Legal guides
What are the different legal job titles in Scotland?
From solicitors and lawyers to paralegals and legal executives, understanding the many job titles in the legal sector can be tough. We’ve put together a list of the common legal job titles you may encounter and what each job role entails.
The legal sector can be a complex and jargon-heavy industry to understand. From the terms used interchangeably (see solicitor vs lawyer) to seer volume of different job titles, all with different responsibilities and roles, knowing who does what and who can help with what can be tricky.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy list of common legal job titles you may encounter, along with a description of what each job role entails.
Counsel
The term ‘counsel’ is used quite generally; you may hear various legal professionals such as advocates and lawyers, referred to as ‘legal counsel’. It simply means a legal adviser conducting a case on behalf of a client. It doesn’t refer to a specific job role.
Paralegal
A paralegal is someone who has had some legal training but is not qualified as a solicitor or chartered legal executive. It can be used quite broadly, though it is most commonly used to refer to someone who progresses files under the supervision of a qualified solicitor or similar job role.
Litigation Executive (Legal Executive)
At Slater and Gordon, a litigation executive – sometimes referred to as a legal executive – is a legal professional who is not yet qualified as a chartered legal executive or solicitor but has more responsibility than a paralegal. They often handle their own cases, under supervision.
Chartered Legal Executive
A chartered legal executive is a qualified lawyer specialising in a particular area of law. Similar to a solicitor, they provide expert legal advice and support to clients, but they take a different training route.
Training follows the route set out by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), which has a narrower focus than that of a solicitor. It means that a chartered legal executive studies to the same level as a solicitor, though in fewer subjects overall.
Lawyer
‘Lawyer’ is another general term, one that doesn’t actually have a defined meaning in Scottish law. While it is often used to describe any licensed legal practitioner qualified to give legal advice, people are most commonly thinking of a solicitor or advocate (barrister in England and Wales) when they talk about lawyers.
Solicitor
A solicitor is a qualified legal professional who provides legal advice and support to clients, including individuals, groups, private companies or public sector organisations.
To qualify as a solicitor, a person must have the required qualifications and complete a recognised period of training in at least three different areas of law, though once qualified most solicitors will specialise in a particular area. Solicitors are governed by a professional body; in Scotland, this is the Law Society of Scotland.
Advocate
An advocate (known as a barrister in England and Wales) are legal specialists who provide representation for individuals or organisations in courts, tribunals and through written legal advice.
Advocates will usually only become involved in a case if it goes to court and are generally hired by a solicitor to provide legal representation throughout the court hearing.
Judge
A judge is a public official who presides over legal hearings in courts. They will hear evidence presented before a criminal or civil court, make rulings and pass sentences (in criminal court) based on the information presented.
A barrister, solicitor or chartered legal executive can become a judge after they have worked as a legal professional for between five and seven years (depending upon the type of judge they want to be). Many apply for positions as part-time judges, referred to as ‘fee-paid positions’, to gain experience before applying for selection as a full-time judge.
Appointments are made by the Judicial Appointments Commission. Once a legal professional has been appointed as a full-time judge, they cannot return to legal practice in the future. However, part-time judges (usually found in the lower courts such as tribunals or district judges) can continue to practise law, providing there is no conflict of interest.