I. Introduction
Unlike attorneys of the United States who, regardless of their specialty, have similar roles, the British Legal profession functions unilaterally. Practicing Lawyers in England and Wales are currently categorized into two distinctive groups: solicitors and barristers. Solicitors serve as a point of contact for clients and provide advice on a wide array of matters, whether it be a civil, criminal, or business one. Conversely, barristers play the role of advocates for the solicitors within and outside of the courtroom and tend to specialize in one of the numerous fields of law. Typically, solicitors will call upon barristers when seeking advice and advocacy in the higher courts. In most instances, barristers are not certified to hold any attorney-client relationship, thus they must await work from a solicitor.
Despite their differences in responsibilities, similarities can also be found. Solicitors have begun appearing as advocates in the higher courts, whereas barristers have taken on the role of conducting litigation. Similar degrees of overlap within other countries - including, Canada, New Zealand and parts of Australia - have led to their adoption of a merged legal profession that allows lawyers to hold the both titles of barrister and solicitor while formally maintaining their distinction. This …show more content…
Although the Bar has maintained their role as a referral agency over the years, the Legal Services Act of 2007 has allowed barristers to begin taking instruction from the public, a job originally left to the solicitors. Moreover, certain professional organization with licenses from the Bar Council can now seek advice from the barristers and "instruct them in non-court litigation." These additional roles have brought into question the need to separate both types of
Unlike attorneys of the United States who, regardless of their specialty, have similar roles, the British Legal profession functions unilaterally. Practicing Lawyers in England and Wales are currently categorized into two distinctive groups: solicitors and barristers. Solicitors serve as a point of contact for clients and provide advice on a wide array of matters, whether it be a civil, criminal, or business one. Conversely, barristers play the role of advocates for the solicitors within and outside of the courtroom and tend to specialize in one of the numerous fields of law. Typically, solicitors will call upon barristers when seeking advice and advocacy in the higher courts. In most instances, barristers are not certified to hold any attorney-client relationship, thus they must await work from a solicitor.
Despite their differences in responsibilities, similarities can also be found. Solicitors have begun appearing as advocates in the higher courts, whereas barristers have taken on the role of conducting litigation. Similar degrees of overlap within other countries - including, Canada, New Zealand and parts of Australia - have led to their adoption of a merged legal profession that allows lawyers to hold the both titles of barrister and solicitor while formally maintaining their distinction. This …show more content…
Although the Bar has maintained their role as a referral agency over the years, the Legal Services Act of 2007 has allowed barristers to begin taking instruction from the public, a job originally left to the solicitors. Moreover, certain professional organization with licenses from the Bar Council can now seek advice from the barristers and "instruct them in non-court litigation." These additional roles have brought into question the need to separate both types of