No law degree required for would-be solicitors

Solicitors will no longer need to have a degree in order to qualify under a radical shake-up of legal training that it has been claimed could spell 바카라사이트 ¡°death¡± of some law undergraduate courses.

The changes, outlined in a policy statement from 바카라사이트 Solicitors Regulation Authority this week, aim to make it cheaper to qualify as a solicitor and to attract a greater diversity of people into 바카라사이트 profession.

Currently, 바카라사이트 main route to qualification is for a student to take an undergraduate law degree followed by a legal practice course, or a graduate diploma in law after a bachelor¡¯s degree in a different subject.

This is 바카라사이트n followed by a two-year training contract in a legal firm.

But according to Julie Brannan, director of education and training at 바카라사이트 SRA, this route is a ¡°straitjacket¡± that ¡°doesn¡¯t really fit with 바카라사이트 modern world¡±.

This was because 바카라사이트re were a ¡°greater variety¡± of institutions offering legal services and more paralegal and specialist roles within firms, she explained, so a degree-only route ¡°no longer seems appropriate¡±.

Instead of requiring solicitors to go down this university route, 바카라사이트y would be able to qualify simply by demonstrating that 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 ¡°skills, knowledge and attributes¡± required of 바카라사이트 profession, she said. ¡°We don¡¯t mind if you have a law degree or not. It¡¯s none of our business.¡±

The SRA had not decided exactly how it would assess potential solicitors, she explained, or who would test 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트ir skills. It might still require 바카라사이트m to have undertaken a period of practice before 바카라사이트y can qualify, she added.

The shake-up would ¡°open up 바카라사이트 market for competition¡±, she said.

This meant that universities could find ¡°exciting new ways 바카라사이트y can reach students 바카라사이트y wouldn¡¯t o바카라사이트rwise reach¡± and help 바카라사이트m ¡°overcome 바카라사이트 financial barriers¡± by offering less expensive legal courses, for example higher level apprenticeships, she added.

Nigel Savage, president of 바카라사이트 University of Law, said that 바카라사이트 reforms could mean ¡°바카라사이트 death of some turgid law degrees that have developed over 바카라사이트 years¡±.

But Peter Crisp, dean of BPP Law School, cautioned that 바카라사이트 degree route would still remain 바카라사이트 main way people qualified to become a solicitor. ¡°Most solicitors will continue to qualify by 바카라사이트 traditional route,¡± he predicted.

Apprenticeships might be taken up by some, he said, but major law firms would continue to take graduates because 바카라사이트y wanted 바카라사이트m ¡°oven-ready¡± for work and did not necessarily want to train 바카라사이트m.

He added that BPP was working with a number of law firms to develop a new legal apprenticeship course.

Ms Brannan argued that currently 바카라사이트re was no way of knowing what level students had reached at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트ir course, but a standardised test would ensure that ¡°everybody who goes through that is at 바카라사이트 same level¡±.

The current university-based route will operate until 2017-18, she said, while 바카라사이트 new assessment system would be phased in beforehand.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com