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Between 2006 and 2009, 0.3% of doctoral graduates, or 45 employed doctoral graduates, are known to have been working as solicitors six months after graduation.

Job description

Doctoral level solicitors are commonly classified in the ‘other common doctoral occupations' employment cluster.

Solicitors provide a wide range of legal support and advice to clients, who may be individuals or organisations. They take instructions and advise on necessary courses of legal action in matters other than business affairs.

Solicitors' practices vary considerably in the type of work they undertake, depending on their size and the market they serve. Some are referred to as 'high street firms' as they tend to deal with the needs of the local community and offer a wide range of services. Commercial solicitors represent clients where there is a business-related dispute. Most commercial solicitors specialise in particular areas of law such as property, insurance or employment.

Typical work activities

Typical work activities include:

  • Meeting and interviewing clients to establish the firm's suitability to provide the necessary advice and services
  • Explaining the firm's fees to clients
  • Advising clients on the law and how it may affect their case; researching and analysing information, including statements, medical reports, legal documents and case histories
  • Corresponding with clients and opposing solicitors, instructing and meeting with barristers
  • Dealing with administration matters arising from legal proceedings, preparing papers for court
  • Supervising the implementation of agreements, calculating claims for damages, compensation, maintenance, etc
  • Attending court, to sit behind counsel or to represent a client in the lower courts
  • Working in a team within the firm, sometimes referring files to the head of department, delegating work to trainee solicitors, paralegals and legal secretaries as appropriate
  • Making cross referrals to colleagues, for example, a matrimonial solicitor will work with a conveyancing solicitor on the sale of a matrimonial home in the case of a divorce
  • Undertaking necessary administration e.g. completing time sheets so that charges for work can be calculated, billing clients for work done on their behalf
  • Taking referrals from other firms of solicitors when a conflict of interest arises, or if they have no specialist practitioner available

Entry requirements

This area of work is open to doctorates from all disciplines, although law subjects are favoured. However non-law graduates can take a conversion course called the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examination (CPE), which takes one year if studied full-time. This route is as popular as starting with a law degree.

The routes into the profession vary slightly depending on where you live in the UK, and each is overseen by a different body: in England and Wales by the The Law Society of England and Wales; in Scotland by the Law Society of Scotland; and in Northern Ireland by the The Law Society of Northern Ireland. Apart from the Law Societies, good sources of information about becoming a solicitor are LawCareers.Net and the College of Law.

Postgraduate degrees do not necessarily confer an advantage but, depending on the subject, may indicate to a prospective employer that you have a strong interest in a particular area of law.

Candidates need to show evidence of the following:

  • Strong interest in and awareness of legal issues
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • High levels of energy and stamina
  • Resilience and the capacity for overcoming obstacles
  • The ability to assimilate large amounts of information quickly, analyse it and apply it appropriately
  • An even temperament and the ability to remain calm under pressure
  • Self-confidence and the ability to inspire confidence in others

Salary

  • Starting salaries for trainees are often relatively low for non-commercial solicitors. The average salary for a trainee solicitor in private practice was £18,500 in 2005-06, although the range is quite wide, with higher salaries going to trainees working in London and rising proportionately with the size of the firm. In the case of commercial solicitors however, larger commercial firms can offer higher salaries, the highest being in City firms. Many of these offer starting salaries in the region of £30,000 - £36,000 for training contracts starting in 2012
  • On average, an experienced assistant or associate solicitor in private practice could expect to earn about £42,000, rising to £50,000 if he or she becomes a salaried partner. However, there are enormous variations depending on location, size of firm and grade (all salary data collected February 2009 from The Law Society of England and Wales survey published 2007 - latest available).
  • Salaries at senior level also vary hugely. Partners share equity and profits.

Sector and disciplinary information

Sector information

Doctoral graduates from 2006/7 to 2008/9 working in this occupation six months after graduation were known to be working in the following sectors:

Disciplinary background

The most common disciplinary backgrounds for doctoral graduates (2006-2009) entering roles as solicitors were:

Career stories

None available

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