SRA’s proposed changes to solicitor qualification could disadvantage less privileged candidates

Changes to the solicitors profession’s entry requirements could place less well-off candidates at a disadvantage and damage equality in the legal profession, the Law Society has warned.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is currently considering proposals to change the route to qualifying as a solicitor, but the Law Society is concerned that the regulator has already settled on its preference without consulting the legal profession or conducting an equality impact assessment. The concern centres on the Law Society’s belief that the SRA prefers a non-prescriptive approach with a law degree/Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course qualification no longer required, with the courses being replaced by centralised exams and assessments. The fear is that this would leave less privileged students behind, as they would no longer be able to gain funding for credentials-boosting qualifications which are not ‘required’, while many would not be able to utilise the new system because of a lack of pre-existing connections in the legal profession and reduced access to top careers advice.

The Law Society also expressed concern that the SRA’s intention not to place time limits for the completion of all the centralised assessments it decides on could mean that many students are unfamiliar and rusty with vital areas of knowledge at the time they actually qualify.

Jonathan Smithers, president of the Law Society, said: "The SRA is responsible for the quality of the legal education and training undertaken by those entering the profession. Our concerns are based on the fact that here is very little detail to their proposals. This backs up what we said in July - that the global reputation of UK law would be 'under threat' if the qualification is watered down. Of particular concern to firms is the possibility that the internationally respected period of workplace learning may be abolished. It is simply not appropriate for the regulator to narrow the range of options on the basis of their own preference, having merely conducted a cursory and informal engagement exercise. A proper consultation process on such a fundamental issue for the profession is essential. In 2013 a thorough, evidence-based review of education and training requirements across legal services in England and Wales, known as the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), found that that the current system is not fundamentally broken. We are recommending that the current system be improved and that current assessment procedures are enhanced in order to provide the reassurances desired by the SRA."