Lawyer in 1340s: London's Inns of Court take shape

What is the difference between a barrister and a solicitor? In England and a handful of Commonwealth countries, the profession is legally split: solicitors handle client relationships, contracts and case preparation, while barristers specialize in courtroom advocacy and are usually instructed by a solicitor rather than hired directly by the public. Most other countries, including the United States, merge both functions into a single lawyer or attorney role.

Do you need a law degree to practice law everywhere? No. A small number of US states, including California and Vermont, still allow candidates to sit the bar exam after several years of supervised 'reading the law' in a practicing attorney's office instead of law school, and England's Solicitor Apprenticeship lets school-leavers qualify over six years while working. Most countries, though, require an accredited law degree.

It varies enormously by country and setting. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics put the median annual wage for American lawyers at $145,760 in May 2023, ranging from roughly $66,000 for the lowest-paid tenth to over $239,200 for the highest-paid tenth; first-year associates at major US firms now start above $225,000, while public-interest and small-town lawyers earn far less.