Training contract
Encyclopedia
A training contract is a compulsory period of practical training in a law firm
for law graduates
before they can qualify as a solicitor
in the United Kingdom
, the Republic of Ireland
, Australia
or Hong Kong
. During the training period, the participant is known as a trainee solicitor
.
. Trainee solicitor
s and training contracts were formerly known as articled clerk
s and articles of clerkship, respectively. In the UK the barrister
's equivalent is a twelve-month pupillage
under a pupilmaster, in barristers' chambers
.
, who normally does not hold a law degree
, a training contract is not normally required to qualification as a solicitor. They typically advance toward qualification by passing exams administered by the Institute of Legal Executives
(ILEX), while working under the supervision of a solicitor
.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
for law graduates
Legal education
Legal education is the education of individuals who intend to become legal professionals or those who simply intend to use their law degree to some end, either related to law or business...
before they can qualify as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
or Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. During the training period, the participant is known as a trainee solicitor
Trainee solicitor
In the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong and certain other English common law jurisdictions, a trainee solicitor is a prospective lawyer undergoing professional training at a law firm to qualify as a full-fledged solicitor...
.
United Kingdom
In the UK a full-time training contract is normally for two years, and applicants must have first completed the Legal Practice CourseLegal Practice Course
The Legal Practice Course also known as the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practiceis the vocational stage for becoming a solicitor in England and Wales. The course is the successor to Law Society Finals and is more vocational in its syllabus. The LPC can be taken in many different formats including...
. Trainee solicitor
Trainee solicitor
In the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong and certain other English common law jurisdictions, a trainee solicitor is a prospective lawyer undergoing professional training at a law firm to qualify as a full-fledged solicitor...
s and training contracts were formerly known as articled clerk
Articled clerk
An articled clerk, also known as an articling student, is an apprentice in a professional firm in Commonwealth countries. Generally the term arises in the accountancy profession and in the legal profession. The articled clerk signs a contract, known as "articles of clerkship", committing to a...
s and articles of clerkship, respectively. In the UK the barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
's equivalent is a twelve-month pupillage
Pupillage
A pupillage, in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, is the barrister's equivalent of the training contract that a solicitor undertakes...
under a pupilmaster, in barristers' chambers
Chambers (law)
A judge's chambers, often just called his or her chambers, is the office of a judge.Chambers may also refer to the type of courtroom where motions related to matter of procedure are heard.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :...
.
Route
To obtain a training contract, a graduate must apply for an opening for such position at a law firm usually a year or two in advance of the start of their employment. One concern is that each year the number of applicants exceeds the number of contracts available. A large number of unsuccessful graduates will have accrued sizeable debts with no guarantee of being able to qualify as a lawyer. However, in years past it was common for aspiring lawyers to pay law firms to train them (a practice also common in other professions in the past, including officer positions in the Royal Navy).Legal executives
For a legal executiveLegal Executive
Legal executives are trained legal professionals in England & Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong who often specialise in a particular area of law. There is, however, no direct equivalent to a legal executive in Scotland...
, who normally does not hold a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
, a training contract is not normally required to qualification as a solicitor. They typically advance toward qualification by passing exams administered by the Institute of Legal Executives
Institute of Legal Executives
The Institute of Legal Executives is the professional body for legal executives in England and Wales and an examination board providing qualifications for legal executives, paralegals and legal secretaries.-History:...
(ILEX), while working under the supervision of a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
.
External links
- The Law Society of England & Wales
- Training Contract Deadlines 2011
- The Solicitors Regulation Authority
- 'What is a training contract?', Chambers Student Guide 2011, ISBN 978-0-85514-313-8