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The qualifying process for becoming a solicitor has changed. Read on to discover your next steps if you have completed the ‘old-style’ legal practice course qualification, with advice from an associate professor at the University of Law.

Competition for trainee patent attorney jobs is tough. Peter Silcock, a partner at J A Kemp, describes the qualifications and skills you’ll need to impress patent attorney firms and what you can expect from the application and interview process.

Family lawyers have to be confidants, investigators, litigators, negotiators and drafting experts, explains Nathaniel Groarke – a partner at Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Strong advocacy, listening and communication skills are essential to work in criminal law.

How do you become a lawyer? And what is the difference between a solicitor, barrister and lawyer? Get familiar with the qualifying process here.

Banking and finance lawyers usually act for either the lender or the borrower and there’s the potential to work on high stakes, international deals.

Public law cases will likely be under the media spotlight – you’ll need a degree of creativity as well as legal skills to succeed.

Darren Kerr, outreach and engagement manager at the Law Society of Scotland, describes how to get a traineeship and become a solicitor (and then how to go on to qualify as an advocate, if you choose to).

Fact: recruitment for aspiring solicitors begins earlier than other professions so it pays to be organised about legal work experience from the start of your degree.

Discover all you need to know about getting the work-based element of qualifying as a solicitor – known as a law training contract or qualifying work experience.

It’s always been possible to become a solicitor without a law degree, but students studying science, technology, engineering or maths are particularly welcome. Find out from Osborne Clarke lawyers how to decide whether the move is for you – and make it.

Networking is a skill that every future lawyer needs to get to grips with. You might be worried about what to talk about in front of graduate recruiters or qualified solicitors but it’s easy to become a networking pro with a little bit of preparation and practice.