Most firms send their pupils to ULaw or BPP (both have terrible rankings - ULaw is ranked 7.923 and BPP is ranked 6.338). It seems that they both specialise, however, in the area of law, so that's probably why firms choose them. If you don't manage to secure a training contract, you should apply for scholarships at actual universities (public). Don't go for the LLM route, as many programmes don't cover SQE1 or SQE2 or even neither sometimes. If you aspire to be a barrister, look for GDL funding from the Inns of Court and, again, uni scholarships. Hope that helped. If you need anything else, just drop me a response here 🙂. Best of luck!! 😁
If you have an LL.B from a foreign country that practices common law say Ghana or Canada and want to become a solicitor or barrister in the UK. How do you go about it?
Gabriel Otiboe-Narh if you have an LLB from a Ghanaian University like University of Ghana you’ll probably have to go to Makola ( Ghana Law school) for a year , get called to the Ghana bar and do you’re post-call to the UK bar. That’s if you want to be a barrister. If you had an LLB from a UK University say the University of London LLB but studied via distance learning in Ghana then you’d just need to get into an Inn of Court, then do the BPTC. As for the LPC I’m not sure but I’d suggest you contact LPC providers personally to enquire if they accept Ghanaian LLB
Choose to be a barrister you if want to be your own boss . Solicitors are the employers with cheap salary. You can’t compare the barristers with the solicitors. Is a big difference of professionalism and salary. Solicitors are the a lot down to the barristers. Of course will not tell you that because they need solicitors for their own offices.
This is awful advice tbh. There are a lot of really significant things involved in being a barrister that are AWFUL, esp for young ppl... Extremely hard to get a decent - or any - mortgage. Self-employed are not looked favourably at all by banks, unless they've substantial savings and income. Most barristers struggle horribly financially. , but there are a few v visible extremely high earners. Solicitor is more varied pot. Generally much higher pay but longer hours too. Having been a solicitor, I caution anyone strongly against the barrister side. It is a rough ride - (but if you've connections, grit and passion, go for it - with determination and with full knowledge). Solicitor is full-on but v interesting. Ppl can find environment v stressful and toxic tho. Best of luck.
When you do a vacation scheme, is it in the summer break? If not, how do you work your degree around the scheme? Also, would you go for the LPC or SQE? Thankyou
can you please go in more detail about every single step like how to get a law degree i have always wanting to be a solicitor and i know it is hard but i am going to try my best to get there i am young but i am thinking about it now
Apply for LLB from any university, after completing LLB you then apply for LPC ( Legal Practise course), you then apply for training contract with a law firm, then two years of training and you're done
I’ve been critical of the @ABAesq recently, but I wholeheartedly agree with this statement and I appreciate the nearly universal rebuke of the senator’s threats against two sitting #SCOTUS justices if they don’t agree with his view of the #law. @ @t
I'm doing Law and Criminology in college at the moment and I'm wondering how would a degree apprenticeship in being a Solicitor stand because they are around 5 years
I really love this video. This is my first video I'm viewing from your channel...just discovered you. Nevertheless, you wouldn't mind my asking where did you get your LLB and that other follow on qualification...not sure of its name? But, I couldn't have imagined that's how legal training is done in the UK i.e. having to choose which pathway of either becoming a solicitor and/or a barrister, if I heard you correctly with latter. Anyway, have you done any review on law books that you would have used in your LLB programme- books that are considered 'staples' or 'the prescribed' texts that are vital to the successful completion of any LLB degree in the UK, notwithstanding this can vary from place to place? Thank you for producing these videos. Keep it up and I shall be looking at your other videos in the coming days. Take care....from the other side of the Atlantic.
It would be brilliant to have a choice of either professional as I don't have Legal representation and am currently struggling to know how to represent myself.
This was a good explanation!! I’m going on to second year of college. And I’m wondering if it’s possible to skip university and maybe start on an apprenticeship?? I’m trying to become a legal executive or paralegal
Good Luck on that one... I have been trying for so long and to no avail, better pay for the course yourself or start off as a legal secretary and if your lucky you would have them pay for you to exceed
Hi the video was really helpful. Thank you for sharing. Also I would really like to know how difficult is it to secure a training contract for a foreign student. And what is the average payscale.
Hi there, thanks for the video! Am wondering if anyone knows if it’s a lot harder to become a solicitor after doing a conversion from a different degree than doing a law degree in the first place?
There are a lot of mistakes in your advice about what barristers do. For one thing, big chambers DO pay for your GDL and BPTC if you get a pupillage with them. Also, there are loads of inn scholarships that you can apply for to get onto the BPTC. You did not even mention that prospective barristers need to join an inn of court before beginning the BPTC. when one eventually gets pupillage, which is the equivalent of a training contract, the next step is to become a tenant, which again is the equivalent of becoming a qualified solicitor. Also, after completion of the BPTC, you are called to the bar. This is irrespective of whether you have secured pupillage or not. Hence the BPTC technically carries more weight than the LPC, because it confers a title on you- Barrister.
