Career as a lawyer has always been a respectful option in a civilized society. A legal system exists in every civilized society to safeguard people’s rights, interest, their life and property. To run the system successfully a person is required who can understand law, interpret law and explain it to common people which is the job of a lawyer. An advocate is one who speaks on behalf of another person, especially in a legal context. In the legal profession the law graduates have many options over the course of their careers.
Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents. A young lawyer who aspires to do private practice shall do the jobs of a paralegal and an associate lawyer at least for two to three years before embarking on independent practice.
The lawyers can apply for competitive exams for becoming a Civil Judge or for the Additional District Judges (directly) after a certain years of practice. The route for elevation as a Judge of a High Court is also open for the successful lawyers after a certain years of practice and subject to age limit.
In the legal profession, lawyers have many options over the course of their careers in addition to private practice. These include a District Attorney on division level and Assistant District Attorney on a district level. Jobs for lawyers are offered as Advocate General in the High Courts and as Attorney General in the Supreme Court. Likewise the Advocate General office has vacancies of Assistant Advocate General and Additional Advocate General. The Attorney General office has vacancies of Deputy Attorney General. Other options can be public prosecutor and government counsels.
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system.
The academic career can be taken as a full time teacher or professor of law; and a part time teaching in law colleges or law subjects in various institutions can be made. A lawyer may also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books. Another option can be in house legal counsel of a company or a banking institution. A lawyer with good corporate standing can also do job as a company secretary or a director legal.
In Pakistan the independent practice can be done as part of an established law firm or as an independent lawyer. Most lawyers are general practitioners who will take almost any kind of case that walks in the door. However, in developed countries like United States of America and Europe the lawyers specialize early in their careers in a particular area of law. The tendency of specializing in a particular filed of law is increasing in Pakistan and is beneficial from earning point of view.
Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Act, 1973 and Pakistan Legal Practitioners & Bar Councils Rules 1976 are the governing legislations which lay down the criteria for enrolment of lawyers and their qualification. After passing the examination of LL.B in Pakistan a person can get himself enrolled in the Bar Council. The enrolment as an advocate is subject to getting through the subjective type/ multiple choices of written examination within a period of 2½ years in four attempts, completion of six months apprenticeship and passing the viva voice examination.
A bar council is a professional body that regulates the profession of lawyers. In Pakistan, one becomes a member of the bar after fulfilling certain requirements. The requirements include a valid law degree from a recognized university, offer certain undertakings and pay the Bar Association fees. If a person does not hold an LL.M Degree in Pakistan then he/she must first complete six months pupilage with a practicing advocate, whom he/she must have assisted on at least ten cases during his/her six-month pupilage period. A pupilage is the final stage of training to be a lawyer and usually lasts six months. At the end of the six months a pupil must get their senior advocate to sign a certificate confirming satisfactory completion and send it to the Bar Council. Thereafter, Bar Council will issue a certificate which will entitle the pupil to write the word advocate with his or her name.
Advocate High Court is the second level, and is eligible to practice in the High Courts of Pakistan and below. A license to practice in the High Courts can be obtained after successful completion of two years practice in the lower courts by application which is reviewed by a body of High Court Judges headed by the respective provincial Chief Justices and the relevant provincial Bar Council. Most applications after successful completion of the requirements are accepted.
Advocate Supreme Court is the third level. After successful completion of seven years practice at the High Courts an application can be made to the Pakistan Bar Council for becoming an advocate Supreme Court which is reviewed by a panel of Supreme Court Judges headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Over fifty percent of the number of applications after successful completion of the requirement are accepted. An unsuccessful application in one year does not bar the candidate from re-applying in the next judicial year.
The highest level is the Senior Advocate Supreme Court. It is Pakistan’s title equivalent to Queen’s Counsel in the United Kingdom. After fifteen years of practice in the Supreme Court, the application for becoming a senior advocate Supreme Court may be submitted to a panel of Supreme Court Judges headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Very few applications are accepted and even fewer invitations are made. Attorney Generals are invited by the Supreme Court on their appointment to the office of Attorney General of Pakistan.
A common question arises in the mind of fresh entrants in the law profession that what qualities are envisaged in young lawyers which can lead them to grow with in a law firm or otherwise make them a polished professional.
1- The foremost quality of associated lawyers is their reliability and availability. The lawyers can grow in law firm when they prove that they are reliable enough to be entrusted with work and are available as per requirement of work.
2- The hard work is another equal important quality. The lawyer can overcome their shortcoming by hardworking and spending more time in reading and doing case law search.
3- It is not important for an associate lawyer to know each and every thing. The important thing is the direction and the input which an associate is incurring in a particular assignment.
4- The associate lawyers while acquiring knowledge shall focus to assist the senior lawyers in a manner which should make their positions fruitful.
5- The punctuality and consistency is a key to success in every field of life and so is the case with legal profession. A legal profession demands these quality more than any other profession for a young lawyer to become successful.
