The Solicitors Regulation Authority has kicked-off a second consultation over its proposal that the Solicitors Qualifying Examination should replace the GDL and LPC. The LPC would effectively be abandoned and replaced with an assessment after on the job training.
The proposed SQE would be divided into two stages, with SQE 1 examining legal knowledge such as contract, tort, property, commercial, public and criminal law. The second stage, SQE 2, would assess legal skills gained from the workplace which could be covered during an apprenticeship, paralegal work, or even a student law clinic - so not just a training contract. Speaking to RollOnFriday, the executive director of policy at the SRA Crispin Passmore said that SQE 2 would get rid of the "LPC gamble" through which students pay a fortune to study the LPC "just hoping they're going to get a job at the end of it".
Work-based learning in action, yesterday |
However professor Peter Crisp, Dean of BPP Law School told RollOnFriday “the whole proposal is utterly misconceived and wrong-headed as we said in our response to the first consultation.”
Although the Vice-Provost at The University of Law, professor Becky Huxley-Binns, disagreed, telling RollOnFriday that "we welcome the flexibility of approach to workplace training". However she voiced some concerns over SQE 1 saying that the scope of the course would "require students to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, application and analysis of complex law" more than "the GDL and LPC core combined".
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I am not against returning to three colleges of law as in the old days but letting law firms decide who is good enough for a TC is much better than letting people who are not up to the mark qualify which will reduce professional standards.
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