Legal Profession

Confused!!

Hi,
Don't know if anyone can help with this but very confused at the moment. I'm 25 and feel like i'm stuck in a rut in terms of my career. I've always had an interest in law and am looking into training to become a barrister or a solicitor. I've found out that I could train to become a barrister by doing a 2 year part time course, taking an entrance exam and then a one year full time course. You then have to do devilling for a year at least.
I've looked into training to become a solicitor but I'm really confused with this!! I don't know whether I'd need to go back to college and do a law degree and start from there. Even after that I'm still unsure as to what the process is.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Shield

You might get more responses over at the 'Work & Jobs' sub-forum under Biz/Personal?

yournamehere

Do you have a degree already?

If so expempt from prelim exam.

There are 8 entrance exams:-
Company
Criminal
Contract
Constitutional
Equity
EU
Property
Tort



Many revision courses geared at these: Stanhope/Griffith would bhave the best reputation.

Syllabus is on law society website as well as lots of information. www.lawsociety.ie you can buy past exam papers and reports.

you must also sit first irish.


Pass mark is 50% you must sit four exams on your first attempt and pass 3 to keep any. you may keep them for five years.


Next find an apprenticeship. Not as difficult as is made out but competition for places in large/large-med firms is fierce.


Try and get a job as a legal assistant/paralegal/in house in the ifsc whilst doing your exams. Massive benefit when it comes to searching for an apprenticeship.


you usually startin office about 4 months pre ppc1 coure (this varies)

ppc1 - 6 months in blackhall, exams at end of 6 months.

training: 12 months in office

ppc2: 4 months in blackhall


training: depends on what you served pre ppc1 usually 8 mnths left at this stage.


What industry/area are you in at the moment??

Tom Young

King's Inns Diploma is similar enough, but 5 nights a week in Dublin.

Year 1. Constitutional, Criminal, Tort, Land and Succession, Legal Systems and Contract.

Year 2 (amedended). Administrative Law, Equity, Evidence, Jurisprudence, Family and European Law.

Its a tougher route but quite rewarding. The social aspect of the Inns is great and you'd have access to debating, mooting and bar practitioners.

The Diploma allows you access to sit the annual entrance examination which consists of:

Company, Constitutional, Criminal, Evidence and Tort. Company is being swapped out next year for Contract law.

Both professions are great and rewarding. If you have preferences for advocacy and negotiation you might consider the Bar.

Watch out though, if you do a Diploma or recognised degree Jurisprudence and Admin law are required for the entrance exam from now and 2008.

Confused!!

Yes, I have a degree in HR. Am I right in saying that if i studied the Diploma in Kings Inn that I have to train to become a barrister? I currently work as a fund accountant but its definitely not a career i want to continue in!! I'm thinking of moving jobs into something in the legal sector but don't know what type of job I could get at the moment with no experience or no previous study.

With regard to the Irish exam that you need to sit while training to become a solicitor, is it a difficult exam to pass? Haven't spoken Irish since my leaving cert in 2000!! Also with the apprenticeship for a solicitor, is this the same as what devilling is whereby you're unpaid?

Tom Young

Correct, King's Inns = Barrister School, Blackhall Place = Solicitor School. I can imagine that fund accounting is a little oppressive after a time. Have you looked at the Trading exams? I looked at them a few years ago, most interesting and a real route to cash (then again you probably know that).

I have always recommended moving into a semi-state or company where you could work in the regulatory environment, with either responsibility for compliance or indeed employment with the legal affairs division.

Devilling is pertinent to the barrister profession and is a one/two year experience. They are allowed work undertakings in that period, e.g., teaching.

My impression of the apprentice solicitor salaries is that they are reasonable.

Tom