Managing Director (Costs Draftsman and Costs Lawyer), Litigation Costs Services

Costs lawyers numbers set to rise as graduates sign up for training

23 Sept 2015News

The profession of costs lawyer is a positive, long-term career choice, says ACL

The Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) has welcomed 108 students to its three-year training course as graduates look for alternative careers in law.

This latest intake is the second cohort to undergo the association's revamped training regime, which is designed to ensure that the next generation of costs specialists are up to the demands of the post-Jackson era.

There are currently 616 authorised costs lawyers in the UK after the course welcomed a double intake of 185 students last year.

Sue Nash, the chairman of ACL, commented: 'Despite the changing nature of the costs world, the profession of costs lawyer is a positive, long-term career choice. I am delighted to see demand for places remains high and that so many employers are investing in the profession by sponsoring students to undertake the course.

'The profession has developed greatly in recent times and costs lawyers will, I believe, become an integral part of litigation teams in the near future, working with solicitors and barristers to progress proceedings in an efficient and proportionate manner.'

The new group of trainees is comprised of a mixture of law and non-law graduates, with some 95 per cent of students sponsored by their employer.

Irwin Mitchell has enrolled 13 staff members, while one of the UK's largest costs practices, Kain Knight, is supporting nine of its employees. NWL Costs Lawyers is continuing its expansion by enrolling six students this year, the same as Compass Law and Lawlords Costs Consultants.

Students take three units, one each year, broken down into various modules. The first two years of the course cover the fundamental building blocks to become a costs lawyer, including knowledge of law and procedure, ethics, and advocacy.

In the third year students are provided with options to allow for specialisation in the costs of different areas of practice, such as personal injury and clinical negligence, land, criminal, company, and family law.