

Start the LPC now or wait for the SQE?
BY EVE DULLABH
What should you do as of now, if you haven’t started the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and you do not have a training contract in place? Should you press ahead “blind” and start the Legal Practice Course before seeking a two-year training contract with a law firm?
Or should you delay, obtain some (hopefully paid) qualifying work experience, and wait for the new regime of legal education and qualification that will be ushered in by the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), starting in 2021? Would that process be any less “blind”?
There is no easy answer to these questions – but it is worth taking a minute to think about the value of:
What happens now?
At the moment, aspiring solicitors must have:
A law degree – or a non-law degree plus a postgraduate conversion course called Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
Plus
The exceptions are if:
What happens when the SQE is launched?
From 2021, if you want to be a solicitor, you’ll need to do the following:
1) Complete Stage One (SQE1) and Stage Two (SQE2) of the SQE. These will cover similar areas to the GDL and LPC, respectively.
2) Complete two years of qualifying legal work experience (QWE) – this does not need to be achieved through the traditional training contract. What constitutes suitable qualifying work experience is varied and now includes:
1) Complete Stage One (SQE1) and Stage Two (SQE2) of the SQE. These will cover similar areas to the GDL and LPC, respectively.
2) Complete two years of qualifying legal work experience (QWE) – this does not need to be achieved through the traditional training contract. What constitutes suitable qualifying work experience is varied and now includes:
N.B. The organisation with which you do legal work experience must be recognised as complying with SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority) rules.
Your two years of qualifying legal work experience (QWE) can occur before, during or after completing SQE Stage 1 and 2.
Your two years of qualifying legal work experience (QWE) can occur before, during or after completing SQE Stage 1 and 2.
Transition rules – if you’ve started your LPC:
Options and considerations
If you have already completed the LPC or will do by the time the SQE launches in 2021, you can still switch to the SQE stream and complete the qualifying work experience element and pass the SQE 2.
It is important that you make the choice that works for you. The team at Law Training Centre are here to help you at any stage of your career. We offer a range of courses for anyone interested in entering or progressing further in the legal profession. Call the team at 0330 088 8495 for more information about our courses.