Solicitor Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a solicitor job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a solicitor. Feel free to use our solicitor job description template to produce your own solicitor job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a solicitor.
Who is a Solicitor?
A Solicitor is a professional who offers clients help, guidance, and representation in legal areas, including business, family, real estate, and criminal law. Typically, solicitors handle the correspondence and paperwork related to their client’s cases. They ensure that all procedures are accurate, provide legal counsel, and, if necessary, prepare court documents.
A solicitor is a member of the legal profession in different regions of the world, and their employment responsibilities might change depending on local legislation. Solicitors can approach potential customers directly in nations with a distinct division of labor. It implies that a solicitor and a barrister collaborate, with the solicitor recommending cases to the barrister if they will likely appear in court. People who hire attorneys typically hire a solicitor, relying on the solicitor’s expertise to determine if a barrister is necessary.
A solicitor can represent a client in court, though sometimes, they hire a barrister. Counseling clients, providing advice, drafting documents, conducting negotiations, preparing cases for trial, and hiring barristers for advocacy before higher courts or advising on specific issues are all things that solicitors do. They are considered court officers and have the right to represent their clients or act as agents for litigation, though they can only act as advocates in subordinate courts.
In the end, a solicitor’s job is to counsel clients on the best course of legal action. For instance, even if it seems a client’s matter requires court settlement, solicitors frequently look for alternate methods, like mediation, to assist in a settlement outside of court in the first place. Alternative legal options may help to reach favorable results for all parties by avoiding tense courtroom processes. Because solicitors work mostly outside courts, they can handle a wide range of situations that don’t need to go to court.
A satisfactory result, however, might occasionally only be possible through the legal system. A lawyer may be able to represent their client in court in certain circumstances. However, in more complicated instances, a solicitor may decide to engage with a specialized barrister.
Solicitor Job Description
What is a solicitor job description? A solicitor job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a solicitor in an organization. Below are the solicitor job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a solicitor job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The name ‘Solicitor’ is recognized in England, Wales, and Australia. Their duties are alike. However, countries like Hong Kong, Japan, and a few others call them Attorneys. Their duties vary, as it depends on their location, industry, and clients they are working for. Some of their primary responsibilities are:
- Create and maintain case documents as needed.
- Meet and discuss with potential clients to determine the firm’s suitability to deliver the required services, considering the firm’s area of expertise and projected cost.
- Inform a client of the law and legal matters that concern their case.
- Draft letters, documents, and contracts that suit the requirements of each client.
- Negotiate with clients and other professionals to achieve agreed goals.
- Do research and analysis on documents and case law to ensure the accuracy of the guidance and method.
- Act on behalf of clients in conflicts and, if necessary, represent them in court or before tribunals.
- Ask barristers or specialized advocates to represent the client in court.
- Supervise and assign work to paralegals, legal secretaries, and trainee solicitors.
- Verify every paperwork before signing and implementing.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as filling out time sheets so that labor costs may be determined and charging clients for services rendered on their behalf.
- Read law journals and reports to stay current on new developments in the law.
Qualifications
- Get a high school certificate
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree or equivalent certification in a law degree
- Pass the Solicitors Qualifying Exam parts 1 and 2 (SQE)
- Finish two years (or equivalent if part-time) of suitable professional experience
- Satisfy the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s requirements for character and suitability (SRA)
Essential Skills
To succeed in the career, solicitors may require some skills, such as;
- Adaptability
To be a successful solicitor, one must be flexible. Professional flexibility in knowledge and practice is crucial for a solicitor’s career development and business growth. The ability to adapt to different circumstances broadens their skill set and can enhance their reputation with internal and external clients and staff.
- Commercial awareness
Legal recruiters have stated that commercial awareness is among the top qualities a candidate may possess. It entails staying informed and updated on recent changes across all industries, especially those that may impact the firm and its clients.
Solicitors must comprehend their client’s industry and the economic and political factors that could influence a case. They look for resources to help them stay informed on social, political, and economic changes to provide their clients with the best advice based on cultural conditions.
They should obtain accurate information that demonstrates their dedication to their career. Reading enables them to stay informed about current events, explore them, and decide how to react.
They should create websites for their brands and services because it might give them access to vital information. Legal websites can present a professional image, provide information on legal services, and enable them to meet potential clients.
- Intellectual
Solicitors are expected to have a certain level of intelligence. Exam results are the most popular method of assessing intelligence, though some companies acknowledge that this is not the only criterion.
- Initiative
Even though working as part of a team is essential, there might be occasions where a solicitor needs to show initiative and independence. They can develop initiatives at any point in time by thinking about ideas when dealing with clients.
- Motivation
Whether it is early in the morning or late at night, it is critical to stay motivated when working as a lawyer. In private practice, lawyers tend to the needs of their clients, which occasionally may include working longer hours than usual. Similar to this, in-house roles for solicitors often involve providing services to the company after regular business hours. As a result, it is crucial to stay motivated.
