To become a lawyer in England and Wales, you'll need to have at least three A-levels with high grades. The best universities, with the most competitive courses, are likely to require three A or A* grades, although the entry requirements for each university vary. Lawyers in England and Wales are one of the two main categories of lawyers in England and Wales, the other being collegiate legal executives. Traditionally, lawyers have played the role of processing cases for representation in courts, both in the defense and in the prosecution. The word lawyer is generic and refers to a person who practices law, which could also be considered to include other legal professionals.
Lawyers are likely already familiar with the legal systems in both the United Kingdom and the United States. They share the same historical roots of common law and, for that reason, are quite similar. However, this publication will highlight some of the main divergences between the two countries to give lawyers an idea of how they differ. Like the major subdivisions of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), each US state has its own laws, court systems and bar associations. In the US, powers not granted to the federal government are instead specifically reserved to US states.
The judicial systems of both countries are quite similar. Misdemeanors and small civil disputes are dealt with by courts of first instance responsible for resolving such conflicts. The most serious crimes and civil cases in both countries are then subject to a hierarchy of three courts. Cases begin in lower courts (Crown Court in the United Kingdom, District Court in the US). It is important to note that the US does not have a “judicial system” like that of the United Kingdom.
However, there are specialized courts for certain types of cases (for example, Bankruptcy court is a different type of federal court). This often provides a less expensive, more streamlined, and less confrontational way of concluding conflicts. Like courts in the United Kingdom, US courts primarily rely on previous court opinions as an authorized precedent when resolving a dispute. As readers will also know, in terms of legislation, the United States has two centralized federal bodies - the House of Representatives and the Senate (together known as Congress) - which are similar to the Houses of Parliament. Each of the 50 states of the United States has two senators while representatives are allocated proportionally according to population. To become law in the US, a bill must pass both houses of Congress before being signed into law by the president.
If the president refuses to sign it into law, his veto can be overturned by a two-thirds majority in Congress. Unlike in the United Kingdom, all prospective lawyers take a three-year course at an accredited law school and receive a doctorate in law (JD). Then students must pass a bar exam in their chosen state before they can practice law. As you can see, while there are some differences between legal systems in England and Wales and those in the US, they look more similar than different. We hope that this publication can serve as a basic guide so that lawyers can get an idea of how these two systems compare. Competent authorities have a duty to ensure that lawyers have access to appropriate information, files and documents that are in their possession or under their control long enough to enable them to provide effective legal assistance to their clients.
No court or administrative authority before which the right to a lawyer is recognized shall refuse to recognize this right unless that lawyer has been disqualified according to national law and practice and according to these principles. Professional bar associations will cooperate with governments to ensure that everyone has effective and equal access to legal services and that lawyers can advise and assist their clients without undue interference according to law and recognized professional standards and ethics. These principles shall also apply as appropriate to persons who exercise functions as lawyers without having formal status as such. Governments and professional associations of lawyers shall promote programs to inform people about their rights and obligations under law as well as about lawyers' important role in protecting fundamental freedoms. Persons who do not have a lawyer shall have right - when interests of justice require it - to have lawyer with experience and competence appropriate for nature of crime assigned without any payment if they lack sufficient means for such services. Governments, professional associations of lawyers and educational institutions shall ensure there is no discrimination against persons with respect to access or continuation of legal profession on basis of race, color, sex, ethnic origin, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin or economic or other position except requirement that lawyer must be national of country in question which is not considered discriminatory. Governments, professional associations of lawyers and educational institutions shall ensure lawyers receive adequate education and training as well as awareness about ethical ideals and duties of lawyers as well as human rights and fundamental freedoms recognized by national and international law. Attorneys shall have right to fair hearing including right to assistance from attorney of their choice.
