Clifford Chance appoints the University of Law as exclusive SQE provider

The University of Law (ULaw) has secured an exclusive partnership with magic circle law firm Clifford Chance to deliver its Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) courses.

ULaw was appointed based on its expertise and commitment to providing first-class legal education. According to the education provider, its SQE programme is unique and designed to embed diversity and inclusion into the course, while using innovative learning technology and predictive analysis to set students up for success.

Professor Peter Crips, the pro vice chancellor external at ULaw said: “The legal industry and the role of lawyers is changing rapidly. To stay in the vanguard of the profession as it evolves to meet the demands of a more complex, faster changing, more connected world, the training of future lawyers needs to reflect this change, not least as we prepare for the introduction of the SQE.

“O shaped lawyer skills, behaviours and attitudes are embedded in our ethos as well as the ability to replicate life as a trainee in a simulated law firm with real world tasks and deep insight into clients’ decision-making and the lifecycle of a business.

“Our partnership with Clifford Chance, one of the world’s pre-eminent law firms, will see us providing market-leading legal education for the firm’s future legal talent and supporting them as they take the next steps in their legal careers. We look forward to working with Clifford Chance and welcoming the firm’s talented future trainees to ULaw."

Meanwhile, Michael Bates, Clifford Chance’s UK managing partner, commented: "In order to provide the best service to our clients of today and tomorrow, we must continue to invest in development opportunities to ensure our lawyers of the future have the skills, confidence and resilience required to succeed in the rapidly evolving environment we now operate in. We have seen the value that looking beyond traditional in-house legal training can bring to our teams, with the introduction of our Learning Internships for Future Trainees (LIFT) programme, which gives our future trainees first-hand commercial experience and the opportunity to develop applicable non-legal skills.

"Our partnership with The University of Law builds on this ethos and longer-term investment in innovative and multi-dimensional training which allows our lawyers to have a more holistic understanding of our clients' needs – giving both their careers and the firm a distinct advantage."

As part of the partnership, ULaw will also become the firm’s exclusive training provider of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Law.

The first cohort of Clifford Chance LPC students will start in July 2022, while the SQE cohort will start studies in 2023.