Advocate's clerk

practice manager
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Legal and court services
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Career outlook for advocate's clerk

Average UK salary

£35,360

Currently employed in Scotland

2,200

"LMI for All" supplies our salary and employment status information. "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.

What's it like?

You would organise the schedules and paperwork for advocates so they can focus on preparing cases and defending people in court.

You would look after a small number of advocates, in a group known as a ‘stable’.

At a junior level you would assist with the day-to-day tasks of managing the work, so you could:

  • Prepare papers
  • Take books and documents to and from court
  • Deal with letters, emails and phone calls
  • Handle accounts, invoices and petty cash
  • Take payments
  • Manage each advocate’s daily diary and keep their case information up to date

At a senior level you would deal with enquiries from solicitors about hiring an advocate for their client and decide whether one of your advocates could take on the case.

You would:

  • Discuss cases and allocate work to the advocate best suited for a particular case
  • Organise the schedules for the advocates and their cases
  • Negotiate fees and collect payments
  • Promote the ‘stable’ and bring in business

Sometimes you would refer work to another ‘stable’ if its advocates are better placed to deal with the case.

You would work for Faculty Services Limited, a company that provides these specialist clerking services to the Faculty of Advocates.

Confidentiality would be extremely important.

Working conditions

Hours

You would typically work standard office hours Monday to Friday. Your hours may occasionally be longer if your advocates are working on a complex case.

UK employment status

Full-time

73%

Part-time

16%

Self employed

11%

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  • Cooperating
  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication
  • Working with numbers
  • Observation
  • Attention to detail
  • Sorting
  • Time management
  • Making decisions

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Getting in

Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.

Qualifications

Though it is possible to enter this career with Highers (SCQF Level 6) including English, many applicants have a degree in law or in legal subjects (SCQF Level 9/10).

Useful subjects

Most employers require

  • English (required by most employers)
  • Maths
  • Administration
  • ICT
  • Business

Some employers may also look for languages and subjects that reflect an understanding of people, society and law such as modern studies or politics. 

Helpful to have

Relevant qualifications and experience in administration or legal services such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Business and Administration (SCQF Level 2/3/4) or Paralegal Practices (SVQ Level 3) 

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