Clarity /ˈklarɪti/
noun
1. the quality of being coherent and intelligible. "for the sake of clarity, each of these strategies is dealt with separately"
There's no other way of putting it - the path to qualification as a solicitor is challenging! I've been working towards qualification as a solicitor since I chose my GCSEs. This was in 2004 when I was 14 years old, so we're talking about 16 years of work! I chose my GCSEs and later A-levels to set myself up as best I could for undergraduate University.
Whilst at University, I learned more about the path to qualification and was taught that the way to qualify was LLB, then LPC, then the 2-year Training Contract, after which job's a good'un and you can call yourself a solicitor. At the time, this was a clear path and what I had been focusing on as my path to qualification, taking into account all the challenges and deviations between undergrad and now.
So it came as a bombshell after undergrad when I discovered that there was another way to qualify, and then later on learning that there were even more ways to qualify. Suddenly, the path wasn't so clear anymore, and I didn't know which way I was going. That clarity of information that I had wasn't clear anymore and I started to panic. Had I wasted my time trying to qualify down a route that turns out just wasn't accessible to me anymore?
I recall it was in 2017 when I started the LPC and I had met my classmates, a few of whom have become friends, that I learned that they would be qualifying via a route that isn't the one I was taught at undergrad. It was a route that I had previously considered but didn't really progress with it in any great vigour. Maybe because of conflicting information regarding the status of qualification and potential limits therein. It certainly challenged my long-held belief of there being only one route, but I learned from them that it a route that I could make use of quite effectively.
So focus began to shift to that more accessible route to qualification, but at the same time I was still stuck in the same way of thinking that the original route I was taught was the better way. It was only after rejection after rejection after rejection (ad infinitum!) that I decided that the route for me is one that thankfully is becoming increasingly accepted as a viable alternative and doesn't place any lesser value on the work that I have done up to this point.
But what are these routes to qualification as a solicitor? I'll look to explain this over 2 parts as there's a fair amount of information here and I don't want to overwhelm in one post.
For a start, let's use this image as a guide and I'll break down the different routes and make them as clear as I possibly can. Below is publically available information.
Image from SimplyLawJobs (https://blog.simplylawjobs.com/how-qualify-solicitor/)
The traditional 'graduate route' - the Training Contract
When I was studying undergrad from 2008-2012, this route was the only route that was promoted to me as being the way to qualify as a solicitor.
Step 1 - complete your GCSEs and A-levels. It helps to get as good a grade as possible for A-levels.
Step 2 - complete the undergraduate Law degree (LLB), typically 3 years though there are sandwich courses which add a further year on for, say, a work placement or, in my case, study abroad.
Step 3 - complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC), 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time. Accelerated LPCs are available depending on provider, though be prepared for this to be intense!
Step 4 - complete the 2-year Training Contract or 4x 6-month stints in different teams or departments (known as "seats").
Step 5 is missing in the above - the Professional Skills Course (PSC) will need to be completed at some point before you're able to qualify. This is a short mandatory course (12 days) where you are assessed on the key competencies expected of solicitors in the real world.
Once all the above are ticked off, then congratulations, you're free to apply to be admitted to the Roll of Solicitors of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.
Beginning at GCSEs, this route would take 10-12 years to complete, depending on your choice of undergrad degree and how you choose to study the LPC. That seems like a long time, but remember that in order to get to University you have to sit GCSEs and A-levels anyway. So higher education will be 6-8 years.
Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
For aspiring solicitors who didn't study a Law degree at undergrad, you'll have to complete this course before you begin studying the LPC. This is more relevant to career-changers coming in from a non-law related background. It certainly helps to have a degree or background that you can relate to a career in law. Whilst this isn't essential, you may encounter challenges from employers who may ask about the switch from a non-related subject to law. So just bear that in mind.
It is a 1-year full-time/2-year part-time conversion course that upon completion offers a diploma that is equivalent to an LLB.
CILEx
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx for short) is the professional body for Legal Executives in England and Wales. It has its own exam board delivering Advanced level courses for aspiring Legal Executives.
