If you are interested in becoming a commercial property lawyer, the following article explains everything you need to know. Perhaps you’ve had experience of working in a law firm, or have had experience of buying or selling property before, and it’s an area that interests you.
What does a commercial property lawyer do?
The cases which a commercial property lawyer will work on generally involve the sale, purchase and lease of property for use as business premises. This includes offices, industrial units, retail units and manufacturing plants. Their role is to deal with legal implications of these property transactions. Specifically, they will look at issues such as Land Registration rules, rent, deeds and property licenses.
What attributes do commercial property lawyers have?
Due to the nature of their work, commercial property lawyers must be able to cope under pressure, and be able to meet demanding deadlines. They must be commercially aware, and be able to process large amounts of information quickly, requiring strong analytical skills. They will work within a team, meaning that excellent teamwork, interpersonal and communication skills are all essential prerequisites. It might be that the client will need additional legal services.
What qualifications do I need to become a commercial property lawyer?
Usually, candidates will be expected to have attained an Honours degree at 2:1 level or above. Those with a foundation degree or an HND only will not be considered, however, you can enter a training programme by first qualifying as a Legal executive.
Although entry is open to graduates in all disciplines, those without a law degree will have to undertake a one-year conversion course, known as the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). It is not to the detriment of candidates to have a degree in another discipline to law, as many firms will appreciate the broad background and knowledge which this offers.
After attaining either a BA law degree or the CPE/GDL qualification, candidates must then take the one-year Legal Practice Course (LPC) before starting a two-year training contract with a law firm.
With fierce competition for training contracts, relevant work experience within a law firm will stand those looking to become commercial property lawyer in good stead. If you are at college or university, you should approach as many firms as possible in order to attain a placement over the academic holidays.
