Changes to Solicitor Qualifications in England And Wales
You may be aware that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is introducing a new method of assessment for qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales. Read more about this important change on LSE's Law site. A list of Frequently Asked Questions can also be found on the SRA website.
You will need to make a decision about where to study for your postgraduate courses. The Solicitors' Regulation Authority has information on the conversion course (GDL) and the LPC. It lists the providers of the courses and also publishes the reports and gradings made by the Law Society on the LPC providers, see becoming a solicitor.
Bar Standards Board pages list the core content of the BPTC course and a table of all BPTC course providers.
Open days
If you can, visit the providers on Open Days which will be listed on their homepages and on the Diary pages at LawCareers.net. Some of them will also be present at the LSE Law Fair and may be giving talks at LSE Careers (see LSE CareerHub). Consider:
- How the course is delivered i.e. mainly online, lectures or seminars
- Flexibility of delivery eg. part-time, full-time, weekends, evenings, distance learning, 7 months compressed course
- Range of electives available
- Location
- Atmosphere
- Student support available e.g. how often can you have careers appointments?
- Employer activity on campus
- Range of extracurricular activities on offer
- Do they provide scholarships
- Ask how many of their students get training contracts/pupillages
Some of the law firms have entered into agreements with course providers to run courses specifically tailored to their needs. If these firms fund your course then they are likely to decide where you study, for example:
*Shortlisted applicants for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at Kaplan Law School will be required to attend a BPTC selection day.
LLM
LLM Study has links to LLM providers worldwide, advice and a blog and forum.