Law Conversion Courses
If you wish to follow a career in law but you have a degree in a different subject, then the main way of entering the profession is by undertaking either the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). These are two different variants of the law conversion course and the only difference between them is where they are studied. Law colleges award CPEs and universities award GDLs. These are intensive courses which aim to bring students up to the level of a law graduate in a third of the time.

To be eligible for a law conversion course you must have a degree awarded by a UK university in any subject. Visit the Law Society for more information about what you need to apply for these courses and a comprehensive list of places that offer this qualification.

Becoming a Barrister
A barrister is a legal specialist trained in advocacy – the presentation and arguing of a client’s case in the high courts.

After a conversion course or a law degree, prospective barristers must join one of the four Inns of Court – Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple or Inner Temple. After this, the next step is the Barristers Vocational Course (BVC) which is a year’s course of study and there are 8 BVC providers in England, and 1 in Wales. There is a high demand for these courses and there are around 2,500 applicants competing for the 1,500 places each year. All applications are made online at www.bvconline.co.uk

After you have passed your BVC the final stage of training before a barrister can be called to the Bar is a 12 month pupillage which is where the trainee gains practical experience under the supervision of a practicing barrister.

After completing this period of pupillage, a barrister is finally called to the Bar by his or her Inn of Court. But, in order to establish yourself, you then need to find a tenancy in chambers. However, these are fiercely sought after and only around 30% of those who pass the BVC will be successful in securing a tenancy.

As you can see, the cost and competition are high in this area but to help prospective BVC applicants decide whether this is the right career for them, many chambers offer mini-pupillages that last about two weeks.

Becoming a Solicitor
Solicitors are legal specialists who advise and help their clients on all matters of the law and the training for this begins with a two year Legal Practice Course (LPC) which can only be taken after completing a law degree or a law conversion course.

After the LPC, solicitors must undertake a two year apprenticeship with a solicitor called the training contract which involves another course called the Professional Skills Course (PSC). This builds on previous training and finishes with an exam. After passing this, the trainee then becomes a qualified solicitor.

Funding
Funding is often a problem for prospective lawyers as it is a long and costly qualification. The law conversion course costs between £1,125 and £5,400 and the subsequent qualifications (Barrister Vocational Course or the solicitors Legal Practice Course) can cost up to £8,500.

However, things are becoming easier. The Law Society has decided that it should be easier to get a place on postgraduate legal training and they have instigated programmes to attract a more diverse ethnic and social mixture of trainees.

LinkVisit the Law Society for more information about what you need to apply for these courses and a comprehensive list of places that offer this qualification.