I'm starting my English literature degree in September but want to switch it over to a law degree. I'm wondering if I would get more recognition if I went through with the English lit degree and after that pursued law? Or would it be just about the same, only a bigger pain for me? I also want to note that I'm going to Keele University which is certainly not a Russel group. does this mean I can't expect high pay and will it be difficult to be accepted into a law firm?
QC - Queen's Counsel. Basically a very senior barrister. You can be a judge via the solicitor or barrister route, although it takes a while to access as it is role that you usually do after significant experience as a practicing solicitor or barrister. Often barristers and solicitors will apply to part-time positions first to gain experience. You have to be appointed by the Judicial Appointments Commission to become a judge.
Thanks for this video. My daughter has gained admission to university of Oxford to study Law with French Law which requires her to spend an extra year studying french law in Paris. My question is what are the advantages of doing this course considering you cant practise in France. Is the extra year studying abroad a waste of time? It states on oxford university's website that your degree certification will be English Law with French Law. Will employers see this as plus or view as the same as having a Law degree?
Please pass my congratulations on to your daughter - that's an amazing achievement! 🎉 The main advantages are gaining the experience of living abroad for a year, understanding a new legal system, and potentially developing language skills. Employers will see these as positives. It could also be beneficial if your daughter wants to practice at a law firm in the UK that has offices internationally, such as in France, as her experiences and extra legal knowledge on France will be an asset to their business. It certainly won't be a detriment to her career prospects and the very fact that she'll be studying at Oxford will mean many doors will be open for her career-wise. Wishing her the best of luck!
@@ChelsieAngeles thank you so much for the feed back. Shes fluent in french hence why she was offered the course with french law. She had 3 interviews and the third interview was mainly a french speaking interview. I was just thinking whats the point of spending an extra year abroad when most of your mates will probably be practising or training during that period. Your response answers my question. Once again thank you so much for your fast response
@@bestiegrand6017 Your daughter will be one up on monolingual English-only lawyers and Notaries Public, the latter more crucially in Roman civil-law, French-speaking countries for will-making and conveyancing of land, including the fraught topic of time-sharing.
For the thumbnail: doesn’t Harvey specter also do barrister work? He was a DA (crown prosecutor) for a few years and also has appeared in court many times as a n advocate
i'm not sure whether to go to Uni or do an Apprenticeship, I do like doing things more than learning, hence the apprenticeship bias for me but my parents keep nagging me about uni having a superior status when applying for the job post degree. What do you think? Solicitor apprenticeship or LLB hons
I just work in nursing and now I make food and prep meds for a multi billionaire who visits yearly and I still make 6 figs. It’s who you know, not what you know.
Thankyou for the lovely advice, it has really helped me decide which career path I'd like to consider. Is it just me or does your face features resemble Drew Barrimore 🤔
I am a student of law.First year first semester and i struggling.How can i improve my essay writing/assignment making Skills like argument, Critical analyses, persuasive writing?
You probably won’t read this but if you do I was just wondering if solicitors can advocate for a client in court because I’ve heard about right of audience or something but I don’t really know
Canada, Gibraltar, some Australian Federal States and New Zealand have such a dual qualification. The problem in England and Wales - leave Scotland out of this for the mo - is separate professional bodies - the Law Society or Solicitors' Regulatory Authority, a prospective clash of disciplinary procedures for naughty and misbehaving lawyers, plus different professional indemnity insurance rates for negligence, there being about 10 times as many Solicitors (195,00) as Barristers (19,000) and (or so) far more client complaints relatively about the former fouling up.
I'm not understanding how the law firm will pay for your GDL. Like, they wouldn't know anything about me in order to pay for that. You wouldn't have done a vacation scheme yet or anything so what would move them to pay for a course when you haven't started the GDL course yet or you first start it?? Is it a case that you complete your course and they reimburse you? I don't quite understand how that works out.
I want to go down the law route, but I was wondering if, let’s say I’m assigned to a client by my firm and I add up the evidence and find that they are actually guilty but I have to defend them in court, can I drop the case?
Evidence may be strong on the papers but that does not mean a person is guilty. Pleading not guilty means prove I’m guilty not that I didn’t do it. If a person tells you they are guilty, that is another matter, you can still act but only by testing the evidence. You cannot put forward a positive defence. If a person is guilty and pleads guilty you still represent them by offering mitigation on their behalf in the hope of achieving a lesser sentence. If the client wants you to knowingly lie on their behalf, you withdraw.
