International students: how to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales

Dear Oracle

I’m an international student pursuing a career in the UK legal profession, how do I qualify as a solicitor?

The Oracle replies

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Whether you’re already studying in the UK, or you’re planning to come to the UK to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales, you can now do so via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). We’ve set out some of the steps that you’ll need to take to qualify as a lawyer below. If you’re ever unsure about a part of the process, you should get in touch with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) – the regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales – which will be able to answer any of your questions.

I’m an international student studying in the UK

If you’re studying an undergraduate degree in the UK (law or non-law), you’ll be required to qualify via the SQE in the same way as your peers in the UK. As a reminder, you must:

• have a university degree or equivalent in any subject (law or non-law);
• pass the SRA’s character and suitability assessment;
• pass SQE1 and 2; and
• have two years’ qualifying work experience (QWE).

I’m an international student studying overseas

Much like domestic students, overseas students are also eligible to take the SQE regardless of their degree subject (law or non-law). You’ll just need to meet the requirements of the SQE. Unlike the old system, where non-law degrees obtained overseas meant students had to complete the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before the Legal Practice Course, non-law overseas students are now eligible to qualify via the SQE in the same was as non-law students in the UK.

According to the Law Society, “if you have a degree or equivalent qualification from outside the UK”, you’ll be eligible to take the SQE if your qualification is:

• equivalent to a UK degree or an equivalent UK qualification; or
• an accredited qualification at level 6 (or above) of the European Qualifications Framework.

Please note that while a conversion course (eg, GDL) is no longer compulsory via this route, the SRA recommends that everyone takes an SQE preparation course before attempting the SQE assessments. For non-law graduates this is likely to involve a conversion-type course before taking a more specific SQE prep course.

You can find out more about the SQE preparation courses and those designed specifically for non-law graduates via LCN’s guide.  

In terms of the actual SQE assessments, parts of them are available internationally:

• SQE1 can be sat internationally with the SRA confirming that availability will evolve with demand.  The international availability of SQE1 means that some international students can attempt SQE1 at their closest Pearson Vue test centre without having to travel to England and Wales to take the assessment.
• The same can be said for SQE2’s written assessments.

The SQE2 oral assessment isn’t yet available internationally, so can only be sat in England and Wales. That said, the SRA hasn’t ruled out the possibility for it to become available in future once it’s up and running.

Keep your eye on the SRA’s website and LCN’s SQE hub for updates. 

If you’re looking to book the SQE1 or SQE2 written assessment and take it where you live, you can visit the SRA’s website and follow the assessment booking instructions. You’ll then need to put in your location and the system will find your nearest three Pearson VUE assessment centres. There’s more information about dates and locations of the SQE assessments available via the SRA's website, and you can also search for Pearson VUE test centres based on your location.  

In terms of QWE, this can be built up overseas but it must be signed off by a solicitor of England and Wales or a compliance officer for legal practice (ie, someone the SRA regulates). As a result, if you’re studying overseas, any relevant legal experience that meets the criteria for QWE can be used to make up your two years’ QWE, which is fantastic news. A two-year training contract is also a viable option with many firms choosing to continue to use this traditional method of training for its future lawyers.

I’m an international student but I don’t have a degree

There’s a pattern emerging here.

The SQE strikes again – even if you don’t have a degree, you can still qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales via the SQE if you can show that you’ve completed work experience that’s equivalent to a UK degree (eg, an apprenticeship). There’s more information on this via the SRA’s website.

The short version

In short, the SQE makes access to the profession a lot less time-consuming and flexible for overseas candidates. Obviously, there are other elements to factor in (eg, your visa) but the SQE will hopefully make the pathway to qualifying in England and Wales that little bit more straightforward. Whether you’re a degree holder (law or non-law) or have an equivalent qualification (eg, apprenticeship), you can qualify as a solicitor in the same way as domestic candidates. It also means everyone wanting to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales will have to pass the same centralised assessment to qualify.