10. The Legal Professions
This chapter explains what the legal professions are, what they do, and how to qualify as a member of the professions. It examines the rules governing practice as a member of the professions and, in particular, the issue of ethical behaviour. There are two principal branches to the legal profession in England and Wales. The first consists of barristers and the second of solicitors. There are three stages to qualifying as a member of either profession. The first is the academic stage and involves passing either a qualifying law degree or the Graduate Diploma in Law. The second stage is vocational education, either the Bar Professional Training Course (for barristers) or Legal Practice Course (for solicitors). The final stage is work-based training consisting of either pupillage (for barristers) or a training contract (for solicitors). The chapter also discusses the emergence of CILEX as a third branch of the profession.