Re barristers don't forget that not all are self employed. There are plenty of in house positions too, albeit more barristers are self employed than not. In terms of client contact it depends on the area of law and the client. It is possible to have a higher level if instructed from the outset and involved in strategy conferences. Barristers can also work on a direct public access basis if qualified to do so. Money wise yes there are areas of law that are poorly paid but many are still more than the average salary. Not that this means it is necessarily a good amount in terms if how much you work and the skills you have. It isn't just crime you need barristers gown and wig for. Anything fast track and above in civil you could be asked to robe. Similarly in the high court, court of appeal or supreme court. Circuit wise, it again depends on the area of law. You could be all over the country albeit of course it is more common to be local to where you live. You could live in a different location to your chambers though. Pupillage isn't just shadowing for a year. It is shadowing for 6 months and then you do your own work for 6 months as well as shadowing and doing work for others. You are called to the bar before pupillage but there are strict code of conduct rules regarding how you hold yourself out. There are plenty of mini pupillages you can do before 3rd year. No reason not to try and do these from as soon as you can.
So would barrister be the one or solicitor ? Because I want to be able to work on both sometimes and what type of license will be required and does it need any expenses ? XD thank you !
You actually just might’ve saved my future life, I wanted to be a barrister before in the crime and family sector however I didn’t realise how underpaid and hard it is. So I think now I would prefer the corporate sector as a solicitor because there’s a higher chance of success.
Thank you so much, you earned a new sub
💖
Exact same here
I have practised as a barrister since 1987. I spent two of the early years working for commercial solicitors. For 27/33 years, I worked for people who could not afford to pay my fees. It just about worked, even after Legal Aid was scrapped in 1998 and the government turned us into professional gamblers for a living. It doesn't work any more. (certainly not since 2013) You either work for people who can afford to pay you or you cannot feed a family. As for getting your foot in the door, do the arithmetic with the official system. The 'front door' can't work and is a lottery even if you have a double first from "the right university". I came from a difficult background with a second class degree. I would not have a chance now.
@@ChelsieAngeles
Please , how can I contact with you direct please ?
@@jeremydable2468 I wanna to be Barrister..♥️♥️ It doesn’t matter how much I will earn ...For me Lawyering is a passion not a lottery ticket 🎫 ..♥️♥️
I choked when you said £100,000 salary as a newly qualified solicitor - seriously considering being a solicitor now
Hahaha that was me about two years ago 😂
Just so you know, that salary is only magic circle law firms (really difficult to get into)
I know it is hard but I was already considering to be one and this video helped me even more to be one I know it is very difficult but I am still going to try to be one
Charlie Devita tbf it’s more US firms than Magic Circle firms I think only freshfields crosses the six digits
After the recent price war, even silver circle firms are paying 6 figures to NQs. It's pretty good
I am officially being a lawyer, since the age of seven I have been interested in law, I want to be a solicitor ❤️
Good luck!!
Go for it follow your dream
Congrats bro
I wanna become Barrister.. ♥️🎓Since the age of 12...♥️♥️Now I’m 16
When I’ll able to join law school 🏫..Can u tell me ? Plz..
@@ChelsieAngeles 👍
Schools for 11 years: teaching us the square root of pi and how to use an adverb correctly.
Schools 30 seconds before you leave: 7:03
😂😂
the LPC is now not needed as of September 2021, rather 2 exams now take its place called the solicitor qualifying exams (SQEs). Its a lot cheaper than an LPC (costs roughly £4000) and makes it more accessible (LPC can cost up to around £17,000).
I am watching this video literally after 4 years of you uploading it but it's still very relevant.
Really good video - just to say that you wouldn’t be able to sit in court and take notes unless you were there in a professional capacity. Otherwise, you’d be asked what you were doing! Also, you didn’t mention direct access, which is something that many barristers now offer and this has to some degree blurred the line between the two professions a little. Am just trying to be helpful by adding this. I’m a barrister myself and have been for over 15 years. It was hard when I was trying to get into it 20 plus years ago and I’m sure it’s even harder now. Your advice at the end about doing work experience in things that you don’t necessarily want to do is absolutely spot on! Thanks for a great video.
Literally the best video
Currently a first year law student. Can't believe how you got so much work experience in the first year.... I'm literally struggling to get one..
hi! my best advice is to apply to everything, law related, non-law related, whether you're interested or not. it all helps develop you as a person. plus get help from careers services at your uni/do mock interviews/CV workshops if possible!! good luck, it'll all come in time!
@@ChelsieAngeles Thank you very much! Hopefully I'll have impressive work experience in the first year xx
Pro bono voluntary work is a good way of getting experience early on
@@jessie6461 did you?
