The Solicitors Qualifying Examination: Perspectives on the Proposed Changes to Legal Qualification

by Dr Edward Kirton-Darling (University of Kent) and Professor Antonia Layard (University of Bristol)

This report is written for members of the SLSA and other interested parties. It focuses on the Solicitor Regulation Authority’s (SRA) proposals for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), drawing on research designed to assist with consideration of these plans and to enable reflection on them.

The research is based on a survey, desk-based research using freely available policy and professional resources as well as academic research on legal education and training

The report is in three parts:

(1) an overview of uncertainties in the current system;

(2) uncertainties in the proposals; and

(3) analysis of our survey responses.

An Annex outlines the methodology used as well as further quantitative information of the responses we received.

• executive summary
• full report

We would like to thank our colleagues in the Socio-Legal Studies Association, the Association of Law Teachers, the Society of Legal Scholars, the Young Legal Aid Lawyer’s Group and the Law Society’s Junior Lawyer’s Division for all their advice and support with this research, which was unfunded and undertaken in our free time.