Who is eligible
updated on 28 January 2021
To be eligible for the GDL, students must hold a degree (other than an honorary degree) from a UK institution or a foreign institution which the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) considers to be an equivalent. Alternatively, a student can hold academic and vocational qualifications which the SRA deems equivalent to a degree.
Another entry method is for the prospective student to be over 25 and a fellow or member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), or have gained a diploma in magisterial law. UK graduates do not need a certificate of academic standing to commence the GDL. However, overseas graduates, legal executives, those with professional qualifications equivalent to a degree and those with a diploma in magisterial law will need to write to the SRA with copies of their qualifications. Contact the SRA (0870 606 2555, www.sra.org.uk/contact-us or [email protected]) to confirm precisely what it requires to issue the certificate.
