Active learning ideas
This topic examines the professionals who operate within the English legal system, including barristers, solicitors, and legal executives. Students analyze the distinct paths to qualification, the nature of their daily work, and the regulatory bodies that oversee their conduct. This unit is crucial for students considering a legal career, as it provides a realistic view of the modern legal landscape and the fusion of roles occurring in practice.
Activity 01
Groups are assigned a specific level of the judiciary to research using recent Judicial Diversity Statistics. They create a visual representation of their findings to present to the class, highlighting trends and areas lacking representation.
How are barristers and solicitors trained?
Activity 02
Students act out a hearing where a legal professional has breached a code of conduct. One student plays the professional, others the regulatory body (BSB or SRA), and others the witnesses to determine the appropriate sanction.
What is the significance of judicial independence?
Activity 03
Posters around the room detail the steps for becoming a solicitor, barrister, or CILEX professional. Students move in pairs to fill in a comparison grid, noting the differences in vocational training and pupillage or training contracts.
How diverse is the current judiciary?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Only barristers can appear in court.
Solicitors can obtain 'rights of audience' to represent clients in higher courts, and they frequently appear in lower courts. Using a Venn diagram to compare roles helps students see the overlap in modern legal practice.
Judicial independence just means judges can do whatever they want.
It means judges are free from political pressure or executive interference, ensuring they apply the law impartially. Case studies of government tension with the judiciary help clarify this constitutional protection.
Methods used in this brief
The Civil and Criminal Courts
Students examine the hierarchy and jurisdiction of the civil and criminal courts in England and Wales. They will evaluate the appellate processes and the role of lay people.
8 methodologies
Access to Justice and Funding
A critical look at how legal services are funded, including state funding, conditional fee agreements, and the role of advice agencies.
8 methodologies