Thank you very much for this video. As someone who is not accustomed to the common law system and your way of qualifying lawyers I find this rather short video extremely useful. In my country, Poland, we also have quite a rocky road to become the barrister or the solicitor but as I see in the UK its utterly difficult.
I am only 13 but i wanted to start to gain more knowledge about law and ur video explained everything so clearly it really helped me know the diffrence a lot better
To note, your Inn of Court or the Law School you attend do a lot of scholarships which will cover costs for GDL/BPTC + living costs for those going down the Barrister route! :)
very true! although very rare too!
Yeah, if they approve it. Don't worry, though, those are usually reserved for barrister kids who want to work with daddy and mummy. Complete joke.
The concept of a “qualified law degree” (QLD) will be no more in a year or two. Also, there are many scholarships for the BPTC provided by the Inns of Courts or by the providers themself. Additionally, you’re called to the Bar after the BPTC and not after pupillage.
What do you mean by the concept of “qualified law degree” being no more?
@@faheem4988 The solicitor qualifying route is changing towards the SQE
Elise Tanjon so to become a solicitor you wont need a law degree?
@@faheem4988 No, but it would be a great advantage as you need to have extensive knowledge of the law. You can read about it on the SRA's website
Elise Tanjon Oh. Thank you 😊
Nice wanting to be a solicitor and am presently in law school , thank you for this, it helps a lot
I think it would be useful to also mention that for people going to the Bar, it's not entirely true that you have to pay for it all yourself - all Inns of Court have incredibly generous scholarships and lots of people get full scholarships, whilst many get close to that. In my opinion getting one of those actually does skim out the people that might not be right for the Bar, because if a panel of experienced barristers don't want to finance you even minimally maybe it should make you think about whether you want to go and splurge money on the course at all in the first place (though of course some people don't get a GDL one, but do get a BPTC one). Two of the Inns also provide residential scholarships if you get a scholarship, meaning that you get a year living in central London entirely for free (!!!) through them. Providers also have scholarships which you interview for by doing advocacy exercises etc, and some of those are also full scholarships.
Carolina Bax are these for anyone or usually for people from a lower socio-economic background or household income?
Anyone can apply from any background - I know of some people who are not really in need of a scholarship at all financially who have got a full scholarship, so they are not at all reserved to lower socio-economic backgrounds. The scholarships are firstly based on merit, but financial need is taken into account straight after that and amounts will vary based on that.
There is always an interview following an application - some places shortlist applicants, like Gray's Inn, based on the paper application, whilst others like to interview all applicants but for a shorter amount of time, like Middle Temple. Hopefully this helps but specific Inn websites are more helpful with regards to their own internal criteria targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/law-barristers/advice/291653-over-%C2%A35-million-of-funding-up-for-grabs-how-to-win-yourself-a-scholarship-with-an-inn-o
Also, this is obviously more in the long-term, when you get pupillage, lots of chambers give what they call a drawdown award, where you can ask for a small percentage of what would be your pupillage award (salary) to help you pay towards remaining costs of the BPTC.
I also know also that some Inns offer free work experience, travel expenses included (which are hefty when doing mini-pupillages travelling across somewhere like London, as often you're sent to far-flung courts) through access schemes for specific backgrounds (I think it's Inner Temple that offers it, and it should be called the Pegasus scheme). There is also a helpful blog called Blessing at the Bar that you might find useful. I hope that helps!
ah it makes me so happy that you're so helpful to each other! 💖
True but also there are plenty of people without scholarships at the bar, and with who aren't
was just going to comment this, misleading video
i’m currently in my first year at sixth form and i been wanting to become a solicitor since i was a child i pray i get into the high street firms xx
how did your A levels go? Because I got fucked but I managed to get into Law School thru clearing 😭
Blockstar i wanna change my alevel subjects 😭😭 so i have to firm another year in sixth form
emmanuelle Aká damn man, good luck with that 🤣🤟🏿
Blockstar what subjects did you take?
emmanuelle Aká what are you taking
Great video....Solicitors are not always employed, many are fee earners so they are self-employed. Solicitors do not hand a case over to a Barrister at the Advocacy stage. A Solicitor can advocate at court and doesn't always need a Barrister. Even when a Solicitor instructs a Barrister the case is still the Solicitor's. There are however Direct access Barristers...
Solicitors need higher rights to act as advocate in the higher courts of course. DPA barristers cannot conduct litigation unless they have applied for that add on.
Most solicitors are fee earners but that doesn’t make them self employed.
@@lulabellelikes4228 How long does it take to get the higher rights after qualifying? Thanks
Great content! Please keep making more such videos.
Just a point of clarification. You don’t need to get pupillage to get called to the Bar. You get called to the Bar right after your BPTC and become a Barrister (unregistered).
