Essential Cases: EU Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Irène Vlassopoulou v Ministerium für Justiz, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-Württemberg (Case C-340/89), EU:C:1991:193, [1991] ECR I-2365, 7 May 1991. The document also includes supporting commentary from author Noreen O'Meara.
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Irène Vlassopoulou v Ministerium für Justiz, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-Württemberg (Case C-340/89), EU:C:1991:193, [1991] ECR I-2365, 7 May 1991
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Irène Vlassopoulou v Ministerium für Justiz, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-Württemberg (Case C-340/89), EU:C:1991:193, [1991] ECR I-2365, 7 May 1991
Essential Cases: EU Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Irène Vlassopoulou v Ministerium für Justiz, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-Württemberg (Case C-340/89), EU:C:1991:193, [1991] ECR I-2365, 7 May 1991. The document also includes supporting commentary from author Noreen O’Meara.
Chapter
1. Introduction
The civil courts perform the important function of resolving disputes that cannot be resolved by agreement between the parties. This introductory chapter briefly sets out the book’s focus, namely the mechanics of how legal and equitable rights are asserted, determined, and enforced through the civil courts. It then discusses the legal profession, lawyers’ duties, initial instructions, confidentiality and conflict of interest, pre-action correspondence, and the main stages in court proceedings.
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3. Gender, race, and diversity in the legal profession
This chapter examines the issue of diversity in the legal profession. It first explains the meaning of diversity and the reasons why it should be promoted. Debates around diversity have focused particularly on gender and race, although increasingly there is emphasis on achieving diversity in relation to socio-economic background, disability, and sexuality too. It reviews the current status of the profession in terms of diversity. It considers diversity rules as set out in in the Equality Act 2010, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Handbook, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) Handbook. Barriers to diversity and steps to promote diversity are also discussed.
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6. Legal services and the ethical lawyer
Scott Slorach, Judith Embley, Peter Goodchild, and Catherine Shephard
This chapter examines the development of the legal profession in the UK. It discusses lawyers as professionals; the importance of legal services and their regulation; the legal profession in England & Wales; the role of ethics in lawyers’ work and the changing face of the legal profession within society.
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6. Legal services and the ethical lawyer
Scott Slorach, Judith Embley, Peter Goodchild, and Catherine Shephard
This chapter examines the development of the legal profession in the UK. It discusses the importance of lawyers to the Rule of Law, and the role of lawyers as professionals. It identifies the range of lawyers and their roles. It then examines the nature of legal services in England & Wales, and their regulation. The chapter then looks at the central role of ethics in lawyers’ work, and the implications of this priority. The chapter identifies changes to the legal profession—changes driven by the wider worlds of politics, society and technology.
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10. The Legal Professions
This chapter explains what the legal professions are, what they do, and how to qualify as a member of the professions. It examines the rules governing practice as a member of the professions and, in particular, the issue of ethical behaviour. There are three principal branches to the legal profession in England and Wales. The first consists of barristers, the second of solicitors, and the third of chartered legal executives. The routes to qualification vary for each of the branches, but broadly speaking all involve an academic stage and work-based training. When considering the current routes to qualification for each of the branches of the profession, the chapter also explores potential qualification reforms, in particular those proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with the introduction of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam (SQE). Diversity within each branch of the profession is also explored in relation to gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Chapter
1. Introduction
The civil courts perform the important function of resolving disputes that cannot be resolved by agreement between the parties. This introductory chapter briefly sets out the book’s focus, namely the mechanics of how legal and equitable rights are asserted, determined, and enforced through the civil courts. It then discusses the legal profession, lawyers’ duties, initial instructions, confidentiality and conflict of interest, pre-action correspondence, and the main stages in court proceedings.
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14. Gender, race, and diversity in the legal profession
This chapter examines the issue of diversity in the legal profession. It first explains the meaning of diversity and the reasons why it should be promoted. It reviews the current status of the profession in terms of diversity. It considers diversity rules in the Equality Act 2010, Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Handbook, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) Handbook. Barriers to diversity and steps to promote diversity are also discussed.
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10. The Legal Professions
Alisdair A. Gillespie and Siobhan Weare
This chapter explains what the legal professions are, what they do, and how to qualify as a member of the professions. It examines the rules governing practice as a member of the professions and, in particular, the issue of ethical behaviour. There are three principal branches to the legal profession in England and Wales. The first consists of barristers, the second of solicitors, and the third of chartered legal executives. The routes to qualification vary for each of the branches, but broadly speaking all involve an academic stage and work-based training. When considering the current routes to qualification for each of the branches of the profession, the chapter also explores potential qualification reforms, in particular those proposed by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority with the introduction of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam (SQE). Diversity within each branch of the profession is also explored in relation to gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds.
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15. Making yourself more employable
Scott Slorach, Judith Embley, Peter Goodchild, and Catherine Shephard
This chapter focuses on the additional skills needed to embark on a career in practising law. It discusses personal characteristics; team-working; delegation; meetings; client care; networking; marketing; IT skills; and the use of social media. It also considers the meaning of commercial awareness and how this might be explored at interviews.
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2. The administration of the law
This chapter examines the administration of the law under the English legal system. It aims to clarify how, and by whom, the law is administered. It identifies the structure, jurisdiction, and composition of the various courts, and also discusses how the tribunals system fits into the administration of the law. In addition, the chapter looks at less formal approaches to dispute resolution, such as alternative dispute resolution. This chapter describes the duties and responsibilities of the different members of the legal profession including the judiciary, the law officers, barristers, solicitors, legal executives, and paralegals. It also considers the appellate procedure.
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16. Making yourself more employable
Scott Slorach, Judith Embley, Peter Goodchild, and Catherine Shephard
This chapter focuses on the many additional skills needed to embark on a successful career in practising law, skills over and above the skills that you will have acquired during your time at University. It discusses personal characteristics, including your attitude and approach to your work, professionalism and empathy; team-working and leadership skills; the importance of delegation; how to plan and conduct effective meetings; client care; networking; marketing; IT and technology skills; and the use of social media. Using topical case studies, it considers the meaning of commercial awareness: what it is, how to develop this and how this might be explored at interviews.
Book
Martin Partington
Introduction to the English Legal System 2021–2022 has been fully updated to consider the latest developments in the English legal system. The underlying theme is change and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the underlying approach is holistic. Changes to the criminal system (Chapter 5), the administrative system (Chapter 6), the family justice system (Chapter 7), and the civil and commercial (Chapter 8) justice systems are all considered. Developments in the ways in which the legal profession is regulated are also discussed (Chapter 9). Ways of funding access to justice and controlling the cost of litigating are considered (Chapter 10), as are the purposes and sources of law (Chapters 2 and 3). Chapter 11 offers a final reflection on a system in flux.
