Lawyers in Australia
Where do lawyers practise?
Solicitors versus barristers
Where do graduates work?
The legal profession: what is it worth?
The future
Although they have many options, graduate destination figures show that the majority of law graduates do practise law, at least in the years immediately following their graduation. They join a profession that is steeped in tradition, but that is also growing at a rapid rate. The number of legal
professionals in Australia has jumped nearly 20% over the last five years, taking the total to over 60,000.
Where do lawyers practise?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found that in 2001-2002 there were over 36,000 solicitors and barristers working in 11,000 legal services practices and organisations across Australia.
Of the barristers and solicitors:
- 29,000 worked in private solicitor practices
- 3700 were barristers working in their own practice
- 3300 were employed by government solicitor or public prosecutor offices, legal aid authorities or community legal centres.
As you try to decide which type of legal practice you will choose to launch your career, give some thought to the advantages and disadvantages of small and large firms. The number of practice areas is an appealing feature of large firms, however newcomers often receive more responsibility in the smaller firms.
Solicitors versus barristers
Most law students will go straight into a law firm after graduation. A law firm offers a financially secure environment where young lawyers can gain a reputation and the skills required with support and supervision. If they choose to enter the bar, it is usually after a couple of years experience.
A solicitor:
- works in a firms alongside other solicitors
- deals with general legal services, including the briefing and instructing of barristers
A barrister:
- is an advocate who pleads the cause of another in court
- is self-employed
- practises independently, although they commonly share chambers and clerks with other barristers.
An issue for young lawyers wishing to enter the bar is that they get very little exposure to advocacy while at university, as the focus in on substantive law. More advocacy courses are springing up to train young barristers in the oratory and argumentative skills or advocacy.
Where do graduates work?
- Public sector: 22%
- Private practice: 54%
- Private industry: 20%
- Overseas: 2%
- Further study: 22%
The legal profession: what is it worth?
No matter where they work, lawyers generally work very hard and for long hours. The average is around 45-50 hours per week, but the pressure of billing in the private sector means many young lawyers work much longer hours. High figures are found on the other side of the cost-benefit equation too. The income generated by legal practices reached $10.6 billion in 2002 according to the ABS.
According to The Good Universities Guide 2009 the average law graduate starting salary is $46,410 and employment rates are also encouraging.
Lawyers don't just earn lots of money, they also give back to the community. Research shows that Australia's top 25 firms provided $48.5 million worth of pro bono services in 2007. The biggest firms provided free services that together amounted to nearly 200,000 hours of legal work.
The future
Employment prospects for lawyers have steadily strengthened over recent years and official estimates characterise current job prospects as good. Employment growth to 2012–13 is expected to be moderate.
Bolstered by a continually rising demand for lawyers in growth industries, the legal profession is tipped to enjoy further growth and to bring its members good rewards well into the future.