While in order to become a solicitor, you need to complete your training contract.
It depends where in the UK you are. In Northern Ireland you need a master to be called to the Bar
True but its like a dog without teeth as you cannot practise as a barrister and there are very strict rules in the code of conduct as to how you hold yourself out.
thank you for this video. i am 15 and have been passionate about law since i was a baby (good at arguing my point o guess). this helped so much, and has made me realise how much better being a soliciter would be so i thank yo iso much (may have just saved me!)
Can’t wait to be a barrister👩🏽⚖️ 👩🏽🎓
Thanks for this video. I recently started in a county court as a court usher and have literally zero clue how anything works or who people are. I would ask people are they your solicitor and they would correct me, "no. They're a barrister." I would smile away thinking "isn't that the same thing?!?!?"
Thank you so much. I have always wondered which one would be a better choice.
You just got another subscriber!🙂
This's the kind of video i've been looking for, thank God i found this. Thanks :]
There are lots of barristers and solicitors constantly switching roles to find work. Only a few solicitors and barristers become very successful. For the rest it's just a very hard slog for an average wage that you could earn even if you weren't a legal professional.
I’d second that. Most tradesmen earn more than some solicitors. Commercial law pays well but don’t expect to have a life.
With the skills you have as a lawyer, I'm sure there are easier ways to make money.
Planning to go down the bar next year, this was a really good insight!
Great love it how you get to the catch... And no beating around.
really helpful comparison, thanks! One does wonder why anyone takes the financial risk going through the BPTC though.
Good reading is "Secret Barrister" and "Fake Law" before making a decision
So I'm in college and I was hoping that you would do a tutorial on how to write an alevel style law essay or university level essay writing
as i'll be doing essays all year, i'm sure i'll cover this. so consider it added to my list!
How Important is it to know which sector of law you want to focus on when doing the GDL?☺️
I'm trying to figure this out because I'm taking my options and this all effects my future. This really helped thankyou
Really good video but a couple of things wrong with being called to the bar that viewers might find helpful.
You are called to the bar at the completion of your BPTC (Now the BPC). You will be called at your Inn before you start pupillage. If you have deferred exams, it may be during pupillage (but must be before your second sixth). You are called before pupillage begins and some may even get called then not practice at all, or may practice somewhere else within the Commonwealth.
On completion of your pupillage, it is correct that you may not get tenancy, but that is very rare and usually due to you needing to undertake a third sixth (extended pupillage at another set of chambers). If you do complete your pupillage and receive your practicing certificate but are unlucky enough not to get tenancy, you are a Barrister and you can practice (albeit as long as you have the relevant insurance to do so). So there are downsides of not gaining tenancy, but it is not the end of the world and it certainly doesn't prevent you from continuing your career as a Barrister. Some may seek the employed Bar instead (which is essentially what it sounds like, working for a large company such as the BBC or a FTSE 100, but inhouse).
Route to the Bar is time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive - but when you get that pupillage offer, it is all worth it!
Pupilage is rarer than gold dust. If you become a barrister, respect !
Latest figures show a 1 in 9 chance
No pupillage is required to be called to the Bar post-vocational Bar course, only if the aspirant is an intending practitioner in England & Wales. Otherwise, British Commonwealth Bar students going back to practise in their own or home countries would be put at a disadvantage and/or start flooding the pupillage market.
Found the video interesting and useful so thank you . I am planning on starting my law degree at NCL this year.
People want to be barristers - then find out how hard it is and get bought out by good salaries early on and become solicitors (admin paperwork).
It’s also worth baring in mind that 80k in London is like £11 in a pub.
Literally a worthwhile video
Perhaps, lest a distorted picture be painted by omission, consider other branches of the legal profession in the UK : like Legal Executives, Licensed Conveyancers and Notaries Public.
I’m an American attorney and found this incredibly interesting.
as an american this is super interesting
👍
Very useful video, I'm currently in my first year of a non law degree planning to convert via the gdl route.
My advice is DON'T even consider being a Solicitor unless you have your own clients and are able to be your own boss after 5 years post qualification experience. If you are going to be employed all your life and be unfortunate enough to report to s**t boss(es), your life will be living hell and will not be worth living.
always worth living my man
Same as everywhere.
Chelsie thank you for great career counseling
Im 14 and hoping to be a barrister, new sub xx
Would have been also great to know about GDL providers.... How do you rank them and find out issues before getting in?