There are multiple paths that involve CILEx as a means to qualify. Path 1 is the solely CILEx route, which is:
Step 1 - Complete your GCSEs.
After this step, you can choose to complete the CILEx Level 3 Certificate in Law and Practice, which is at the same level at A levels but acts as an introductory course for anyone interested in a short well-rounded course or who want to a specific learning need in a particular area.
But for the purposes of qualifying, the next logical step would be ......
Step 2 - Complete the CILEx Level 3 Diploma in Law and Practice. This A-level equivalent course is the first official stage of the process to become a Chartered Legal Executive. There are the mandatory modules to complete, but you are free to choose your own elective modules. This will take around 2 years, the same amount of time that A-levels take.
CILEx has more information on these Level 3 courses here - https://www.cilex.org.uk/study/lawyer_qualifications/level_3_qualifications
Step 3 - Complete the CILEx Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice. This is the degree-level course. Here, there are Law modules and Practice modules. You have to do a certain Law module if you intend to study the linked Practice module. This course will take around 2 years, though you can study at your own pace. Further information can be found here - https://www.cilex.org.uk/study/lawyer_qualifications/level_6_qualifications/level_6_diploma_law__practice
Step 4 - get your 3 years of qualifying employment. Yes it is a longer period of time than the training contract, but this can take into account work that you've already done and can give credit for that work. It just needs to be logged and signed off by a solicitor or Legal Executive to count towards the 3 years.
Once these are ticked off, you can enrol to be a Chartered Legal Executive, and are also free to dual-qualify as a Solicitor, so long as the Solicitors Regulation Authority are happy with what you've done with CILEx. Best to speak with all involved to double-check.
Path 2 is:
Step 1 - complete your GCSEs and A-levels.
Step 2 - complete the CILEx Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice.
Step 3 - get your 3 years qualifying work experience.
Then you can enrol as a Legal Executive and dual-qualify as a Solicitor.
Path 3 is:
Step 1 - complete your GCSEs, A-levels and Law Degree/GDL.
Step 2 - complete the CILEx Graduate Fast-track Diploma. Here you will study 2 practice subjects that are linked to a subject that you studied at degree level along with the mandatory professional skills unit, which is a requirement of solicitors in practice anyway. This will take 9-15 months to complete. More information can be found here - https://www.cilexlawschool.ac.uk/product/cilex-graduate-fast-track-diploma/
Step 3 - get your 3 years of qualifying employment.
Then you can enrol as a Legal Executive and dual-qualify as a Solicitor.
Finally, Path 4 is:
Step 1 - complete your GCSEs, A-levels and Law Degree/GDL.
Step 2 - complete the LPC.
Step 3 - get your 3 years of qualifying work experience. LPC counts as 10 months of this total, but you can't also claim 10 months of work experience if you were studying at the same time.
Then you can enrol as a Legal Executive and dual-qualify as a Solicitor.
You'll have to apply for the appropriate membership at each stage, which will cost money, and there is the expectation of continuing professional development (CPD).
Student - entry level, no qualifications but working towards it, and <3 years of work experience.
Affiliate - you've finished the Level 3 Certificate, and have at least 3 years work of experience.
Associate (ACILEx) - you've finished the level 3 Diploma/Law degree/GDL
Graduate (GCILEx) - you've finished the Level 3 Diploma + Level 6 Diploma + Fast-track Diploma, or the LPC.
Fellow of CILEx (FCILEx) - you've finished the academic stage and have gained the 3 years of qualifying work experience. It is at this stage that you will be able to dual-qualify as a Solicitor.
https://www.cilex.org.uk/membership/membership-grades-and-fees has more detailed information.
With hindsight, I find that it is important not to buy into a belief that you have wasted your time trying to qualify in a route that ultimately wasn't right for you. Think of what you can take away from it - a self-awareness that that particular method was not for you, and that an alternative route was much more viable and accessible to you. I'll admit that it is a little upsetting that it took me years to come to this conclusion for myself, but what's life if you're not here to learn, right?
As always, stay safe!
Credit: Cover image photo by Melinda Gimpel on Unsplash
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