myfuture :: Occupation Information

Lawyer
( Legal Practitioner )


	Duties and Tasks Specialisations Quick Facts Personal Requirements Related Industries Labour Market Related Jobs Earnings Related Courses Further Information State Specific Information Occupation Video	Reviewing proceedings with an administration assistant
	Lawyers provide advice, write documents and conduct negotiations on legal matters, and may represent clients in court and tribunal proceedings. Lawyers are described as solicitors or barristers, according to the work they do. The distinction between solicitors and barristers varies from state to state. In NSW, Victoria and Queensland, lawyers practise as either a solicitor or a barrister. In SA, WA, Tasmania, the ACT and NT, the work of barristers and solicitors is usually combined, with many lawyers describing themselves as 'barrister and solicitor'.

Duties and Tasks

Lawyers may perform the following tasks:

provide legal advice and draft legal documents
conduct negotiations
appear in courts and tribunal hearings on behalf of clients
research statutes and previous court decisions
interview clients and recommend appropriate legal actions.

Specialisations

Barristers wear wigs and gowns in some courts, solicitors do not. Generally, people practise as a solicitor for a few years before becoming a barrister.

Solicitor
Barrister

Quick Facts

Learning Area	English History Mathematics
Work Demand	Including mainly indoor work Including reading or writing
Work Field	Law, Security and Defence
Work Interest	Analytic or Scientific Helping or Advising Organising or Clerical Persuading or Service
Skill Level	Professional Jobs

Personal Requirements

good oral and written communication skills
able to understand, analyse and use facts quickly and logically
able to work under pressure and deal with a variety of people
integrity and good character.

Related Industries

Public Administration

Labour Market

Information

Australian JobOutlook for Legal Professionals

Vacancies

Australian JobSearch for Legal Professionals (ALL AUSTRALIA)
Work Opportunities websites

Earnings

Income of persons working full-time, 2006

Legal Professionals
Income per Week	Number	Share (%)

$1000 or more	33,782	82.9
$400 - $599	922	2.3
$600 - $799	2,005	4.9
$800 - $999	3,527	8.7
Less than $400	494	1.2

This information is based on the 2006 census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Earnings of persons working full-time and part-time, 2006

Legal Professionals
Employment Status	Weekly Income ($)

Full-time	1,694
Part-time	930

This information is based on the Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership survey conducting annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

See State Specific Information below for further education and training options.

Further Information

Education Liaison Officer, Law Institute of Victoria
Human Resources, Victoria Legal Aid
Law Society (NT)
Law Society of South Australia
Law Society of Tasmania
Law Society of the ACT
Legal Practitioners Admissions Board
Legal Profession Admission Board
Legal Services Commission of South Australia
NSW Bar Association
Queensland Law Society Inc
Secretary, Board of Legal Education
The Law Society of Western Australia

State Specific Information

New South Wales / ACT
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia

Discussing with a client the best course of action

Occupation Video - Commercial Lawyer

Video courtesy of the myfuture Student Video Competition