What’s it like to undertake QWE at BPP?

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This article has been produced in collaboration with BPP University Law School, featuring insights from Zingin Kamberi – a QWE trainee. 

With the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE), the legal profession has embraced a more flexible and practical route to qualification. A key part of this is qualifying work experience (QWE) – a requirement that allows aspiring solicitors to gain real-world legal experience in a variety of settings.

Last year, Zingin Kamberi completed a six-month paid placement in BPP University Law School’s (BPP) award-winning social impact team, describing it as a pivotal step in his journey to qualification. Describing the placement, Zingin said: “Not only does it give me that QWE in terms of time spent, but it also gives me a lot of practical experience in different areas of law, which is useful when securing further training.”

With these six-month placements being so successful, BPP has extended this opportunity and is now offering three students a one-year paid QWE placement, enabling them to complete half of their QWE while gaining hands-on experience and developing essential legal and professional skills.

Real-world legal work in BPP’s consumer law clinic

 Zingin was placed in BPP’s consumer law clinic, where he worked on a diverse caseload, including:

• litigation (both claimant and defendant);
• insurance disputes; and
• consumer law.

This variety allowed Zingin to work on different areas of law, gain practical insights and develop a clearer sense of his own career direction. The clinic offers placements across multiple legal disciplines, enabling students to explore practice areas that align with their individual goals and interests.

Developing core legal and professional skills

The QWE placement also allowed Zingin to build the soft skills that are essential for a successful legal career. There were three key skills specifically developed during his experience:

• Communication – engaging with clients, colleagues and external legal professionals helped refine his ability to explain complex legal issues clearly and confidently.
• Legal analysis – reviewing documents and providing practical legal advice provided a deeper understanding of how legal theory is applied in real-world scenarios.
• Interpersonal skills – working directly with clients requires empathy, professionalism and the ability to build rapport. All skills that may be overlooked during training but are critical in practice.

According to Zingin: “You need to be able to speak to a client whilst understanding their case and the way they feel. Compassion and empathy are essential.”

Of all the skills developed during the six-month placement, Zingin explained that he was most proud of his growth in client interaction. Talking about his experience on the placement, he explains: “The placement has built my confidence in dealing with clients and get to a stage where we’ve built a good rapport.”

Watch Zingin’s story on YouTube to find out more about his experience.

SQE preparation courses from BPP

BPP offers a range of SQE preparation courses – from comprehensive SQE prep with all the bells and whistles, to no frills, no fuss exam preparation. Whether you’re looking for postgraduate loan funding or access to a range of scholarships, you’ll find the course to suit your needs.

Explore BPP’s SQE courses via its website.