Why consider an HRA accreditation in 2023?

As a qualified solicitor hoping to stand out within your firm and progress up the career ladder, you’ll likely be looking to enhance your skillset where possible. While you may already have several Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses booked into your calendar for 2023 to help you reach your goals, you may also wish to think about bolstering your service offering. Particularly for those scenarios which may call for you to be able to operate within a Crown or High Court for civil or criminal proceedings, a Higher Rights of Audience (HRA) qualification could be invaluable. This is why this blog will discuss HRA accreditation and how it could benefit you and your firm.

Achieve a greater professional status

According to the SRA, there are currently just 7,012 solicitor advocates registered in England and Wales. This is a relatively small number when you consider that as of December 2022, a staggering 220,069 solicitors were registered on the Roll, 156,405 of them being practicing solicitors. Therefore, those looking to practice advocacy in the higher courts will be able to quickly stand out from the crowd in a fast-paced sector by achieving a greater professional status while also helping to bolster potential earnings for your firm.?

Enhance your earning potential

While also supporting your firm’s bottom line, the added credential of an HRA qualification can support your earning potential too. While a drop in sector revenues is likely to end the pay war that’s played out between the City’s top law firms over the last two years, City A.M predicts that lawyers’ salaries will plateau or go in reverse as firms seek to control their costs. However, developing an in-demand skillset will help to demonstrate your value within the firm which can support any salary negotiations throughout your career.?

Provide a rounded service for your clients

As a practicing legal professional, your clients should always be your first consideration. Upon the completion of an HRA qualification - whether you wish to practice in Criminal or Civil court proceedings - you can provide them with a more well-rounded service as their trusted advisor. This can also reduce potential costs for clients as they will no longer be required to seek additional legal advice from barristers, helping to make any legal proceedings more attainable and timelier thanks to reduced third-party involvement.

Further, enhance your skills

An HRA course can also help enhance your wider personal and professional skills, including communication and case management, and improved advocacy. Consistently developing these skills with external resources can help to aid your professional performance and support the growth of client relationships and fee-earning activity.

For more information about our upcoming HRA courses, click here.?