96% of LPC graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduating (2020/21 Graduate Outcomes data). Contains HESA Data: Copyright Jisc 2022.
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about Becoming a Solicitor
Want to become a solicitor? Whether you’ve completed a law or non-law degree at undergraduate level, we have a range of postgraduate law courses which will prepare you for a career as a solicitor.
introductionAn SQE course for everyone
The introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) has changed the route to qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales. This change aims to take down the barriers of entry to make the career choice more accessible.
With this new route comes some uncertainty – do you have to study a specific course? How do you obtain Qualifying Work Experience? Should you still do the LPC?
To help answer these questions, we’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about becoming a solicitor, including career opportunities, courses, and funding.
Get set for success withthe ULaw SQE Revision App
Our intelligent, free SQE Revision App is here to help prepare you for SQE1, part of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE1). The App has been specifically designed to help you improve your Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK), as well as your technique and confidence in attempting Single Best Answer Question (SBAQ) assessments. Students studying our applicable SQE courses will receive access to the full version of the App which includes a bank of over 3,000 SBAQs together with smart performance insights.
Your route to becoming a solicitor
From September 2021, the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) became the new, centralised assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It will eventually replace the Legal Practice Course (LPC) route to practice.
The SQE is part of a new, four-stage route to becoming a solicitor:
- A degree (or equivalent) in any subject
- Pass SQE1 and SQE2 assessments
- A minimum of two years Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)
- Show you are of satisfactory character and suitability
Unlike the LPC, the SQE is not a course of study but an examination. However, to pass SQE1 and SQE2, you may wish to undergo a course of professional training. We've developed a range of SQE courses that will prepare you for a career as a solicitor, as well as SQE success. Our courses are delivered by expert lecturers, including subject matter specialists, former and current practitioners, and research and teaching focused academics.
A non-law graduate will need to acquire the foundational legal knowledge necessary to start these courses. Most will undertake a conversion course such as our Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL), Master of Arts in Law (MA Law Conversion), Master of Arts in Law (MA Law SQE1) or SQE Law Essentials Online.
Should students choose to study the LPC or SQE?
Can I still study the LPC?
You can still continue with the LPC route if you completed, started, accepted an offer, or paid a non-refundable deposit for one of the following by 31 August 2021:
- a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) / the Common Professional Examination
- our MA Law
- the LPC
- a period of recognised training (also known as a training contract)
For a qualifying law degree (QLD) and exempting law degree (ELD), such as our LLB, you must have completed, started, accepted an offer or paid a non-refundable deposit by 21 September 2021.
In most cases, for the QLD, ELD and CPE, the relevant course must have started at the latest on or before 31 December 2021.
If you have already started a qualifying law degree, GDL or training contract there are transition arrangements in place until 31 December 2032 to qualify as a solicitor under the current routes, as long as courses still remain available.
Get Help Funding Your Degree
We have a variety of funding options available including our newest addition - The Amal Clooney Scholarship for Human Rights Advocates.
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compare your optionsFind your solicitor course
Whether you’re converting to law study in order to start your journey towards becoming a solicitor, or you already hold a qualifying law degree, our course comparison guide will help you find the right course for you.
law course finderFind the right course for you
Our law course finder can help you understand the route to becoming a solicitor with The University of Law. Find the right course for you based on your background and aspirations.
Legal Practice Course (LPC)
Join the largest community of LPC students*. This course is designed for law graduates, or those who have completed a law conversion course, and wish to qualify as a solicitor using the LPC route to practice. We focus on the skills that employers are most interested in so that you can enhance your academic knowledge while preparing for the realities of life in legal practice. You can also add an MSc in Law, Business and Management or LLM in Professional Legal Practice at no extra cost. *Central Applications Board (LawCAB) 2021
Find out moreLLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2)
This course is designed for graduates who want to qualify as a solicitor using the new SQE route to practice and also gain a Master’s award. We focus on the skills that employers are seeking so that you can enhance your academic knowledge while preparing for the realities of life in legal practice. This course will ensure you’re fully prepared for your career as a solicitor, as well as success in the SQE exams. You’ll also get the opportunity to complete four weeks Qualifying Work Experience within one of our Legal Advice Centres.
Find out moreSQE1 Preparation Course
This course is for those who wish to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales using the SQE pathway to qualification. Although there are no formal entry requirements, it is recommended that you have a law degree or have completed a law conversion course. The course will prepare you for the SRA’s centralised SQE1 assessments, which will test functioning legal knowledge (FLK).
Find out moreSQE2 Preparation Course
This course is designed for those who’ve completed SQE1 training. This course will prepare you for the SRA’s centralised SQE2 skills assessments, which will test the practical legal skills of client interviewing, advocacy, legal writing, drafting and research, and case and matter analysis.
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