Solicitor

Solicitor is a type of practicing lawyer in Britain who gives advice, does the necessary work when property is bought and sold, and defends people, especially in the lower courts of law. In general, a barrister undertakes no work except through a solicitor, who prepares and delivers the client's instructions to a barrister. Solicitors confer with clients, draft documents, conduct negotiations, prepare cases for trial, and retain barristers for advice on special matters or for advocacy before the higher courts. They have a right to act in all courts as the agents for litigation or representatives of their clients, but they may appear as advocates only in the lower courts. If one wants to make a will the best man to advise him is a solicitor. If one gets into trouble with the police one can ask a solicitor to help prepare his defence. The official organization of solicitors is the Law Society, a voluntary group, incorporated by Parliament. The Law Society has extensive authority in setting and enforcing standards for solicitors. The Law Society maintains a client-compensation fund to reduce and relieve losses sustained from dishonesty by solicitors. The education required of a solicitor includes a law school course. Furthermore, To qualify as a solicitor one is to join a practicing solicitor as a “clerk” and to work for him (apprenticeship) for a period of five years (three years for university graduates) in order to pass the Law Society exams. Solicitors must be British Commonwealth citizens, although there is no such requirement for the barrister. [The Commonwealth is an organization of about 50 countries that were once part of the British Empire.]