While some jobs may appear repetitious, doing them right is crucial. Motivation is required to complete the activity precisely and successfully.
- Industry knowledge
It is necessary to know the industry they work in. Clients in private practice pay for informed counsel and expertise in a particular field. Solicitors must be aware of important events that could impact such advice.
- Detail-oriented
Solicitors will frequently draft letters and conduct document reviews. Clients want error-free communications and pay solicitors to notice minute points in documentation, so attention to detail is crucial.
- Teamwork
Solicitors will always need to collaborate despite the size of the firm. It includes other paralegal staff, administrators, secretaries, and other support employees. For development and success, it is essential to work as a team. As a result, many law firms value lawyers who work well in a group. More goes into effective teamwork than it does when navigating a complicated system. To get the best outcome, solicitors can recognize and encourage people’s best qualities. Each employee has a sensitive responsibility for sharing information inside a working group.
- Communication
Information delivery and reception depend heavily on effective oral and written communication. Solicitors must establish a solid rapport with their clients. Their clients should understand that they are paying attention to their wants and expectations. Solicitors should speak with assurance, as it makes them stand out.
Solicitors must possess excellent writing skills to be able to prepare legal documents. While understanding technical and legal jargon is necessary, it is equally important to communicate the message. They can take notes at meetings, create newsletters, or even run social media accounts to improve written communication.
- Analytical and Research
One of the skills that will help a solicitor advance in the job is the ability to analyze information acquired and take in facts and data. After reviewing and researching the material, they must use communication skills to help clients understand complicated terms. Solicitors must be able to research because they need to be knowledgeable about several topics they may need in the field. However, the research includes network interactions in addition to library resources.
- Organization
The role of a solicitor goes beyond that of a legal representative in court. At the same time as they meet with clients, they prepare contracts, handle case files, and draft legal documents. So it is crucial to be organized and have solid time management abilities. In other words, they multitask while continuously maintaining focus. Prioritizing tasks and maintaining focus is essential. Therefore, having organizational skills is crucial.
- Perseverance
Each case solicitors take on will present new problems. They can see numerous routes to success by investigating every option for their clients. When a case takes longer than planned, perseverance might help them keep going despite difficulties.
- Resilience
There will probably be times when solicitors must be adaptable to circumstances when working with people both internally and externally. It could entail handling criticism or finishing boring activities. Determination and enthusiasm will go a long way in helping a person stand out. The same holds for having resiliency. Resilience is the capacity to deal with hardships by admitting problems, embracing complex conditions, and going on with the task of finding answers. Increasing your self-confidence is one method to improve resilience. When you feel confident in your abilities, you may find it easier to recover from setbacks, take a solution-focused perspective, and approach problems as challenges to resolve rather than personal shortcomings.
- Task management
Prioritizing important tasks is among the crucial solicitor skills. Solicitors need to manage their time effectively by planning things and having a timetable to ensure they complete all responsibilities. A solicitor may employ task management techniques, such as making work lists, maintaining a spreadsheet with crucial responsibilities and due dates, or marking critical dates on a calendar. Effective task management can help lawyers feel more in control of their workloads, project professionalism, and lessen stress.
How to Become a Solicitor
Solicitors are recognized with the name in a few countries, especially in the UK (England and Wales), Australia and others. Here is how to become a Solicitor in the United Kingdom.
Get a GDL or law degree.
Route One: The first step of becoming a solicitor after graduating from high school is to obtain an LLB in law from a school accredited by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority(SRA). There are many different law degrees one can pursue.
Route Two: Another route for those not taking the university route is to finish an additional year, known as the Graduate Law Diploma.
Take a Legal Practice Course (LPC)
The LPC is the next stage after graduating from university. This course will teach a candidate how to put what they learned in school to practice. It is crucial to start applying to training contracts early because some applicants have this covered by a law firm as part of their training contract. Those who do not might have trouble paying for their studies.
Go Through Two years of Training
This requires two years of full-time employment at a legal firm, which will have multiple seats in various departments. They must consider alternatives early in the process because some large companies will begin the recruitment process as early as the second year of university.
Here, a person will receive training and comprehend what it is like to be a solicitor. They will take it to ensure that their professional skills are standard by the time they certify.
Qualify as a Solicitor
The next step is to submit an application to the SRA for admission, which is the register of solicitors in England and Wales. It will take a minimum of six years to achieve.
Where to Work as a Solicitor
- Charities
- Government agencies
- Law firms
- Legal departments within an organization
- The Crown Prosecution Service
- Law centers
Solicitor Salary Scale
In the United Kingdom, a Solicitor typically earns £48,555 a year. Salary varies based on factors including location and specialty. In a regional business or smaller commercial practice, newly trained solicitors can expect to make between £29,000 and £62,000 in their first year.
In large City firms, salaries may range from about £61,000 to £89,600. As a person gets more expertise, their salary may increase.