Postgraduate training
For the latest information on the SQE, visit LawCareers.Net’s dedicated SQE Hub, sponsored by The University of Law. Qualifying work experience Under the SQE, solicitors must still complete two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE) before they can qualify, but unlike traditional training contracts, this can now be split over placements with up to four organisations. Candidates can decide to complete their QWE in one block, much like the traditional training contract route, or split across different organisations. 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. LPC The LPC is the old vocational stage of training to be a solicitor. Aspiring lawyers who have started their training journey by September 2021 can still qualify via this route. It aims to provide students with sufficient knowledge and skills to ensure that they are well equipped to undertake the work of a solicitor. It is a one-year, full-time (or two-year, part-time) course designed to bridge the academic degree and training contract. It is also possible to split the course into core and elective stages, enabling you to start your training contract sooner (ie, after having completed the core stage only) although in reality most students complete the LPC before their training contracts commence. Course content The LPC focuses on practical skills and the instilling of professional conduct and ethical standards. Teaching methods are no longer just academic: the emphasis is on workshops, continuous assessment, independent research and group discussions. The course also permits some specialisation through a range of optional subjects.
analysis; legal research; legal writing; and legal drafting. The emphasis on the everyday skills of lawyering, such as drafting contracts and interviewing clients, means that it shares some similarities with the LPC. You must pass SQE1 before you can book your SQE2 assessment.
There will be unflagged ethics questions throughout SQE1 and SQE2.
The SRA has said that the exams will be introduced in Autumn 2021 and initially there will be two exam sittings per year, with scope to add additional dates based on demand. The first sitting for SQE1 FKL1 is scheduled to take place on 8 November 2021 and SQE1 FLK2 is scheduled for 11 November 2021. Two more assessment dates in July 2022 have been confirmed for SQE1 FLK1 and FLK2. Meanwhile, the first SQE2 written assessment is scheduled to take place from 11 to 13 April 2022 and the first sitting for SQE2 oral is scheduled for 19 to 20 April 2022. The second assessment window for SQE2 written and oral is due to take place in Autumn 2022. Anyone who commenced a law degree, GDL or LPC before September 2021 can qualify through the old system. They will have until 31 December 2032 to complete the route and qualify as a solicitor under the existing routes, or choose to qualify through the SQE if they prefer. However, some City firms have indicated that they are likely to require all candidates to take the SQE from 2022. If you are part of the transitional cohort, talk to your target firms to identify what their preferred route to qualifying is. The total cost of sitting the SQE is £3,980, with SQE1 costing £1,558 and SQE2 costing £2,422. It should be noted that these are just the fees for taking the assessments. The SQE preparation courses that have been revealed range in price depending on the provider and the content covered.
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