General practice, legal aid and advice centres Law on 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 revolution may lead to greater consistency in training and supervision, but it’ll also bring new challenges – technology is being used more, and lawyers may need to work weekend shifts. Some firms now market their services at kiosks or pop-up stands in shopping centres. Your clients will be ordinary people with a house to buy, a spouse to divorce, an ex-employer to sue, a will to write or an injury to be compensated for. Some will be entrepreneurs in need of a steer through an exceptional phase of their business plan. You’ll need good time management and people skills and must be a confident decision maker. It’s been a difficult decade for lawyers assisting publicly funded clients and opportunities for new trainees are fewer than ever. Legal aid has become unprofitable – so much so that many practitioners who remain in the field must bolster their income from privately paying clients. Even within law centres and other advice bureaux, priorities and clients must be selected carefully. This kind of work is only for those truly committed to universal access to justice. You’ll encounter abusive neighbours, rogue landlords, misbehaving teens, individuals struggling to cope with disability or debt, and endless need in your local community. For an example of a solicitor working in the legal aid sector, see Susie Labinjoh of Hodge Jones & Allen in the ‘Human Rights’ Practice Area Profile on page 140.
cultivate relationships with overseas lawyers, and this attracts some multi-jurisdictional work. If you think you’d be happiest working in a smaller, less frenetic environment, then there are plenty of firms to choose from. Starting salaries are typically in the low to high £30,000s. For a profile of a solicitor at a UK City firm, see Ellen Lambrix of Bristows in the ‘Intellectual property’ Practice Area Profile on page 144. National/regional firms Beyond London, the most active cities are Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Liverpool, Cardiff, Newcastle and Nottingham. National firms have offices in several cities (and perhaps also Scotland), whereas a ‘regional’ firm might limit itself to say, the North or the South West, perhaps with an additional office in London. A regional firm could have just one office or several. Clients are mostly UK public and private companies, local and public authorities, and possibly also international businesses with UK 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, with Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol faring relatively well (mid £20,000s to £30,000s) compared to, say, Wales or Kent (from around £18,000 to mid £20,000s). Regional trainees typically work more manageable hours than their City counterparts; however, there’s a strong emphasis on gaining practical experience and client exposure. Available
seat options will depend on the firm’s business model, so do your research.
For a profile of a solicitor at a national/regional firm, see Chloe Gibson of Mills & Reeve LLP in the ‘Commercial property/real estate’ Practice Area Profile on page 126.
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