Is qualification done in a specific area of law ?

[BuddingLawyer]

Hi

Sorry for this basic and dumb question, but can someone tell me what qualification means (apart from the obvious advantage of officially being able to practice law) and its professional implications? Specifically, I hear folks talk about how I qualified in this and that area... what does that even mean? Say I am lucky to get a TC and do 4 seats in Corporate, Finance, Competition and Tax and enjoy all of them, what will I "qualify" as? Does my qualification document specify that I qualified in the x or y area as a specialisation? Or do we just qualify as general solicitors? If so, why do even folks talk about how I qualified as a finance lawyer? Isn't that technically incorrect, since after 2 years I could switch my interest to competition?

Sorry, I am coming across as an idiot.

Thanks

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi

Sorry for this basic and dumb question, but can someone tell me what qualification means (apart from the obvious advantage of officially being able to practice law) and its professional implications? Specifically, I hear folks talk about how I qualified in this and that area... what does that even mean? Say I am lucky to get a TC and do 4 seats in Corporate, Finance, Competition and Tax and enjoy all of them, what will I "qualify" as? Does my qualification document specify that I qualified in the x or y area as a specialisation? Or do we just qualify as general solicitors? If so, why do even folks talk about how I qualified as a finance lawyer? Isn't that technically incorrect, since after 2 years I could switch my interest to competition?

Sorry, I am coming across as an idiot.

Thanks

Training contracts are fixed term contracts of two-years. Towards the end of the training contract you will apply to an NQ role in a specific department. If you secure an NQ role, it means at that point you become more specialist and only do work that the department covers.

You generally “qualify” under the SRA rules and can practice any English law once you are qualified and have an active practising certificate. However, it’s exceptionally rare for lawyers to do any legal work - they tend to specialise either by practice area, sector or size/type of clients and only do that type of work - building up expertise and experience in that subset of law.

 

[BuddingLawyer]

Training contracts are fixed term contracts of two-years. Towards the end of the training contract you will apply to an NQ role in a specific department. If you secure an NQ role, it means at that point you become more specialist and only do work that the department covers.

You generally “qualify” under the SRA rules and can practice any English law once you are qualified and have an active practising certificate. However, it’s exceptionally rare for lawyers to do any legal work - they tend to specialise either by practice area, sector or size/type of clients and only do that type of work - building up expertise and experience in that subset of law.

Oh wow, I learnt so much. Thank you. Follow-up questions: At the end of our training, do we have to apply to our favourite practice areas and go through more interviews (insane !) ? Are these jobs reserved for NQs or any one from within and outside can apply ? Is there a possibility (specially in competitive forms) that I don't get an NQ job (if the partners have found better NQs) ? What happened then ? Will they offer a "less competitive" seat or show the door? I guess what I am trying to understand is if I get a TC , is an NQ job secured or not ?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Oh wow, I learnt so much. Thank you. Follow-up questions: At the end of our training, do we have to apply to our favourite practice areas and go through more interviews (insane !) ? Are these jobs reserved for NQs or any one from within and outside can apply ? Is there a possibility (specially in competitive forms) that I don't get an NQ job (if the partners have found better NQs) ? What happened then ? Will they offer a "less competitive" seat or show the door? I guess what I am trying to understand is if I get a TC , is an NQ job secured or not ?

Yes - it is pretty standard that you will need to go through some form of selection process for an NQ role if you are in an intake of trainees who could also be interested in the same role. Exceptions tend to be if you are the only trainee qualifying at that time or if you are the only person who applies for the opportunity, but even then the firm could choose to still interview you.

Firms typically will only promote NQ roles to internal candidates (mainly trainees) and if they are not filled, then they will advertise them externally.

Yes - it is very feasible that you won’t secure an NQ role. Firms publish their retention rates which shows the percentage of trainees kept on into NQ roles. If you type retention rates into something like Legal Cheek you will see the number of stories the publish on this very topic.

If you don’t secure an NQ role, you leave the firm and typically look to secure an NQ role with another firm.

No firm can guarantee you an NQ role - even the ones with high retention figures. That can be down or your capabilities/performance or because of the lack of roles in the areas you are interested in.