Attorney jobs in the UK can include patent attorney jobs and trademark attorney jobs. This type of legal work is heavily involved with intellectual property, copyright and patents.

Patent Attorney Jobs

Patent attorney jobs are in place to ensure that inventors or organisations get the correct intellectual property rights for their concept or product. The government is responsible for providing inventors with the right to stop any other parties from commercially using their ideas to make similar products. This is often for limited periods whilst the business establishes itself and gains a market of its own. The majority of patent attorney jobs can be in private firms or within larger manufacturing organisations. People in patent attorney jobs can also be called patent agents. Patent agents assess markets in order to determine whether a new product or concept does not already exist, and is eligible as a new innovation to be patented. On behalf of the inventor or business, they apply for patents and can protect inventors if the patent is infringed.

Patent Agent Activities

According to whether the patent agent is working for private clients or is protecting a large corporation’s products, patent attorney jobs will generally include:

• Ascertaining whether a patent application will be successful by discussing with inventors/manufacturers
• Analysing technical and scientific documents to decide if new innovations are not infringing others
• Writing patent drafts using legal and technical terms
• Processing applications for patents in accordance with governing bodies
• Working with solicitors and barristers in defence or support of patents

Entry and Work

Attorney jobs such as this one will usually require a degree of 2:1 level in technical, scientific or engineering discipline. Patent agent trainees can start on salaries that could range between £22,000 and £32,000. With experience and progress, it is possible to earn between £80,000 and £400,000.

Trademark Attorney Jobs

Trademark attorneys are legally trained to assist companies in protecting their products or services and their trademark rights. Trademark attorney jobs can require the protection of logos, names and shapes that a company has trademarked. The legal support provided by trademark attorney jobs ensures that large companies can keep their identity and integrity secure. Intellectual property issues like licensing and copyrighting are also included in this field, and trademark attorneys must advise clients regarding these matters.

Trademark Attorney Jobs – Activities

The tasks carried out by trademark attorney can include a vast array of activities such as:

• Researching trademarks that are new
• Ensuring that proposed trademarks are not already in use
• Giving advice on copyright/design issues
• Managing, enforcing and protecting intellectual property rights such as patents, trademarks and copyrights
• Negotiating
• Drawing up contracts
• Managing a portfolio of different brands
• Advising on international trade marking as well as UK

Entry and Work

All graduates can apply for these jobs, however priority can be given to those with degrees or HND in law, English or foreign languages. Salaries on entry can range between £20,000 and £27,000. Senior levels can earn up to £100,000.

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Criminal law jobs centre on the prosecution of an individual. Criminal law is generally directed through the criminal justice system so if you are trying to find criminal law jobs then you must have an excellent understanding of the British justice system.

You will find it hard to find criminal law jobs unless you have a 2:1 or higher in a law degree. This is a bare minimum and many employers expect more and will require postgraduate qualifications which are specialist to criminal law.

If you are convinced that criminal law is the branch of law you want to specialise in then it is essential you research major criminal law employers as they will state the qualifications they require for a low level criminal law job.

Criminal law jobs require a high level of commitment due to training taking up to 7 years before you even get your first job. The education doesn’t stop here either, you will constantly need to update your knowledge to keep up with the changes in law. You might find yourself working unsociable hours and becoming stressed due to the high pressure environments of criminal law jobs.

General Tasks for Criminal Lawyers

 

• Preparing cases for court.
• Examining and cross examining witnesses.
• Dedicating your time to keep up with the ever evolving laws.
• Drafting legal documents.
• Leading negotiation.

Your salary as a criminal lawyer will alter due to experience but once you have worked your way up the criminal law ladder then you can expect to be earning up to £60,000 per year and possibly more.

 

 

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Employment Law jobs require a lot of commitment and training. It is not always clear what is involved in jobs in employment law so this guide should help you with the basics.

Jobs in employment law are complicated due to laws continuously changing and evolving. Consequently there are plenty of employment law jobs available which help both businesses and individuals.

Employment Law Job Tasks – What is Involved?

• Keeping up to date with changes in the law.
• Read law journals and reports to stay in touch with transformations in employment law.
• Drafting contracts and other legal documents.
• Helping and advising junior legal professionals.
• Hold meetings with clients to ensure progress.
• If you are given any advice then it is your responsibility to follow it up with appropriate research to ensure the accuracy of the advice.

