Legal services sector

A solicitor provides expert legal support and advice on a wide range of personal and commercial issues.  Depending on your area of expertise, you can advise on a range of issues, and once qualified, you can work in private practice, in-house for commercial or industrial organisations, in local or central government or in the court service.

The route to qualifying as a solicitor changed in September 2021 with the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). This will eventually replace the former Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) conversion courses and the Legal Practitioners course (LPC).

For those who started a law degree, GDL or LPC prior to September 2021, transitional arrangements are in place until 2032. However, if you commenced a Law or non- Law degree after September 2021, qualifying via the SQE is now the only option, with further options for training.

The SQE is a new system of assessments that all solicitors must pass to qualify. Under the new system, prospective solicitors must:

• have a degree in any subject (law or non-law) or equivalent;
• pass SQE1 and SQE2;
• complete two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE); and
• pass the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) character and suitability assessment.

SQE Preparatory Courses

It is important to remember that the SQE is not a course – it is a series of exams. Whilst there is no prescribed or recommended way to prepare for SQE exams, in reality, passing the SQE exams will be difficult with no previous legal training. It is anticipated that most students will choose some course of further study/preparatory course to help them, and there are different routes and options depending on your individual needs and preferences.

Some training providers have adapted their conversion courses and LPC programmes to accommodate SQE preparation.

Conversion courses

For non- Law students there are a range of conversion courses.

At the University of Birmingham, there is an LLB for Graduate programme (applications are via UCAS). The LLB Graduates programme is a two-year 'senior status' LLB degree which offers students a step-up from traditional GDL degrees, or more recently, Postgraduate Diplomas in Law (PGDL). Alongside the seven foundation subjects of law, you can also choose four optional specialist modules.

Other institutions offer redesigned conversion courses, known as Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) or MA Law conversion courses. You can explore these conversion courses. In most cases, you will be applying via the Law Central Applications Board (LawCAB) for full time conversion courses, however, in some cases it maybe directly to the provider. You will see details on how to apply on the relevant institution page.

A common question is do you still need to do a training contract? Whilst training contracts can form part of the mandatory qualifying work experience required, they are not the only option. If you are considering training contracts, it is essential that you do your research into the practice areas, firms and are aware of deadlines. You can find out more here on Law training contracts. Deadlines will be advertised on Careers Connect and LawCareers.Net.

Paralegal

Paralegal work is a good entry point into the legal profession for many university graduates. It is also possible to qualify as a solicitor through working as a paralegal (so without the need for a training contract). For more information, visit Paralegal job profile, and LawCareers.net has a feature called, Paralegal work: a guide for future solicitors.

 

Barristers (in England and Wales) are specialist legal professionals in advocacy and represent individuals or organisations in court. They provide independent legal advice and can advise clients on their case. Generally, they represent individuals in court and only become involved once advocacy before a court is needed. 

Many barristers work on a self-employed basis in offices called chambers, where you could have your own office or share one with other barristers. Others work in government departments or agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Government Legal Profession (GLP), or increasingly in private and public organisations, such as charities. 

To qualify as a barrister, you will require the following:

• Academic element (Law degree or non- Law followed by conversion course, as explained above)
• Vocational element (relevant Bar course)
• Work-based element (usually a pupillage).

Bar courses

The route to training as a barrister has changed. From July 2020, a range of new Bar courses replaced the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) as the mandatory vocational stage of training before pupillage. As universities and law schools now have more freedom to decide how their courses are taught and structured, you will find the Bar course advertised under a range of different names (eg, ‘ICCA Bar Course’, ‘Bar Practice Course’, ‘Barrister Training Course’).

All applications for Bar courses now need to be made directly to the university or law school. You can find how to Study a Bar course in 2024 or Bar Professional Training Course | BPTC | LawCareers.Net

Inns of Courts

Trainee barristers must join one of the four Inns of Courts. The Four Inns of Court are professional membership associations for barristers in England and Wales dedicated to promoting the rule of law and providing education and training to their student and barrister members. They each provide Scholarships, Dining Sessions (training), Advocacy training, Competitions, Lectures and Social events. An individual must be admitted as student member of an Inn to complete compulsory qualifying sessions.

• The Honourable Society of The Inner Temple
• The Honourable Society of The Middle Temple
• The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
• The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn

There is funding and scholarships available, it is essential to be aware of deadlines and prepare accordingly. 

Baljinder Singh Atwal

Solicitor, West Midlands Police

“I really enjoy having the public interest at the centre of everything I do. Having the satisfaction that my time and effort is going into an organisation which is protecting the public and supporting the community is quite a special feeling.”

Many of our graduates from University of Birmingham have gone on to pursue careers in the legal services sector. Read and watch their stories below. 

• Eirini Sakellari, Paralegal at Axiom DWFM 

Legal services events

If you have questions and want to find out more about pursuing a career in the legal sector, have a chat with one of our Careers Advisers. 

Book an appointment through your Careers Connect account. 

LinkedIn Learning has over 13,000 courses to enhance your CV and stand out from the crowd when thinking about a career in legal services. 

University of Birmingham students get free access to LinkedIn Learning.

There is a range of work experience you can get to learn more about the legal sector. Prospects breaks down the types of work experience on offer.

Vacation schemes are a common way of gaining legal experience and insights. We advertise opportunities on Careers Connect and you will also see deadlines on LawCareers.Net.

However, it is important to think outside of the box and explore different opportunities as some schemes can be competitive. Firms and organisations also value non-legal experiences and insights, so don’t forget to explore wider options through our Internships and work experience team.

Careers Network hosts the annual Law Fair in November. The event provides an excellent opportunity for students to connect with firms and chambers interested in promoting training contracts, pupillages and vacation schemes. We host firms and chambers of all sizes, from international, corporate firms to regional practices. 

 

You may be eligible to apply for work experience bursaries through The University of Birmingham. For more details visit the internship funding pages. 

• View all vacancies in Careers Connect

When you have a clear sense of where you want to apply, the final step is making the most out of your application. Our Employability Advisers are here to help review your application documents. 

• Access application support on Careers Connect