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Solicitors Qualifying Examination
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the main process of qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales as of 2021. In order to be admitted to the roll of solicitors, a candidate must have tertiary education (level 6, not necessarily a degree) in any subject, pass two SQE assessments, complete qualifying work experience (QWE) for two years full-time (or part-time equivalent) and meet the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)'s requirements for character and suitability. It is the solicitors' equivalent of the Bar Professional Training Course.
The four required elements of the SQE route to qualification do not need to be completed in a prescribed order; for example, QWE can be undertaken before, during or after a candidate sits SQE1 or 2.
While the SQE refers specifically to the two exams which candidates must sit, in practice the term is often also used in reference to the current solicitors' training programme as a whole, including the transition from the traditional Training Contract to Qualifying Work Experience.
The Legal Services Board approved the SQE on 28 October 2020, after nine years of consultation on solicitors' training. It came into effect in Autumn 2021, with anyone starting to qualify as a solicitor in 2022 onwards having to take the SQE route. A 10-year transition period to 2031 will allow the completion of qualifications commenced under the previous regime. Candidate that have taken the LPC may be exempt from the SQE1 under transitional arrangements.
Articled clerkship
The historical route to qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales, introduced on 1 December 1730, was articled clerkship. This term is still retained by some common law jurisdictions. Clerkship lasted for 5 years, which in 1843 was reduced to 3 years for some graduates. In 1728 a group of solicitors established the "Society of Gentlemen Practisers in the Courts of Law and Equity", the predecessor of the Law Society of England & Wales; this is the body is responsible for solicitor training in the jurisdiction. In 1877, the Law Society began administering a series of exams in order to allow admittance into the profession. The term and requirements of clerkship continued to evolve during the 20th century.
Established in 1993 to replace the Law Society's Final Examination (LSF), the LPC was one of four routes to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales: for candidates with a law degree (Legal Practice Course), for those with a different degree (Common Professional Examination), for those qualifying in a different country (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme), and for qualified legal executives. The process is now simpler: any candidate with any background must undertake the SQE.
The SQE1 consists of two functioning legal knowledge (FLK) assessments, of 180 multiple-choice questions. Candidates must apply their knowledge of the law, the fundamental legal principles and rules, to demonstrate the competences required to the level of a newly qualified solicitor of England and Wales.
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Solicitors Qualifying Examination
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the main process of qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales as of 2021. In order to be admitted to the roll of solicitors, a candidate must have tertiary education (level 6, not necessarily a degree) in any subject, pass two SQE assessments, complete qualifying work experience (QWE) for two years full-time (or part-time equivalent) and meet the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)'s requirements for character and suitability. It is the solicitors' equivalent of the Bar Professional Training Course.
The four required elements of the SQE route to qualification do not need to be completed in a prescribed order; for example, QWE can be undertaken before, during or after a candidate sits SQE1 or 2.
While the SQE refers specifically to the two exams which candidates must sit, in practice the term is often also used in reference to the current solicitors' training programme as a whole, including the transition from the traditional Training Contract to Qualifying Work Experience.
The Legal Services Board approved the SQE on 28 October 2020, after nine years of consultation on solicitors' training. It came into effect in Autumn 2021, with anyone starting to qualify as a solicitor in 2022 onwards having to take the SQE route. A 10-year transition period to 2031 will allow the completion of qualifications commenced under the previous regime. Candidate that have taken the LPC may be exempt from the SQE1 under transitional arrangements.
Articled clerkship
The historical route to qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales, introduced on 1 December 1730, was articled clerkship. This term is still retained by some common law jurisdictions. Clerkship lasted for 5 years, which in 1843 was reduced to 3 years for some graduates. In 1728 a group of solicitors established the "Society of Gentlemen Practisers in the Courts of Law and Equity", the predecessor of the Law Society of England & Wales; this is the body is responsible for solicitor training in the jurisdiction. In 1877, the Law Society began administering a series of exams in order to allow admittance into the profession. The term and requirements of clerkship continued to evolve during the 20th century.
Established in 1993 to replace the Law Society's Final Examination (LSF), the LPC was one of four routes to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales: for candidates with a law degree (Legal Practice Course), for those with a different degree (Common Professional Examination), for those qualifying in a different country (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme), and for qualified legal executives. The process is now simpler: any candidate with any background must undertake the SQE.
The SQE1 consists of two functioning legal knowledge (FLK) assessments, of 180 multiple-choice questions. Candidates must apply their knowledge of the law, the fundamental legal principles and rules, to demonstrate the competences required to the level of a newly qualified solicitor of England and Wales.