There is great potential for developing exciting careers in employment law. Your salary will depend on your level of experience. If you are fresh out of law school then your salary will be no more than £30,000 per year once you are experienced then you can earn above and beyond £100,000.

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In England and Wales the legal profession is clearly divided into two sections of solicitors and barristers. The work of barristers and solicitors is becoming harder to distinguish with some solicitors being able to stand up in court. You will however need to decide in the early stages of your education which profession you want to ultimately join.

Law Training Essentials

• Both solicitors and barristers have to complete a law degree or law conversion course.
• Aspiring solicitors have to complete the LPC (legal practice course) and a two year training contract.
• Barristers should take the BVC (bar vocational course) with a year long pupillage.
• To work in the UK as a lawyer you need a degree or Graduate Diploma in Law.
• If you are a qualified lawyer in a different country you will need to have your qualifications recognised by the Law Society. If they accept your qualifications you will need to take a Qualified Lawyer Transfer Test.
• If you are a qualified lawyer from outside the EU then you will need to have two years practice of the UK law within the UK before your qualifications are recognised.
• As a lawyer you will also need a CRB check which shows you do not have a prison record for abuse of children or other vulnerable people.

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Graduate legal jobs are becoming hard to find in the roughest job market we have seen in decades. Not all is lost though; this article will give you a few ideas on how to find a graduate legal job.

How to Find a Graduate Legal Job

• Network – never underestimate the power of networking this is the best way to get a job. Inform everyone you know that you are looking for a graduate legal job. Attend bar association committee meetings in the area you wish to practice. This will give you the perfect opportunity to network with potential employers and lawyers.

• Research and Identify Emerging Legal Markets – you don’t want to be looking for a graduate legal job that is in a slump. Look at legal markets such as bankruptcy, energy or labour and employment for example.

• CV – rework your CV so that it has a spotlight on your legal skills rather than focusing on a specific practice area.

• Consider all your Options – remember that every practice area found in a private practice has a mirror image in the public sector.

• Be Flexible – there are lots of people applying for one position so if you get a job in a small or midsized firm that does more general practice you should take it to get some experience.

• Keep Focused – just because you do not get your dream job straight away doesn’t mean you won’t get there eventually. Take measured steps towards your goal and when you get there you will be much better prepared.

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Solicitor jobs can be divided into two separate areas: commercial and non-commercial. Whilst the basis of all solicitors jobs is the same, there are a number of great differences depending on the particular area worked in and the clients represented. If you are thinking of looking for newly qualified solicitor jobs, see the following guide.

Commercial Solicitor Jobs

The role of a commercial solicitor is to provide legal advice to businesses and organisations of different sizes. The type of work for the company can vary greatly. Commercial solicitors are needed to assist with establishing new enterprises right the way up to taking care of large corporate dealings such as mergers and acquisitions. This is also known as corporate law. If there is a dispute that is business related a commercial solicitor will be required to help sort it out.

The areas of law that commercial solicitors jobs tend to be in are:

• Property
• Employment
• Insurance
• Competition law
• Finance
• Intellectual property.

Commercial solicitors work in teams and their work is extremely demanding and challenging. Work activities include:

• Advising clients about how the law will affect their case
• Negotiating with clients
• Research
• Implementing agreements
• Representing clients in court
• Supervision of team members
• Attending meetings

Details

Hours can be very long and irregular depending on the cases worked on. Newly qualified solicitor jobs could start at around £16,000 to £20,000 in the first year. After around 10 – 15 years salaries can reach anywhere between £100,000 and £1,000,000.

Non-commercial Solicitors Jobs

By contrast to the above detailed role, a non-commercial solicitor represents individuals or organisations that are not business related. Issues dealt with can concern the local community and services offered are varied. These types of solicitor jobs can also be government funded due to the nature of their job and the lack of corporate power behind them.

The law areas that non-commercial solicitors work in include:

• Residential conveyancing (the purchase and sales of residential property)
• Landlord and tenant agreements
• Wills
• Family and matrimonial matters
• Personal injury
• Criminal litigation

Details

The salary earned is not as much as commercial solicitors jobs. It is difficult to put a figure on how much is made by this type of solicitor as it really depends on the work they do. Newly qualified solicitor jobs in this field will start on about £15,000 to £20,000 a year. However, the salary could reach up to £50,000 if made a partner.

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