There is no ranking for GDL providers. You literally learn the same things everywhere and earn a degree with similar powers. If you secure a training contract, the company will most likely dictate your provider, as they are going to pay for your GDL and SQE from now and onwards (LPC isn't goanna be a thing anymore). Most firms send their pupils to ULaw or BPP (both have terrible rankings - ULaw is ranked 7.923 and BPP is ranked 6.338). It seems that they both specialise, however, in the area of law, so that's probably why firms choose them. If you don't manage to secure a training contract, you should apply for scholarships at actual universities (public). Don't go for the LLM route, as many programmes don't cover SQE1 or SQE2 or even neither sometimes. If you aspire to be a barrister, look for GDL funding from the Inns of Court and, again, uni scholarships. Hope that helped. If you need anything else, just drop me a response here 🙂. Best of luck!! 😁
If you have an LL.B from a foreign country that practices common law say Ghana or Canada and want to become a solicitor or barrister in the UK. How do you go about it?
Gabriel Otiboe-Narh if you have an LLB from a Ghanaian University like University of Ghana you’ll probably have to go to Makola ( Ghana Law school) for a year , get called to the Ghana bar and do you’re post-call to the UK bar. That’s if you want to be a barrister. If you had an LLB from a UK University say the University of London LLB but studied via distance learning in Ghana then you’d just need to get into an Inn of Court, then do the BPTC.
As for the LPC I’m not sure but I’d suggest you contact LPC providers personally to enquire if they accept Ghanaian LLB
This actually cleared up so much stuff for me thank you so much
I came here because i was bout to go to court haha wish me luck guys
Such a clever sausage ! Video well done 👏
This was phenomenal!! Thank you
Choose to be a barrister you if want to be your own boss . Solicitors are the employers with cheap salary. You can’t compare the barristers with the solicitors. Is a big difference of professionalism and salary. Solicitors are the a lot down to the barristers. Of course will not tell you that because they need solicitors for their own offices.
How about transitioning from a solicitor to a talent agent?
This is awful advice tbh. There are a lot of really significant things involved in being a barrister that are AWFUL, esp for young ppl... Extremely hard to get a decent - or any - mortgage. Self-employed are not looked favourably at all by banks, unless they've substantial savings and income. Most barristers struggle horribly financially.
, but there are a few v visible extremely high earners. Solicitor is more varied pot. Generally much higher pay but longer hours too.
Having been a solicitor, I caution anyone strongly against the barrister side. It is a rough ride - (but if you've connections, grit and passion, go for it - with determination and with full knowledge). Solicitor is full-on but v interesting. Ppl can find environment v stressful and toxic tho. Best of luck.
When you do a vacation scheme, is it in the summer break? If not, how do you work your degree around the scheme? Also, would you go for the LPC or SQE? Thankyou
can you please go in more detail about every single step like how to get a law degree i have always wanting to be a solicitor and i know it is hard but i am going to try my best to get there i am young but i am thinking about it now
Apply for LLB from any university, after completing LLB you then apply for LPC ( Legal Practise course), you then apply for training contract with a law firm, then two years of training and you're done
I’ve been critical of the
@ABAesq
recently, but I wholeheartedly agree with this statement and I appreciate the nearly universal rebuke of the senator’s threats against two sitting #SCOTUS justices if they don’t agree with his view of the #law.
@
@t
Your exposition has an informal spectacle!.
This video has been so helpful. 💕
I'm doing Law and Criminology in college at the moment and I'm wondering how would a degree apprenticeship in being a Solicitor stand because they are around 5 years
Best information video ever🥰
This video is so useful. Thank you so much!
I really love this video. This is my first video I'm viewing from your channel...just discovered you. Nevertheless, you wouldn't mind my asking where did you get your LLB and that other follow on qualification...not sure of its name? But, I couldn't have imagined that's how legal training is done in the UK i.e. having to choose which pathway of either becoming a solicitor and/or a barrister, if I heard you correctly with latter. Anyway, have you done any review on law books that you would have used in your LLB programme- books that are considered 'staples' or 'the prescribed' texts that are vital to the successful completion of any LLB degree in the UK, notwithstanding this can vary from place to place? Thank you for producing these videos. Keep it up and I shall be looking at your other videos in the coming days. Take care....from the other side of the Atlantic.
It would be brilliant to have a choice of either professional as I don't have Legal representation and am currently struggling to know how to represent myself.
hi! just wanna ask, what age were you when you start working and getting paid as a lawyer?
Thanks for this video the information is really helpful.
This was a good explanation!! I’m going on to second year of college. And I’m wondering if it’s possible to skip university and maybe start on an apprenticeship?? I’m trying to become a legal executive or paralegal
Good Luck on that one... I have been trying for so long and to no avail, better pay for the course yourself or start off as a legal secretary and if your lucky you would have them pay for you to exceed
Hi the video was really helpful. Thank you for sharing. Also I would really like to know how difficult is it to secure a training contract for a foreign student. And what is the average payscale.
