- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- excellent verbal communication skills to work with different people
- active listening skills
- analytical thinking skills for working on complex cases
- knowledge of English language for explaining legal matters to non-experts
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent written communication skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- the ability to read English
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
In this role you could:
- advise and represent clients in court
- instruct barristers or advocates to act for clients
- draft confidential letters, contracts and legal documents
- research legal records and case law
- attend meetings and negotiations
- manage finances and prepare papers for court
- use plain English to explain complex legal matters to clients
- keep up to date with changes in the law
You could work in an office, in a court, in a prison or at a police station.
With experience, you could become a partner in a private practice firm of solicitors. As a commercial solicitor, you could manage an in-house legal department.
You can find out more about becoming a solicitor through The Law Society, Law Careers.Net and All About Law.
