Crown Prosecution Service

I'd like to work for the crown prosecution service but was wondering how the jobs would differ as a solicitor and a barrister.

Can anyone explain please?

If you are in-house they won't.

So as a prosecutor you'd see both solicitors and barristers doing similar work?

Pretty much yes. As you work your way up if you're a sol and need higher rights you'd do the higher rights training. As far as I know there is no material difference between the two in the CPS.

There will not be much of a difference after training.

However, during training: trainee solicitors will be in training for 2 years (rather that one year for pupils). They will also have to spend some time away from the CPS so that they can get experience in areas not dealt with by the CPS in order to fulfill training contract rules.

Fair enough. So even if my training contract is with the CPS I'll have to somehow find a way to go private for a stint too?

Fair enough. So even if my training contract is with the CPS I'll have to somehow find a way to go private for a stint too?

The bigger problem you have is that TCs in the CPS are about as rare as rocking horse ****.

They will arrange it - it's their responsibility as the training establishment. They could send you to a government department.

The bigger problem you have is that TCs in the CPS are about as rare as rocking horse ****.

As the person above said - the CPS will sort it out. I'm not sure whether you would be sent to a government department though - they will have their own trainees to look after soon.



The CPS is recruiting at the moment. They have 25 spaces for either pupils or trainee solicitors.

As the person above said - the CPS will sort it out. I'm not sure whether you would be sent to a government department though - they will have their own trainees to look after soon.



The CPS is recruiting at the moment. They have 25 spaces for either pupils or trainee solicitors.

Might as well shoot high, right? I mean, it's not like I can't apply for contracts elsewhere

They will, but I know it's happened before - but not when CPS has been recruiting so many. The reason they're recruiting 20 is because they didn't for recruit any for a few years. They may well not recruit again for a few years after this.

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I quoted you two because I have a couple of questions regarding this and was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing your opinions - I hope you don't mind.

One question that comes to mind is how the two are able to do the same job with very different practical training. LPC being 2 years and BPTC being just one of mainly advocacy. Does the barrister's training mean that they are more likely to get the high profile cases? What do they miss out on that the solicitors learn?

A last question I have it what you actually do in a training contract. Are you basically employed now and just learning the ropes or are you given responsibility like helping on cases?

I'd really appreciate any answers! I know I will learn this in due time but I'd like at least a broad understanding, if possible

NP With the caveat I don't work for the CPS:



The LPC full time is only a year so in that sense both have the same length of time on the "vocational" course. The 2 year / 1 year thing is a training contract / pupillage issue. It's likely the trainees will simply do much the same training with a slight skew to make sure their relevant regulations are hit. It's unlikely that as junior prosecutors there will be any distinction - the distinction may appear later in life if the people who go the sol route don't obtain their higher rights. Having said that, as I understand the recent changes in the CPS (with caveat in mind), some of the higher profile cases that once would have been instructed out to chambers are being handled by in-house advocates. Presumably they are instructed by prosecutor case-workers (in other words junior staff).



It's basically supervised practice.