Introducing the SQE

ARTICLE

Introducing the SQE

Following the approval of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) by the Legal Services Board, the implementation date of 1st September 2021, represents the biggest shake-up of legal education in 30 years. Some have described the new ‘super-exam’ as legal education’s Brexit and it has certainly produced rancorous divisions, heated discussions and a ten-year transition period.

A reminder to those not closely following the debate, there are four elements to the new assessment:

1. SQE 1, testing legal knowledge through a series of multiplechoice questions;

2. SQE 2, testing application of legal knowledge and skills through a series of written and oral exercises;

3. two years’ full-time (or equivalent) qualifying work experience; and

4. the character and suitability test.

For students, the choice of how to prepare for the assessments and build their portfolio of work experience is completely in their hands. The SRA have made clear that the qualifying law degree or GDL and the Legal Practice Course are no longer considered a necessary requirement to becoming a solicitor in England and Wales.

The transition period allows students who started their journey in law (Law degree, GDL, LPC, or QLTS Part 1) before 1st September 2021 the ability to continue on the existing regime until 2031. However, most major providers will have phased out the delivery of these programmes by the middle of the decade, with a few continuing to offer them in the larger city-campuses beyond 2025.

The introduction of the SQE is a monumental moment for legal education. The new era presents dizzying choice for prospective solicitors on the best route to qualification and will see the entrance of several new providers promising students SQE success. As the major provider of legal education with a focus on quality and student experience, The University of Law (‘ULaw’ – formerly the College of Law) is seeking to lead the way and provide students with a new generation of SQE programmes.

Students wishing to sit the new SQE 1 and 2 assessments will be able to select from a suite of Master’s programmes, which will incorporate SQE preparation and will be eligible for postgraduate funding. Alternatively, students may choose to study standalone SQE preparation courses.

The Master’s portfolio comprises programmes for both law and non-law graduates and will enable students to develop their legal knowledge and skills beyond the minimum requirements of the SQE for life in legal practice.

The standalone SQE 1 and SQE 2 preparation courses are entirely focussed on preparation for the SRA assessment and are supported by the SQE Law Essentials Course for non-law graduates. For those non-law graduates looking to go deeper into the foundation legal subjects, ULaw will be offering a 9-month Postgraduate Diploma in Law as a successor to the GDL.

Going beyond the regulatory minimum of the SQE, ULaw’s SQE Plus content will empower students to be practice-ready and lay excellent foundations for their legal careers in specialist areas such as Private Acquisitions, Family, Employment, Insurance, and Corporate Crime.

Supporting the portfolio, ULaw is launching a smartphone app, ‘ULaw SQE’, which will be integrated into the programme design and provide students with practice tests and feedback. Students will be able to personalise their learning in response to the predictive analytics received and monitor their progress to a success on the SQE. A key tool when encountering the multiple choice question format of SQE 1.

A range of new study manuals will be available, written specifically for the SQE by ULaw expert faculty, which will support students throughout their studies.

The SRA hopes universities offering law degrees will start to incorporate SQE preparation modules within their curricula. However, most traditional universities are reluctant to do so, valuing their research and academic focus, leaving vocational training up to other providers. The College of Law attained university status and degree awarding powers in 2012 and has seen its LLB grow in popularity to become one of the largest in the country. ULaw’s LLB already incorporates preparation for the SQE 1 assessment into the degree through study of appropriate option modules in years 2 and 3, providing students who know they want to qualify as a solicitor the opportunity to get ahead and lay the foundations for SQE during their undergraduate studies.

Another area seeing significant growth since its introduction in 2015 is the solicitor apprenticeship route to qualification. Taking A level graduates and allowing them to work and study over a 5.5 year period whilst acquiring a law degree and sitting SQE 1 & 2 this route allows students to garner the skills and knowledge whilst working and incurring no student debt. Funded by the apprenticeship levy, it allows employers to grow their own talent with minimal cost to the business. Excitingly this route will also be available to law-graduates and those with a GDL from February 2021 as a 2.5 year graduate-entry apprenticeship.

Whilst many in the profession have expressed grave concerns and are reserving judgment until the SQE is rolled out, some have said it is time to accept the SQE writing on the wall and move on.

Whatever your views on the SQE, it is coming. The University of Law is leading the way with its new generation of SQE programmes focused on developing and supporting students to get the careers they want by ensuring they have the skills, knowledge and behaviours employers are looking for. ■

Ben Taylor-Campbell

Ben Taylor-Campbell

Account Manager

The University of Law

Ben.Taylor-Campbell@law.ac.uk