The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) has been given the go-ahead and will replace the current system for entry to the profession as early as September 2020. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said the new exam was supported by the public and would widen access to the profession with new routes such as apprenticeships. It would also help students avoid the gamble of the Legal Practice Course, where they pay as much as £15,000 upfront with no guarantee of a training contract.
The SQE was supported by the Law Society, Legal Services Consumer Panel and Junior Lawyers Division. However, many training providers and law lecturers opposed it, on the basis the exam might lead to ‘surface learning for instant recall’, might not be a robust enough test, and could lead to unregulated providers offering training more quickly and cheaply than traditional providers.
To qualify as a solicitor under the new system, candidates will need to pass SQE stages 1 and 2, have a degree or equivalent qualification, or have gained equivalent experience, have completed at least two years of qualifying work experience, and be of satisfactory character and suitability.
Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said the new SQE would ‘help law firms recruit the best talent, while still giving them flexibility to tailor training to their businesses’ needs’.
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