Solicitors form the backbone of the legal system in the UK, providing expert legal advice to both individuals and organisations across all areas of the law. While the majority will go on to develop a specialism and gain expertise in an area of law, such as property or family law, all solicitors will have completed the same core qualifications.
If you are interested in becoming a solicitor, there are recognised routes for training that follow three broad stages: legal knowledge (such as a law degree or equivalent), vocational qualifications (specific to solicitor practice) and practical learning (such as an apprenticeship or work experience). Ascot solicitors working at firms such as Parachute Law will have followed the route necessary for practice in England and Wales, so we will cover this in detail here. However, the same three stage pattern applies in both Scotland and Northern Ireland with variations according to their awarding bodies.
Table of Contents
ToggleFor most solicitors, this will begin with a degree in Law. However, this does not have to be the case. In England and Wales there is no a longer a requirement to complete a Law degree or equivalent Law conversion course in order to enter for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) exams. Instead, any Level 6 degree qualification or equivalent is suitable. In practice, the in-depth knowledge of the law in England and Wales required to pass these exams means you will need to source some additional learning and training if this was not covered in your initial qualification.
The SRA requires any degree-holding individual who wishes to qualify as a solicitor to pass a two-part examination process called the Solicitor Qualifying Examinations (SQE). The first of these is a knowledge-based, multiple-choice exam that tests your understanding of the legal system in England and Wales. As we mentioned above, this requires a thorough knowledge of multiple areas of law that will have been covered if your degree was in Law.
The second SQE is a practical exam that looks to evaluate the skills required as part of the daily work of solicitors, including analysis and research, interviewing of clients and advocacy on their behalf, as well as writing documents. Practical tasks are required that cover 5 key areas: property, dispute resolution, criminal litigation, business rules and procedures, and wills with their associated practices.
To qualify as a solicitor, you will need to gain a minimum of 1 year’s experience delivering legal services within an organisation in addition to passing both SQEs. Some firms will offer this as part of an apprenticeship or traineeship and may help with the costs of the exams. Many will complete this with multiple organisations, up to four, which can include voluntary work as well as practising within a firm as a paralegal, trainee or apprentice.
The final step is to complete the SRA’s compulsory character and suitability test. This is to ensure you meet the ethical standards of the organisation and can comply with their rules of membership, usually involving a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. After this stage, your work experience may enable you to begin work within a firm, while many solicitors also practise independently and go on to develop specialisms in areas of interest.