Types of law firm
For a profile of a solicitor at a UKCity firm, see Sam Harvey of Bristows in the ‘Intellectual property’ chapter. National/regional firms Beyond London, themost active cities are Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Liverpool, Cardiff, Newcastle andNottingham. National firms have offices in several cities (and perhaps alsoScotland), whereas a ‘regional’ firm might limit itself to say, the north or the southwest, perhapswith an additional office in London. A regional firmcould have just one office or several. Clients aremostlyUKpublic and private companies, local and public authorities, and possibly also international businesseswithUK interests. As a rule of thumb, smaller firms are also likely to prioritise private client work. Expect to spend your training contract in a single region, potentially visiting different offices. Salaries vary by location, withBirmingham, Manchester andBristol faring relativelywell (mid £20,000s to £30,000s) compared to, say, Wales or Kent (fromaround £16,500 tomid £20,000s). Regional trainees typicallyworkmore manageable hours than their City counterparts; however, there is a strong emphasis on gaining practical experience and client exposure. Available seat optionswill depend on the firm’s businessmodel, so do your research. For a profile of a solicitor at a national/regional firm, seeMyra Leung of Burges Salmon in the ‘ Employment ’ chapter. General practice, legal aidandadvice centres Lawon the high street is undergoing a revolution as a result of the Legal Services Act 2007. Tiny partnerships and sole practitioners have been joined by large franchises (eg, QualitySolicitors)
and alternative business structures. The revolutionmay lead to greater consistency in training and supervision, but it will also bring new challenges – technology is being usedmore, and lawyersmay need toworkweekend shifts. Some firms nowmarket their services at kiosks or pop- up stands in shopping centres. Your clientswill be ordinary peoplewith a house to buy, a spouse to divorce, an ex-employer to sue, awill towrite or an injury to be compensated for. Somewill be entrepreneurs in need of a steer through an exceptional phase of their business plan. Youwill need good timemanagement and people skills andmust be a confident decisionmaker. It’s been a torrid decade for lawyers assisting publicly funded clients and opportunities for new trainees are fewer than ever. Legal aid has become unprofitable – somuch so that many practitionerswho remain in the fieldmust bolster their income fromprivately paying clients, while the government has plans to cut legal aid even further. Evenwithin lawcentres and other advice bureaux, priorities and clientsmust be selected carefully. This kind of work is only for those truly committed to universal access to justice. Youwill encounter abusive neighbours, rogue landlords, recidivist teens, individuals struggling to cope with disability or debt, and endless need in your local community. For an example of a solicitor at a general practice firm, seeDanielleReece-Greenhalgh of Corker Binning in the ‘Crime’ chapter and for an example of a solicitor working in the legal aid sector, see Susie Labinjoh of Hodge Jones &Allen in the ‘ Human Rights ’ chapter.
Reality check: In 2014 theminimum trainee salarywas abolished and firms are entitled to pay trainees theNational MinimumWage. Whilemany – particularly in the commercial sector – continue to pay their traineeswell above that, some increasingly squeezed high street and criminal firms pay their trainees relatively lowsalaries.
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