This part looks at how people access justice in Wales, as well as the general make-up and regulation of the legal profession.
As the previous section demonstrates, while there are a wide variety of legal professional roles, becoming a practising lawyer (solicitor, barrister etc.) isn’t easy, cheap or quick.
Qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales usually takes six years4. That includes the traditional three-year undergraduate law degree (or law conversion course for a graduate in a subject other than law), a one-year Legal Practice Course (LPC) and at least two years of work experience at the end of which they take a Solicitors Qualifying Examination. However, some universities now offer undergraduate degrees which include the required LPC element.
The position is largely the same for prospective barristers. They also need a law degree or graduate law conversion course, after which they sit a Bar Course Aptitude Test. If they pass that, they undertake a Bar Training Course which lasts at least one year. After this, they get “called to the Bar” at one of the four professional Inns of Court – all based in London – to undertake a year of practical experience called pupillage.
To become a legal executive, a person needs a professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and at least three years of relevant supervised work experience. Those with a law degree may jump ahead to the later stages but, theoretically, anyone with GCSEs can become a legal executive if they undertake approved professional development courses.
According to the Thomas Commission5, six Welsh universities offer undergraduate law degrees (plus the Open University) and five offer postgraduate and doctorate-level courses. Only Cardiff University offers the Bar Training Course in Wales, while Swansea, Cardiff and the University of South Wales offer the Legal Practice Course for solicitors.
Chartered legal executive qualifications are provided by several further education colleges and at Trinity St Davids University.
Fees for the Legal Practice Course and the Bar Training Course are amongst the most expensive of any postgraduate course, usually being up to £18,000 – though there may be scholarships or other funding provided by Inns of Court and legal firms.
The Thomas Commission was critical of the lack of Welsh law being taught on law courses in Wales6 – but this was changing at some institutions.
The Commission recommended a focus on teaching Welsh law at the postgraduate level, aimed mainly at those who will eventually practise law in Wales. They also recommended that universities consider self-publishing law textbooks specifically designed for Wales.
Legal Wales – based in Cardiff – acts as a professional forum for the discussion of matters relating to administration of justice in Wales and Welsh law. Public Law Wales performs a similar function for laws relating to public bodies and human rights.
4: Law Society, (July 2021). “Becoming a solicitor”. Available at: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor#how%20long%20it%20takes
5: Commission on Justice in Wales, (October 2019). Justice in Wales for the People of Wales, p413. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-10/Justice%20Commission%20ENG%20DIGITAL_2.pdf
6: Commission on Justice in Wales, (October 2019). Justice in Wales for the People of Wales, p424-426. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-10/Justice%20Commission%20ENG%20DIGITAL_2.pdf
