ABSTRACT

The legal profession is essential to the operation of the English legal system. This topic links with many other areas. It particularly informs a broader understanding of the following areas in this section of the book: the workings of the courts structure and the role of lawyers in the courts; the judicial role in courts and appointments to judicial positions; and the way in which legal help and representation is provided and funded. The legal profession is subject to ongoing change and development, with the Legal Services Act 2007, which received Royal Assent on 30 October 2007, set to change the ways in which legal services are delivered and regulated, and likely to change the existing relationships between types of legal personnel. Some of the implications of the new Act will be considered in the course of this chapter.