Hi there, thanks for the video! Am wondering if anyone knows if it’s a lot harder to become a solicitor after doing a conversion from a different degree than doing a law degree in the first place?
It isn’t
Don't do a degree at all. Do an apprenticeship.
Hi, what route would be best if you’re around 38 years old and working full time?
There are a lot of mistakes in your advice about what barristers do. For one thing, big chambers DO pay for your GDL and BPTC if you get a pupillage with them. Also, there are loads of inn scholarships that you can apply for to get onto the BPTC. You did not even mention that prospective barristers need to join an inn of court before beginning the BPTC. when one eventually gets pupillage, which is the equivalent of a training contract, the next step is to become a tenant, which again is the equivalent of becoming a qualified solicitor. Also, after completion of the BPTC, you are called to the bar. This is irrespective of whether you have secured pupillage or not. Hence the BPTC technically carries more weight than the LPC, because it confers a title on you- Barrister.
I'm starting my English literature degree in September but want to switch it over to a law degree. I'm wondering if I would get more recognition if I went through with the English lit degree and after that pursued law? Or would it be just about the same, only a bigger pain for me?
I also want to note that I'm going to Keele University which is certainly not a Russel group. does this mean I can't expect high pay and will it be difficult to be accepted into a law firm?
thank you for this !!
If some one wanted to become a Judge, which is the better route to go down? Solicitor or Barrister? What is a QC?
QC - Queen's Counsel. Basically a very senior barrister.
You can be a judge via the solicitor or barrister route, although it takes a while to access as it is role that you usually do after significant experience as a practicing solicitor or barrister. Often barristers and solicitors will apply to part-time positions first to gain experience. You have to be appointed by the Judicial Appointments Commission to become a judge.
Loved the video❤️❤️ thank you!
Such an informative video!😊
Thanks for this video. My daughter has gained admission to university of Oxford to study Law with French Law which requires her to spend an extra year studying french law in Paris. My question is what are the advantages of doing this course considering you cant practise in France. Is the extra year studying abroad a waste of time? It states on oxford university's website that your degree certification will be English Law with French Law. Will employers see this as plus or view as the same as having a Law degree?
Please pass my congratulations on to your daughter - that's an amazing achievement! 🎉
The main advantages are gaining the experience of living abroad for a year, understanding a new legal system, and potentially developing language skills. Employers will see these as positives. It could also be beneficial if your daughter wants to practice at a law firm in the UK that has offices internationally, such as in France, as her experiences and extra legal knowledge on France will be an asset to their business. It certainly won't be a detriment to her career prospects and the very fact that she'll be studying at Oxford will mean many doors will be open for her career-wise. Wishing her the best of luck!
@@ChelsieAngeles thank you so much for the feed back. Shes fluent in french hence why she was offered the course with french law. She had 3 interviews and the third interview was mainly a french speaking interview.
I was just thinking whats the point of spending an extra year abroad when most of your mates will probably be practising or training during that period. Your response answers my question. Once again thank you so much for your fast response
@@ChelsieAngeles thanks a lot for the response.
@@bestiegrand6017 Your daughter will be one up on monolingual English-only lawyers and Notaries Public, the latter more crucially in Roman civil-law, French-speaking countries for will-making and conveyancing of land, including the fraught topic of time-sharing.
@@adrianm.maitlandretd.barri8830 thanks for your response. Do you study law?
For the thumbnail: doesn’t Harvey specter also do barrister work? He was a DA (crown prosecutor) for a few years and also has appeared in court many times as a n advocate
If I do an apprenticeship as a solicitor to I need to go to university
unrelated to the video but cant help but notice you look a lot like jen barber
i'm not sure whether to go to Uni or do an Apprenticeship, I do like doing things more than learning, hence the apprenticeship bias for me but my parents keep nagging me about uni having a superior status when applying for the job post degree. What do you think? Solicitor apprenticeship or LLB hons
Hi
It’s really helpful for me...♥️♥️
Thanks a lots...💕💕
I completed a llb 5 years ago then I joined the royal navy I retirement a few months ago will city law firms recruit me ?
I just work in nursing and now I make food and prep meds for a multi billionaire who visits yearly and I still make 6 figs. It’s who you know, not what you know.
Thankyou for the lovely advice, it has really helped me decide which career path I'd like to consider.
Is it just me or does your face features resemble Drew Barrimore 🤔
I am a student of law.First year first semester and i struggling.How can i improve my essay writing/assignment making Skills like argument, Critical analyses, persuasive writing?
