Judges preside over law courts and make judgments based on the evidence presented.

Their responsibilities vary. They may preside over criminal trials for more serious offences. In these cases they:

Notaries are members of the legal profession who authenticate signatures and documents for commercial firms involved in international trade as well as for private individuals. Their main tasks include:

The term 'paralegal' refers to a person who does a substantial amount of legal work as part of his or her job and may have some legal training or experience, but is not a qualified lawyer. Paralegals work in law firms, as well as in-house in a wide variety of other private and public sector organisations, and often have very different job titles.

Solicitors give legal advice to individuals, businesses, voluntary bodies, charities and government departments.

A solicitor's main responsibilities include:

Barristers give specialist legal advice and represent individuals or organisations in court.

Barristers tend to specialise in an area of law. Whichever type of law they choose, a barrister's work is likely to include:

• taking instructions from clients and their solicitors
• talking to members of other professions such as accountants, surveyors and architects
• giving written legal opinions and researching similar cases
• representing clients in court.

The amount of time they spend in court depends on their specialist area.

Legal executives specialise in one particular area of the law, doing work similar to that of solicitors. They specialise in areas such as:

The role

A Trade Mark Attorney is someone who specialises in law relating to trade marks. Trade Marks are items such as a name, logo, or another unique feature that makes something distinguishable from other goods or services. In essence, they work to protect a brand’s identity if it has been legally protected as a Trade Mark. 

The role

Legal secretaries handle all the administrative tasks involved in running a legal firm. These tasks include:

The role

Forensic psychologists use their specialist knowledge of psychological theory and criminal behaviour to perform a variety of tasks. They include investigating crimes alongside the police and rehabilitating offenders or patients in prisons, high security hospitals and specialist mental health residential units.

How to become a forensic psychologist

After gaining at least five GCSEs (A-C), plus three A levels, the following is needed in order to become a qualified forensic psychologist:

The role

Equality or diversity officers promote positive practices and attitudes towards particular groups, such as ethnic minorities, disabled people and women. They aim to make sure there is no discrimination regarding access to employment, education and training opportunities or services.