Lawyer
Lawyers in Scotland can by solicitors, advocates or solicitor-advocates.
Solicitors are the kind of lawyers that members of the public are most likely to come into contact with. They offer a tremendous variety of services, including buying and selling houses, drafting wills, appearing in court, and advising on all sorts of everyday legal issues. Most work in private firms dealing with the general public or business clients. However, a large number work for public bodies, and government agencies, or as in-house corporate advisors. Solicitors are allowed to form parterships with other solicitors, and to advertise their services (subject to certain rules) in public.
Advocates are specialist court pleaders with extended rights of audience to appear in all Scottish courts. They also prepare legal opinions on difficult issues for solicitors and their clients. Advocates are freelancers, who may nor form partnerships. However, they may join one of a number of 'stables', i.e. associations set up to share clerical and administrative facilities. Generally speaking, they may not advertise in public and indeed may not take instructions directly from members of the public but only through solicitors.
Solicitor-advocates are experienced solicitors with extended rights of audience to appear in all Scottish courts in either civil matters or criminal matters (or sometimes both).
Whether you wish to practise as a solicitor, an advocate, a solicitor-advocate or some other kind of lawyer, usually you would start by enrolling at university to study for an LLB degree (bachelor of laws). A number of Scottish universities offer this course, including Aberdeen, Abertay, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, Napier, Robert Gordon, Stirling and Strathclyde. The LLB is awarded as an ordinary pass degree, studied over three years, or as a four-year honours degree. Certain universities offer a part-time course. Entrance requirements vary but tend to be quite high, generally AAABB or more. Alternatively, some universities offer it as a postgraduate qualification via an accelerated route over two years.
An alternative to taking the LLB is to sit the Law Society examinations. To be eligible, a candidate must be in full-time employment as a pre-diploma trainee with a qualified solicitor practising in Scotland.
After completion of the LLB or professional examinations, all anyone still wishing to qualify as a solicitor or as an advocate must undertake practical training in the form of a Diploma in Legal Practice, which can be done in seven months at Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling or Robert Gordon. The diploma is intended to provide practical knowledge and skills necessary for the working life of a solicitor.
Further post-diploma practical training requires would-be solicitors to serve a two year traineeship with a practising solicitor in Scotland approved by the Law Society. On successful completion you are a qualified solicitor. Advocates need only do one year with a solicitor, followed by a year with an advocate.