I'm on the telephone interview for a legal apprenticeship scheme :^) hopefully I will enter the CITY
Could you please share with us how someone can relocate to the U.K. after getting admitted to the Bar in another country e.g Kenya
You probably won’t read this but if you do I was just wondering if solicitors can advocate for a client in court because I’ve heard about right of audience or something but I don’t really know
yes, solicitors can advocate in court. just not on most charges!
Why does UK distinguish between a solicitor and a barrister? Why can't you just be a lawyer and do both?
Different training and specialities. Though, a lot switch between both to find work
Canada, Gibraltar, some Australian Federal States and New Zealand have such a dual qualification. The problem in England and Wales - leave Scotland out of this for the mo - is separate professional bodies - the Law Society or Solicitors' Regulatory Authority, a prospective clash of disciplinary procedures for naughty and misbehaving lawyers, plus different professional indemnity insurance rates for negligence, there being about 10 times as many Solicitors (195,00) as Barristers (19,000) and (or so) far more client complaints relatively about the former fouling up.
I'm not understanding how the law firm will pay for your GDL. Like, they wouldn't know anything about me in order to pay for that. You wouldn't have done a vacation scheme yet or anything so what would move them to pay for a course when you haven't started the GDL course yet or you first start it?? Is it a case that you complete your course and they reimburse you? I don't quite understand how that works out.
you would do a vacation scheme, work experience, or make an application to the firm prior to studying the GDL.
Do you recommend law as a career? Do you have any regrets?
I have less than a week to make final decisions about uni and im lost help
Official 78 ive decided to just go for it. I can’t know till I try, thanks anyway :)
Official 78 aha I’m horrible at decisions too.Honestly there’s no being certain, sorry to say. You just have to choose, goodluck 🥰
bambi 00 law is a versatile degree you can even go into business/finance if u rlly don’t like law in general
I want to go down the law route, but I was wondering if, let’s say I’m assigned to a client by my firm and I add up the evidence and find that they are actually guilty but I have to defend them in court, can I drop the case?
this is one of the things i'm afraid of
Evidence may be strong on the papers but that does not mean a person is guilty. Pleading not guilty means prove I’m guilty not that I didn’t do it. If a person tells you they are guilty, that is another matter, you can still act but only by testing the evidence. You cannot put forward a positive defence. If a person is guilty and pleads guilty you still represent them by offering mitigation on their behalf in the hope of achieving a lesser sentence. If the client wants you to knowingly lie on their behalf, you withdraw.
Re barristers don't forget that not all are self employed. There are plenty of in house positions too, albeit more barristers are self employed than not.
In terms of client contact it depends on the area of law and the client. It is possible to have a higher level if instructed from the outset and involved in strategy conferences. Barristers can also work on a direct public access basis if qualified to do so.
Money wise yes there are areas of law that are poorly paid but many are still more than the average salary. Not that this means it is necessarily a good amount in terms if how much you work and the skills you have.
It isn't just crime you need barristers gown and wig for. Anything fast track and above in civil you could be asked to robe. Similarly in the high court, court of appeal or supreme court.
Circuit wise, it again depends on the area of law. You could be all over the country albeit of course it is more common to be local to where you live. You could live in a different location to your chambers though.
Pupillage isn't just shadowing for a year. It is shadowing for 6 months and then you do your own work for 6 months as well as shadowing and doing work for others.
You are called to the bar before pupillage but there are strict code of conduct rules regarding how you hold yourself out.
There are plenty of mini pupillages you can do before 3rd year. No reason not to try and do these from as soon as you can.
Is there any difference between LLB degree & BA in Jurisprudence degree ???
LLB is a qualifying degree and BA Jurisprudence isn’t, as it is purely academic, and doesn’t include the core subjects
Ok but what's the song in the intro
After completion of a law undergraduate degree do you recommend doing a postgraduate or do you know of any law firms sponsoring postgraduate programs
Law undergrad is pointless
What about the RFI? SRS? EBD? PAS? DSG?
Thing is I don't want to work in a courtroom Daily basis but I also want to work in law firm. I want to work in both so does solicitor do that?
Some solicitors can, they can get a licence and do authorised activities. Normally small things that require a short court visit.
So would barrister be the one or solicitor ? Because I want to be able to work on both sometimes and what type of license will be required and does it need any expenses ?
XD thank you !
Amazing this is great thank you so helpful
Could you become a solicitor work for it for like 5 years, and then become a barrister after doing the BPTC, and then pupilage.
Or you could just get your higher rights qualification and do everything a barrister can.
Solicitors are eligible to take the Bar Transfer Test, allowing them to become qualified barrister without the BPTC.
@@maimunamay6198 ah ok. Thank you :)
Chelsea, what are the prestigious law schools in the UK?
I'd say Russell Groups are a safe bet!
What about solicitors apprenticeships
So do you think it's easier to become a solicitor first before you become a barrister?