Post Graduate Studies - PGDL & SQE

There are some recent changes to the way Solicitors qualify and we have given a lot of thought as to how we can continue to support you throughout your studies and Training Contract.

Our preference is for candidates to undertake the Solicitors Qualifying Exam going forward, however our Training Contract will also support those who have already commenced or completed the LPC. Please note, we will only sponsor the SQE going forward.

Regardless of whether you have done the LPC or SQE, our Training Contract is designed to give you the best possible training with the firm and encourage you to develop the key legal, business and interpersonal skills to enable you to become a successful lawyer.

Will I follow the old or new route to qualification?

I have started or completed the LPC:

If you have already started or completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) at point of offer, you will be able to qualify under the existing route:

• Completed law degree / Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and started / completed LPC already.
• 2-year ‘Recognised Period of Training’, also referred to as a Training Contract.

You will not need to sit the SQE exams or accrue ‘Qualifying Work Experience’ as outlined in the new route to qualification.

I have not started or completed the LPC:

If you haven’t started or completed the LPC at point of offer, you’ll undertake the new SQE route:

• Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)– for non-law students. See further details below.
• SQE LLM - Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam preparation courses and exams – you’ll do both SQE 1 and SQE 2 as well as our SQE Plus programme which will contribute towards a Masters in Legal Practice (LLM).
• 2 years of ‘Qualifying Work Experience’ with the firm.

Non law students – Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)

We have partnered with The University of Law to provide all of our post-graduate courses.

If you have not studied a law degree, we will sponsor you to complete your Post-Graduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) before commencing the SQE. This will replace the previous version of the GDL course. This 9-month programme will cover all the foundation subjects covered in a law degree and will begin to prepare you for the SQE exams. 

If you have already started or completed the old GDL, we will accept this form of the course.

Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) Courses and Exams

Once you’ve completed your law degree or PGDL, we will then sponsor you to study for and undertake the SQE. You’ll undertake the SQE preparation course with The University of Law and sit exams as below:

• SQE 1 Preparation Course – September to January
• SQE 1 Exam – January
• SQE 2 Preparation Course – February to April
• SQE 2 Exam – April
• SQE Plus programme – May to July

Our programme with The University of Law includes the SQE Plus Programme – you’ll chose modules from our Elective Modules list to study in more detail. This will prepare you well for practice at the firm by focusing on our areas of specialism, alongside developing practical legal skills. The SQE 1, SQE 2 and SQE Plus programme combines together so you’ll be studying for a Masters in Legal Practice (LLM).

If you have already completed the GDL or LPC then we have no preference over where you completed these and it will not affect your application.

Part time studying

We appreciate that full time study isn’t feasible for everyone so we also offer part time options which we would be happy to discuss on a case-by-case basis to accommodate your circumstances. Following that discussion, if you prefer to study part time, you’ll be able to choose the approach that works best for you from a range of weekend, evening and online options. 

Study fees

We will pay the full fees for the PGDL and SQE courses with our chosen provider, University of Law, plus the SQE exam costs with Kaplan. For each year that you study, we will provide you with a maintenance grant of £10,000 if you are studying in London and £8,500 if you are studying outside of London or online.