How to Get Into Law

Solicitor vs Barrister

In England and Wales, the legal profession is split into two distinct roles. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate legal systems and routes to qualification, so this guide covers England and Wales only.

Solicitors provide legal advice directly to clients. They draft contracts, negotiate deals, manage property transactions, and handle the day-to-day legal affairs of individuals and corporations. Most solicitors work in law firms or in-house at large companies. While they can represent clients in lower courts, their primary role is advisory and transactional.

Barristers are specialist advocates. They represent clients in court and provide highly specialised legal opinions on complex disputes. Barristers are usually self-employed, working in shared offices called "chambers." When a case goes to court, a solicitor will usually instruct (hire) a barrister to argue the case on behalf of the client.

The new route to becoming a solicitor (The SQE)

In 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) overhauled the qualification process, introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) to replace the old Legal Practice Course (LPC) route, which is now closed to new starters (and only available under transitional rules if you started a law degree or GDL by autumn 2021).

To qualify as a solicitor today, you must complete four steps:

1. Hold a degree (or equivalent). It does not have to be a law degree, and a solicitor apprenticeship counts as an equivalent.
2. Pass the SQE exams. This is split into SQE1 (multiple-choice questions testing legal knowledge) and SQE2 (practical legal skills like drafting and advocacy).
3. Complete Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). You need two years of full-time (or equivalent part-time) legal work experience.
4. Meet the SRA's character and suitability requirements.

The SQE was designed to make qualifying more flexible. Under the new rules, your two years of QWE do not have to be completed at a single law firm. You can combine experience from up to four organisations, for example by working as a paralegal, volunteering at a law clinic, and working in-house at a company, as long as a solicitor confirms each placement.

Training contracts and vacation schemes

While the SQE allows you to piece together your own work experience, the most secure and prestigious route remains the traditional Training Contract, a structured two-year programme at a single firm that counts as your QWE. Some firms now call it a "trainee solicitor programme" instead.

Large commercial law firms hire graduates up to two years in advance. Trainee salaries at top London firms start at £50,000 or more; see our complete guide to graduate schemes for how the application cycle works. If you secure a training contract, the firm will usually pay your SQE prep course fees, pay for your SQE exams, and give you a maintenance grant to live on while you study. You then join the firm for two years, rotating through four different departments ("seats") to complete your QWE.

Vacation schemes

The best way to secure a training contract is to complete a vacation scheme. These are one- to four-week internships at a law firm, usually taken in the winter, spring, or summer of your penultimate year of university. During the scheme, you do real work and are constantly assessed. At the end, the firm will often interview you for a training contract.

Applications for vacation schemes usually open in the autumn and are fiercely competitive. Many firms use the Watson-Glaser critical thinking test, and some recruit on a rolling basis, so apply early. For more on how internships work, see our guide to placements, internships, and spring weeks.

How to become a barrister

The route to the Bar has not changed as drastically as the solicitor route. It remains highly competitive and expensive.

1. Academic stage: You need a qualifying law degree (LLB) or a non-law degree followed by a law conversion course (PGDL).
2. Vocational stage: You must pass a Bar course (the vocational component of training, with names that vary by provider), which teaches advocacy, drafting, and opinion writing. This course can cost close to £20,000 in London, and funding, mainly scholarships from the four Inns of Court, is limited.
3. Pupillage: You must secure a one-year pupillage, usually at a barristers' chambers, shadowing a senior barrister for six months before taking on your own cases for the final six months.

The Bar Standards Board sets out the full requirements.

Securing a pupillage is the hardest part of the process. There are thousands of graduates competing for only a few hundred pupillages each year. You must build a CV full of mini-pupillages (short work shadowing placements), mooting (mock trial competitions), and pro bono work to stand out.

The route for non-law graduates

You do not need an undergraduate law degree to become a lawyer in the UK. In fact, many top commercial law firms prefer a diverse intake and actively recruit history, science, and languages graduates.

If you want to be a solicitor, you technically only need to pass the SQE exams. However, because the exams test complex legal knowledge, almost all non-law graduates take an SQE preparation course (often combined with a PGDL conversion course) before sitting the exams. If you secure a training contract beforehand, the law firm will pay for this course.

If you want to be a barrister, you must take a formal conversion course (the PGDL) before you can start the Bar Training Course.

Solicitor apprenticeships (School leavers)

If you are 18 and leaving school with A-levels, you can bypass university entirely and qualify via a Solicitor Apprenticeship.

This is a Level 7 apprenticeship that usually takes around six years. You work at a law firm and study alongside your job with a training provider.

• You earn a salary from day one.
• You do not pay university tuition fees.
• You pass the SQE as part of the programme, and many solicitor apprenticeships also include a law degree (LLB). Check what each programme offers.
• You can qualify at around the same time as a peer who went to university and then did their training, but with years of practical experience and no tuition debt.

These apprenticeships are highly competitive. Firms like DLA Piper and DWF, along with a growing number of City and regional firms, offer them, with London salaries typically starting at £25,000 or more. Because you start at 18, you are well within the age range for government funding of Level 7 apprenticeships. See our guide on apprenticeships for more on how apprenticeships and their funding work.

Different types of law firms

If you choose the solicitor route, your experience will vary wildly depending on the type of firm you join.

Magic Circle

The five most prestigious corporate law firms headquartered in London: A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May. They handle the biggest global deals. The hours are gruelling, but newly qualified (NQ) solicitors earn around £150,000.

US Firms in London

American firms (e.g., Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins) have a strong presence in London. They often pay even more than the Magic Circle (around £170,000 to £190,000 for NQs) but expect exceptionally long hours.

Silver Circle & Mid-Tier

Large commercial firms sitting just outside the Magic Circle. They offer excellent corporate work, slightly better work-life balance, and very high salaries.

Regional & National Firms

Large firms with offices in cities like Manchester, Bristol, and Leeds. They offer a strong mix of commercial work with a much more sustainable work-life balance than London firms. NQ salaries outside the top London firms are typically £40,000 to £70,000.

High Street Firms

Smaller firms dealing with private client matters like family law, conveyancing (property), and local disputes.

There is also a third route into legal work: qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive through CILEx, which you can do while working and without a degree.

FAQ

• Can I switch from being a solicitor to a barrister later?↓

  Can I switch from being a solicitor to a barrister later?

  Yes, but it requires further training. You would need to apply for an exemption from certain parts of the Bar training depending on your experience, but you would still need to secure a pupillage. It is easier to choose the right path early on.

• What A-levels do I need for law?↓

  What A-levels do I need for law?

  There are no specific subject requirements for a law degree or a solicitor apprenticeship. Universities and law firms look for strong grades, and essay-based subjects (History, English, Politics) are good evidence that you can construct a logical argument and process large amounts of text. Most large firms ask for a 2:1 for training contracts, though many use contextual recruitment; see our guide on whether you need a 2:1.

• Is a law degree useless if I don't become a lawyer?↓

  Is a law degree useless if I don't become a lawyer?

  Not at all. A law degree is highly respected across many industries. Law graduates frequently go into investment banking, the civil service, management consulting, and journalism.

Next steps

If you are applying for a vacation scheme or a training contract, the process is highly rigorous. Read our guide on assessment centres and what to expect to prepare for the group exercises and case studies you will face at top law firms.

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