Solicitor-General Harman goes on to become a silk

Law officer: Solicitor is a practising rather than honorary QC

Harriet Harman has become the sixth solicitor QC as a result of her appointment as Solicitor-General.

Ms Harman is the first solicitor to hold the post.

As the second highest-ranking member of the Supreme Court after the Attorney-General, the convention is that the Solicitor-General must be a silk.The Lord Chancellor's Department confirmed that Ms Harman has been appointed a practising, rather than honorary, QC, even though she does not meet the normal criteria for silks: full rights of audience, wide experience in the courts, and normally ten years of practice in the profession.Ms Harman left active practice in 1982 when she was elected.

Qualifying in 1975 - following in the footsteps of her solicitor mother - she had three years at Brent Community Law Centre before four years as legal officer at the National Council for Civil Liberties (now Liberty).

There are two precedents for barristers appointed Solicitor-General being granted QC status: Ms Harman's predecessor, Ross Cranston, who was an academic, and Frank Sofkice in 1945.

Since solicitors were allowed to apply for silk in 1996, only five out of 45 applications have succeeded.

In April's silk round, barristers were more than twice as likely to make it to silk as solicitors.Neil Rose