Working as a qualified lawyer in India with over four years of post-qualification experience, Anubhav Chakravorty had already built a strong foundation in practice areas such as data protection and media. However, his growing involvement with international clients, particularly those with UK-based parent companies, prompted him to seek dual qualification as a Solicitor of England and Wales.
“I felt like there were lots of contracts that would come up requiring us to set UK-related provisions, and we just kept turning clients away. That was one of the gaps I wanted to fill practically. I also wanted to have some cross-border experience for my own career development.”
Keen to develop his expertise, Anubhav explored the SQE route. He was drawn to the flexibility it offered, especially as he continued working full-time in a demanding law firm role. “The flexibility was really crucial, especially juggling studies with working in a law firm.” The fact that he could take the exams in India, without needing to travel abroad, was also a significant factor.
When he found out that he would also be eligible for an SQE2 exemption thanks to his prior experience, choosing the SQE felt like the right option: “My eligibility for an SQE2 exemption was probably the most crucial factor. I needed a pathway that would be able to factor in my pre-existing experience and allow me to continue working in my demanding law firm job.”
Anubhav prepared for SQE1 with Law Training Centre and appreciated the ability to study at his own pace. “One of the most crucial features for Law Training Centre for me was the fact that it was self-paced. We’d be provided all of the material up front and be able to apply our minds to that in our own time.”
He credits much of his success to the support one of his tutors, Louise. “I feel like I owe a large part of my passing the exam to her. She would actually sit down with me over hours of calls to help schedule the preparation around my other commitments, and distil the concepts to make sure I really understood them.”
Alongside the structured materials and flexibility, Anubhav found that being able to use downloadable PDFs and annotate them was particularly helpful: “We’re very used to, as lawyers, tackling comment trails, so it was very easy to navigate past all of my highlights and look at the tutors’ responses.”
Now dual qualified, Anubhav has already seen the benefits in his current role: “On agreements where we have counterparties with UK-based parents, we’re able to understand where their apprehensions come from without actually needing to get into long drawn negotiations.” He also noted that his legal opinions now feel “a little more contextualised,” and that the qualification has “opened up a very wide support network of lawyers based in England and Wales.”
When asked what advice he would give to others considering the SQE route, Anubhav is clear: “Focus on questions like your life depends on it.” He also encourages others to take advantage of the SQE2 exemption early on if eligible to help streamline their journey.
