Legal Career Progression - Prosecutor Structure

Job title: Pupil Barrister/Trainee Solicitor

Qualifications / Experience Required: Law Degree, Common Professional Examination (CPE) or equivalent, Bar Vocational Course (BVC) or Legal Practice Course (LPC)

Sample Range of legal work: Pupil Barristers review and prepare cases under supervision and prosecute cases in the Magistrates' courts after six months of their training contract. Trainee Solicitors also review and prepare cases under supervision and have the opportunity to appear in court upon completion of the Associate Prosecutor training, available as part of the traineeship.

Development: Completes rigorous, customised training (including secondment opportunities) to become a qualified prosecutor.

See also: Lucie Cummins - Legal Trainee

Job title: Crown Prosecutor

Qualifications / Experience Required: Newly qualified legal trainees and new entrant qualified lawyers with less than two years post qualification experience

Sample Range of legal work: Review, prepare and prosecute a whole range of cases in both the Magistrates' and youth courts. Crown Prosecutors will also have the chance to gain significant exposure to Crown Court work.

Development: Incremental exposure to the work of a Senior Crown Prosecutor. Upon successful completion of key learning stages and the Advocacy Development Programme, Crown Prosecutors are through-graded to Senior Crown Prosecutor. This can take between six months and two years dependent upon the level of experience upon entry.

Job title: Senior Crown Prosecutor

Qualifications/ Experience Required: Qualified lawyers with relevant practical experience and in-depth, up-to-date knowledge of criminal law and practice.

Sample Range of legal work: Review, prepare and prosecute a wide range of cases in the Magistrates' and youth courts. Make charging decisions and have the opportunity to specialise in areas such as domestic violence, rape, Proceeds Of Crime Act (POCA) and Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO). Make Conditional Cautioning decisions and (subject to training) undertake pre-trial witness interviews. Provide explanations to victim of decisions to drop or amend charges and explain procedures including meetings in appropriate cases.

Development: Incremental exposure to the work of a Crown Advocate with the opportunity to complete the CPS Crown Advocate training programme.

Job title: Crown Advocate

Qualifications/ Experience Required: Qualified lawyers with considerable, relevant practical experience and in-depth, up-to-date knowledge of criminal law and practice.

Sample Range of legal work: Crown Advocates are also required to review and prepare cases, decide on trial tactics and provide pre-charge advice from time to time. Crown Advocates may also be required in more complex cases to advise the police from the early stages of the investigation, provide the charging decision, prepare and prosecute the case at trial. It is expected of post-holders at this level to act as junior advocates in the more serious and complex cases.

Development: Opportunity to undertake advocacy training on long and complex cases with master class training on specific aspects of advocacy.

See also: Jonathan Sharp - Crown Advocate

Job title: Senior Crown Advocate

Qualifications/ Experience Required: Qualified lawyers with considerable, relevant practical experience and in-depth, up-to-date knowledge of criminal law and practice

Sample Range of legal work: Similar responsibilities to the Crown Advocate role with an increase in the seriousness and complexity of cases handled and predominately heard at Crown Court. Like Crown Advocates those at the Senior level will also be expected to act as juniors in more complex Crown Court advocacy.

Development: Incremental exposure to the most complex and sensitive work.

Job title: Principal Crown Advocate

Qualifications/ Experience Required: Qualified lawyers with extensive and detailed up-to-date knowledge of criminal law and practice. Principal Crown Advocates are the most experienced, high-end advocates working within the organisation.

Sample Range of legal work: As a vastly experienced and skilled prosecutor who the Principal Crown Advocate leads in the most complex, difficult or sensitive cases,. Principal Crown Advocates providinge strategic prosecution advice, trial preparation, pre-trial and trial advocacy on the most voluminous and complex cases.

Development: Bespoke design according to the needs of the individual.