You may be wondering, «Can I be a lawyer without a law degree?» The answer is that you absolutely can. One of the most significant changes under the EQAS system is that lawyers do not need a law degree or equivalent to be eligible. However, to pass the SQE assessments, a candidate needs a thorough knowledge of the law in England and Wales – this is where ULaw conversion courses come into play. These will help you prepare for the challenges of SQE1 and SQE2. Pathways to qualify as a lawyer are diversifying and are now open to non-legal graduates who wish to become lawyers in England and Wales. Until the introduction of SQE, people who had a degree in a discipline that was not law had to convert their degree through a program called The Common Professional Examination (CPE)/Diplôme d`études supérieures en droit (GDL) before going to the LPC and completing the two-year training contract, like other law candidates. The introduction of the Lawyers` Aptitude Examination (SQE) means a new path for career changeers and students without legal training. We sit down with Peter Goodchild, ULaw Director for SQE Conversion, to discuss the new path to becoming a lawyer. So if you have a degree in something other than law, you can still take the SQE and qualify as a lawyer after completing qualifying work experience (QWE).
The new Lawyer Qualification Examination (SQE) gives everyone the opportunity to qualify as a lawyer even without studying law. The SQE is a rigorous assessment designed to ensure that anyone who passes both levels can be considered the expected high level of legal knowledge and skills required to become a qualified lawyer, but without having to obtain an expensive legal degree from a «reputable» university. Alternatively, if you want to become a lawyer, learn more about the Bar`s professional training course. Take the assessments and become a lawyer without a qualifying law degree Are you a student who is pursuing or completing a non-legal degree, or even in high school and deciding which third way to take? Are you a professional in a non-legal field and interested in entering the legal profession? «Companies don`t tend to favor law students – I often find that non-law graduates end up being more comprehensive and better trained lawyers,» says Sarah Clover, a partner in professional negligence at the international law firm Clyde & Co. «I would advise any student considering a career in law to think carefully about not studying law at university. You end up doing law as a professional for so many years, so I recommend choosing a university degree that really interests you. I studied law, but in hindsight, I would have liked to study history – a subject I loved in school. I found the academic study of law a bit dry and only started studying law in the context of real practice, where you could see the effects in real life. «With this new qualification pathway aimed at becoming the benchmark for assessing the knowledge and skills of aspiring lawyers, passing SQE will not be an easy task.
It will take time and investment on your part. However, representing and supporting clients as a lawyer is incredibly rewarding, and the combination of your SQE and non-legal experience will bring extremely beneficial levels of value and diversity to the legal profession in England and Wales. Although the SRA has not stipulated that the final qualification must be included in the legislation, it will be useful in practical terms to have legal training to pass the SQE assessments. It`s also something that many employers expect. Four main criteria are required to pass the SQE. These include: a university degree or equivalent degree in any subject (law or other degree subject), successful completion of the RAS Character and Aptitude Assessment, successful completion of SQE1 and SQE2 and completion of two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) – whether in a consistent placement or in multiple roles. Once all four criteria are met, individuals can be included in the list of lawyers. If you talk to recruiters at a job fair, you`ll find that your field of study is rarely on the top ten things to look out for in future internships. Intellectual rigor, teamwork, resilience, ambition and motivation are important factors that companies look for in future interns, and they can all be developed outside of your studies. If you`re still in college, check out the on-campus legal clinic and see if you can volunteer.
You can also work part-time as a paralegal at a law firm while completing your studies. All of this adds up and will help you succeed in the end, so start gaining experience as soon as possible. According to the SRA, due to the number of institutions currently involved in the evaluation of potential lawyers, it is difficult to ensure that all new lawyers are assessed to the same standard. The introduction of SQE will ensure that all aspiring lawyers, regardless of the path they take (whether it is a law degree, a non-legal degree or legal training), take the same qualification exam to ensure consistency and high standards at all levels and silence the idea that one path to qualification is better than another. Under the new SQE regime, which was introduced on September 1, 2021, once students have completed their non-legal degree, they will have to do the following: If you embark on your career, the world is essentially your oyster. You still need to obtain a degree as this is a prerequisite for SQE, but you can choose to continue your studies in the field you are interested in and then bring that knowledge and skills to the legal profession through the SQE. Those with a digital background would likely have an advantage in labor, tax, or banking law, where transactions involve complicated calculations. History or English degrees also develop research skills that are useful for legal practice: «Traditionally, a history degree is considered to be in tune with the law because of the research skills you develop,» says Samantha Hope, head of graduate recruitment at Shoosmiths, «but we don`t have a preference for the field of study.» Due to the long transition period, if you start your law school or PLC before September 2021, you will have 11 years (until 2032) to qualify in the traditional way. However, if you want to switch to the new SQE route, you can do so. The SQE is the new qualification system for lawyers in England and Wales, designed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to improve access to the profession. An aspiring lawyer needs a degree and then passes SQE1 & 2. On the way, they must have two years of qualifying professional experience.
The SQE1 rating includes just over 10 hours of closed Simple Best Answer Questions (SBAQ). These are multiple-choice questions that require an informed choice between several viable options. However, to pass SQE1 and 2, most individuals will want to take a vocational training course such as the ULaw SQE1 Preparation Course and the SQE2 Preparation Course.