Becoming a solicitor
Solicitors provide legal advice and representation. They work directly with their clients and are usually the first point of contact for anyone seeking legal advice. In general practice, solicitors may be called on to advise on issues ranging from crime, personal injury, contracts and wills to buying houses and taking over a business.
Aspiring lawyers will have the option to complete their two years’ QWE before, during or after taking the SQE1 and SQE2, but it must be completed prior to applying for admission to the roll of solicitors. Your QWE must also be registered with the SRA and signed off by a qualified solicitor – more guidance is available on the SRA’s website. The current routes to become a solicitor are to do a law degree, followed by the LPC, followed by a training contract; or a non-law degree, followed by the GDL, then the LPC, then a training contract (for more, see ‘Career timetable’ on p116). Training contract/period of recognised training The traditional training contract – or ‘period of recognised training’ – is a two-year period of paid training with a law firm or other approved organisation. The two years provide an opportunity for trainees to put into practice all the knowledge and skills they have acquired so far, with the firm assessing the trainee’s suitability for retention upon completion of the training period. Trainees eligible to qualifying via the LPC route may also study elective LPC modules if they choose to begin the training contract upon completion of the initial core LPC modules. The two-year training contract can count towards your two-years’ QWE. Law firms and other employers have a lot of flexibility over the content of their training contracts, but most are still generally based on the following format. Structure The training contract format varies between firms. Most (although not all) firms operate a ‘seat’ system, in which trainees spend six months in four different departments. This gives trainees exposure to different practice areas so that they can make an informed choice about where they specialise once they qualify. As far as possible, firms will try
A run-down of various specialisations can be found in ‘Solicitor practice areas’ on p121.
One important thing to note: the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) was introduced in September 2021. It is a new assessment that all aspiring solicitors must pass in order to qualify. The SQE is a series of exams, which are divided into two stages (SQE1 and SQE2). Universities and law schools are continuing to develop a range of new courses to prepare students for the SQE, which will replace the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The course fees vary based on the training provider and the course content. For anyone who commences a law degree, Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or LPC before September 2021 transitional arrangements will be in place until 31 December 2032. To learn more about what the SQE will mean, read the ‘SRA’ chapter or go to sqe.sra.org.uk – plus LawCareers.Net has a dedicated SQE Hub where you can find all the latest updates. Qualifying work experience Under the SQE, solicitors must complete two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE) before they can qualify. QWE offers more flexibility than the traditional training contract because it can be split over placements with up to four organisations. Candidates can decide to complete their QWE in one block, much like the two-year training contract or split across different organisations. The traditional training contract route will still be available but other forms of experience (eg, volunteering in a law centre or working as a paralegal) may also count towards the total experience needed to qualify.
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