Qualify as a Solicitor in England and Wales

The British Law Centre (“BLC”) has partnered with BARBRI, the global legal education provider, to offer BLC students and alumni the ability to participate in courses to prepare for qualification as a lawyer in the UK or US. BLC students and alumni benefit from a 20% discount on BARBRI’s regular prices for these courses.

The BLC-BARBRI partnership offers courses to comprehensively prepare BLC students and alumni for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), which is the centralised way to qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales. The SQE can be undertaken by people with a first-level degree (in any subject, not necessarily law) or equivalent level 6 qualification. A fast-track version of the SQE can be utilised by people who are already qualified as lawyers in their home country.

The BLC-BARBRI partnership also applies to BLC students/alumni who wish to study for the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) and qualify as a US attorney.

BARBRI provides industry-leading legal education to prepare applicants to pass the SQE and UBE. It offers comprehensive courses which expertly blend technology and innovative teaching strategies, to prepare candidates for qualifying exams, both in the UK and the US. Its students achieve examination pass rates that are second-to-none and it has over 50 years of experience in helping people to qualify as practising lawyers.

What is the SQE?

The Solicitor Qualification Exam (SQE) replaced the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC) in 2021.

The SQE has been designed to establish the competence of candidates qualifying as solicitors. All candidates who have passed the SQE will have demonstrated the competencies specified by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) through the Statement of Solicitor Competence (SoSC).

This completely new method for testing your readiness to become a solicitor in England and Wales requires a completely new method of preparation and that’s what BARBRI offers. BARBRI has been the overwhelming choice of law students in the U.S. for decades.

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) is an independent centralised assessment, which every aspiring solicitor in England and Wales must undergo. It is modelled on the qualified lawyers transfer scheme (QLTS), which was the previous fast track route for foreign lawyers seeking admission as solicitors in England and Wales.

There are two parts to the SQE assessment:

SQE1: two 180-question exams. It tests ‘functioning legal knowledge’ (FLK) through single best answer, multiple-choice questions.

SQE 2: a single, uniform assessment for all candidates, consisting of 15 to 18 exercises (‘stations’) that sample across the skills and practice areas.

The total cost of the SQE assessments in 2024 is £4,564. This covers:

SQE1 – £1,798

SQE2 – £2,766

For more, see: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/solicitors-qualifying-examination-sqe/

Also, here: https://www.barbri.com/sqe/about-the-exam/

What is required to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales?

Those who qualify under the SQE will need to:

have a degree in any subject (or equivalent qualification or experience)
meet the character and suitability requirements
gain two years’ qualifying work experience
pass two stages of SQE assessment: SQE1 will test candidates’ functioning legal knowledge of the law of England and Wales, while SQE2 will test a combination of practical legal skills and knowledge.

What do you need to prepare for the assessment part of the SQE?

SQE1: BARBRI offers a variety of SQE1 Prep courses to suit individual circumstances: a flexible 40-week course, a focused 20-week course and an intense 10-week accelerated course. BARBRI courses are offered twice a year, leading into the SQE assessments so the information is still fresh. For more, see: https://www.barbri.com/sqe/sqe1-prep/

SQE2: BARBRI offers a range of courses and materials to help prepare applicants for the SQE2, which tests practical legal skills. Materials included recorded lectures, workbooks, self-practice and mock exams. For more, see: https://www.barbri.com/sqe/sqe2-prep/

How can BARBRI help you pass the exam?

Watch what applicants have said about their experiences with the BARBRI prep course for the SQE

What is the relationship between BARBRI and the BLC?

The BLC-BARBRI partnership offerS BLC students and alumni the ability to participate in courses to prepare for qualification as a lawyer in the UK or US. BLC students/alumni will benefit from a 20% discount on BARBRI’s regular prices for these courses. This means that the price payable for the BLC’s course is largely covered by the 20% price-reduction which BLC students/alumni then get on Barbri’s vocational-qualification courses.

What are the SQE prep course fees for BLC students?

BLC students/alumni will benefit from a 20% discount on BARBRI’s regular prices for these courses.

In 2024, the fees for the prep course are:

SQE1: £2,999

SQE2: £2,999 (with £500 discount if purchased as a package with the SQE1 course)

For up to date fees, see: https://www.barbri.com/sqe/about-the-exam/

How do I apply for the SQE prep course?

For upcoming BARBRI courses and enrolment, see: https://www.barbri.com/sqe/sqe1-prep/

To discuss how you, as a BLC student/alumni, can benefit from a BARBRI course, please click here.

Dr. Stephen Terrett, Director of Studies at the British Law Centre

“The British Law Centre has been teaching law and legal skills throughout Central & Eastern Europe since 1992. We equip students with core knowledge and a range of skills that are extremely helpful in their future legal careers. Our partnership with BARBRI ensures that BLC students/alumni can take the final steps they need to formally qualify as an English or American lawyer. The price of the BLC’s courses are almost covered by the heavily-discounted prices available to BLC students who study one of BARBRI’s courses. That makes this an excellent opportunity, both financially and in terms of career development.”

Chris Howard, University Partnerships Director at BARBRI

“It is a pleasure to offer BLC students the opportunity to study with BARBRI. The British Law Centre is renowned for the strength of its preparation for students seeking to practice and BARBRI is proud to work alongside, providing a best-in-class training for qualification.”