Read the text to fulfil the tasks. The senior branch of the legal profession in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is a barrister

The senior branch of the legal profession in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is a barrister. There are over 9,000 barristers, who have the right to fight a case in the higher courts (Crown courts and the High Courts) in England and Wales. Barristers belong to the Bar, which is an ancient legal institution and which is now controlled by the Bar Council. There are also the four legal societies or Inns of Court in London, they are Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Middle Temple and the Inner Temple. The four Inns of Court, law colleges date from the middle ages.

Barristers (professional advocates) have two main functions: first, to give specialised advice on legal matters and, secondly, to act as advocates in the higher courts.

In order to become a barrister, one must have a university degree, plus additional professional examinations organised by the Council of Legal Education. He will then become a member of one of the four Inns of Court. The barrister career starts as a 'junior' handling minor cases (or briefs). He or she may have difficulty in earning a reasonable living or in becoming established in the early years of practice, with the result that many barristers drop out and enter other fields. However, should the barrister persist and build up a successful practice as a junior, in due course he or she may then become a Queen's Counsel (QC), known within the profession as 'taking silk'. The appointment as a QC may lead to a future position as a judge, and it is regarded as a necessary career step for the ambitious.