Training under review

Dear Oracle

I'm sure that I should know more about this, but can you tell me what the Training Framework Review is all about? Is it going to affect me any time soon?

The Oracle replies

At first glance, the Training Framework Review (TFR) is simple - it reviews the framework under which solicitors train in England and Wales. However, it has been ongoing since 2001 and this year things have come to a head, with the Law Society's Training Framework Review Group presenting its proposals in January. In essence, the group recommends that instead of demanding that a particular route to qualification be followed, assessment would focus solely on a trainee's skills and knowledge at the point of qualification. In practice, this would mean that the Legal Practice Course (LPC) would no longer be compulsory and the training contract as it is now would be scrapped.

Opinion is divided on what this all means. Predictably, LPC providers are worried about the impact of such changes, claiming they will cause logistical and financial headaches. Some firms are equally unsure. The Trainee Solicitors' Group (TSG), on the other hand, is broadly supportive of the proposals. TSG Chair Peter Wright has said that making the LPC non-compulsory will maintain (or even raise) standards and will open the profession up to those from more diverse backgrounds. He also sees the proposals as a vital step in lessening the huge amounts of student debt.

Currently under consultation, a final decision on the proposals is expected by the end of 2005, although any changes are not expected to take effect until 2008. For more detail on the TFR, see our feature article Reviewing the Review: Everything You Need to Know.