Barrister
Solicitor
Vested
Jurisdiction
Government
Professional body
The Law Society
Attract
Offer services
Conveyancing
Probate
Succession
Litigation
Approach
Deal with
County court
Magistrates' court
Advocate
Appear
Practical apprenticeship
Inns of Court
Bar Council
Established

Read and translate the text:
Barristers and solicitors[/b]The legal profession in England and Wales is divided into two types of lawyer: barristers and solicitors. Each branch has its own vested interests and jurisdiction and fiercely protects its position. There are some 90, 000 solicitors, who practise mainly in private firms, but also in local and central government, legal centres and industry. Most are now organized by their self-regulating professional body, the Law Society. The solicitors' branch is a middle-class profession, but it is increasingly attracting members from a relatively wide spectrum of society.
Solicitors deal with general legal work, although many now specialize in one area of the law. Their firms (or partnerships) offer services such as conveyancing (the buying and selling of property); probate (wills and succession after death); family matters; criminal and civil litigation; commercial cases; and tax and financial affairs.
The client with a legal problem will first approach a solicitor, who can often deal with all aspects of the case. But solicitors were once able to appear (rights of audience) for their clients only in the lower courts (country and magistrates' courts) and cases in higher courts had to be handed to a barrister. This expensive practice has now been reformed and solicitor-advocates can appear in higher courts.
In order to become a solicitor, it is necessary to have a university degree, not necessarily in law. After passing further professional examinations organized by the Law Society, the student serves a practical apprenticeship as a trainee solicitor with an established solicitor for some two years. After this total period of about six years' education and training, the new solicitor can practise law.
There are 10,000 barristers in private practice, who have the right to appear before any court in England and Wales. They belong to the Bar, which is an ancient legal institution controlled by the self-regulating Bar Council and four Inns of Court in London (Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Middle Temple and the Inner Temple). Barristers have two functions: to give specialized advice on legal matters and to act as advocates in the courts. Most of the general public cannot approach a barrister directly, but must be introduced by a solicitor.
In order to become a barrister, one must usually have a university degree, pass professional examinations and become a member of an Inn of Court. The student must dine in the Inn for a number of terms before being 'called to the Bar', or accepted as a barrister. He or she must then serve for a one-year period (pupillage) under a practising barrister. After this total training period of about five years, the new barrister can practise alone.
Exercises:
I. Find the synonyms among the following words:
defend, barrister, act in court, established, give advice, protect, qualify as a solicitor, advocate, appear before any court, famous, speak in court, well-known, advise, a solicitor, become a solicitor.
II. Find in the text the English equivalents for the words below:
судебная практика, защищать, сдать профессиональный экзамен, стажировка, адвокат-стажер, специализироваться в одной области права, уголовное и гражданское судопроизводство, финансовые вопросы, частная практика, право выступать в суде, обращаться к адвокату, проходить стажировку.
III. Paraphrase the following expressions:
legal proceedings; appear for their clients in court; to reform practice, whole period; give advice on legal matters; a client must be introduced to a barrister by a client's solicitor.
IV. Answer the questions:
1. What types of lawyers are there in England and Wales?
2. What kind of services do solicitors offer?
3. What is it necessary to do in order to become a solicitor?
4. What problems do barristers deal with?
5. How do you qualify as a barrister?
V. Tell about barristers and solicitors using the following plan:
1. Types of lawyers in England and Wales.
2. The duties of a solicitor.
3. The job of a barrister.
4. Education and training of a solicitor.
5. The career of a barrister.
GOOD LUCK!