A solicitor is a legal practitioner who has completed a law degree and holds a practising certificate. What is a barrister? A barrister is a solicitor who has completed the exams and requirements of their state's Bar authority. This means they can appear in court.
In a legal situation, the family doctor is the solicitor and the specialist is the barrister. They have the same responsibilities as lawyers, but the barristers have more expertise in court proceedings. All barristers (and solicitors) are lawyers but not all lawyers are barristers.
The difference between a barrister and a solicitor is the type of legal work they do. In general, a barrister specialises in making court appearances and speaking on your behalf. By contrast, a solicitor often does the preparation work before your court appearance and liaises with your barrister to prepare your case.
What is the difference between a barrister and a solicitor? The most basic difference is that barristers are self-employed and their work involves resolving disputes, often in court; while solicitors are often in partnerships or are employees of a 'firm' and work advising clients on a broad range of issues.
In fact, the Law Society of NSW gives every solicitor a card stating they are entitled to practice as both a barrister and solicitor in NSW. This means, solicitors can legally take on all of the responsibilities in court that a barrister would have, should they deem it best for their client.
In NSW, a solicitor is a person who holds a NSW practising certificate that allows them to practice as a 'solicitor and barrister', and a barrister is a person who holds a NSW practising certificate that allows them to practice only as a 'barrister'.
A bachelor degree in a non-law subject takes 3 years to complete. Two units in the final year may be taken to achieve a B. Laws (Hons), or you may take an additional 4th year to gain the honours qualification. Practical Legal Training takes just under 4 months full time or 8 months part-time to complete.
Solicitors provide legal advice and prepare legal documents such as contracts. They represent clients in legal negotiations and processes such as the purchase of property, execution of a will or a criminal case. Work is in offices.
A 'barrister' is an independent specialist advocate and advisor in law. Their highly competitive training, together with their specialist knowledge and experience, can make a substantial difference to the outcome of a case.
The distinctive feature of practice at the bar is advocacy before the courts and tribunals. Accordingly, the Bar Council sets an exam in subjects related specifically to advocacy: legal ethics for barristers; aspects of evidence; and practice and procedure for barristers.
Barristers are involved in courtroom advocacy and litigation. They are similar to “trial lawyers” or “litigators” in America, although “trial lawyers” or “litigators” in America may, unlike barristers, perform tasks beyond courtroom advocacy.
A barrister can provide effective representation and advocacy, with: Specialised knowledge of their area of law.
The lowest-paid legal jobs are typically those in the public sector, such as district attorneys or public defenders.
While it's widely known that lawyers have high salaries, salary ranges vary depending on the city you're practicing in. Lawyers in California get the highest pay, but the cost of living is also more expensive, so keep these factors in mind when deciding.
One of the biggest cons of studying law in Australia is that it is not an easy process. You have to pass a bar exam, and if you do not do well on this exam, then you will not be able to practice law. The other bad thing about studying law in this country is that the schools are very expensive.
Ranked as the best university in Australia, the University of Melbourne is also ranked 1st as the best Law school in Australia by QS Top Universities Rankings 2022. QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 also ranks Melbourne Law School as number 12 in the world.
The career progression for a private practice lawyer will usually go from summer clerk (while in your penultimate year of law school), to graduate lawyer, to associate, to senior associate, to partner. The highest level a lawyer can achieve in private practice is a senior equity partner.
The exam for entry to the bar readers' course in Melbourne, Victoria is notoriously difficult. The exam has a 75% pass mark and there is now only one per year. Over 200 people sit each exam. Statistically, more people fail than pass.
In order to practise as a lawyer in Australia, a candidate has to be admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of an Australian state or territory, and then obtain a practising certificate, generally issued by the local legal professional body.
Applicants admitted to practise law in Australia may apply to take the Victorian Bar entrance examination. Eligible applicants who pass the entrance exam will be invited to take the Bar's readers' course. On satisfactory completion of the course you may be invited to apply sign the Roll of Counsel.