THE LEGAL PROFESSION

Although many kinds of people working in or studying legal affairs are referred to as lawyers, the word really describes a person who has become officially qualified to act in certain legal matters because of examinations he has taken and professional experience he has gained.

Most countries have different groups of lawyers who each take a par­ticular kind of examination in order to qualify to do particular jobs. In Ja­pan, a lawyer must decide whether he wants to take the examination to become an attorney, a public prosecutor or a judge. In England, the deci­sion is between becoming a barrister or a solicitor. Barristers specialize in arguing cases in front of a judge and have the right to be heard, the right of audience, even in the highest courts.

They are not paid directly by clients, but are employed by solicitors. Solicitors have also a right of audience in lower courts, but in higher courts, such as the Court of Appeal, they must have a barrister to argue their client's case. In general, it can be said that a barrister spends most of his time either in a courtroom or preparing his arguments for the court and a solicitor spends most of his time in an office giving advice to clients, making investigations and preparing documents.

If a person has a legal problem, he will go and see a solicitor. In fact there are at least 50,000 solicitors in Britain, and the number is increas­ing.

Many problems are dealt with exclusively by a solicitor. For instance, the solicitor deals with petty crimes and some matrimonial matters in Mag­istrates' Courts. He prepares the case and the evidence. He actually speaks in Court for you.

In a civil action he can speak in the County Court, when the case is one of divorce or recovering some debts. In the County Court the solicitor wears a black gown over his ordinary clothes.

A solicitor also deals with matters outside Court. He does the legal work involved in buying a house, for instance. He writes legal letters for you and carries on legal arguments outside Court. If you want to make a will the best man to advise you is a solicitor.

Barristers are different from solicitors. Barristers are experts in the in­terpretation of the Law. They are called in to advise on really difficult points. The barrister is also an expert on advocacy (the art of presenting cases in Court). Indeed, if you desire representation in any Court except the Mag­istrates' Court, you must have a barrister.

Barristers are rather remote figures. If you need one, for instance, you never see him without your solicitor being with him. Barristers do not have public offices in any street. They work in what are known as chambers* often in London. They belong to the institutions called Inns of Court,* which are ancient organizations rather like exclusive clubs.

*chambers — адвокатская контора

*(the) Inns of Court — юридические корпорации, готовящие адвокатов (четыре крупнейшие корпорации: the Inner Temple, the Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, Gray's Inn)

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