GradDip in Law / Common Professional Examination

Northumbria’s GDL is taught using a practical, student-focused approach providing a solid grounding in the major areas of law.

It covers the foundations of legal knowledge which are taught by means of lectures and seminars. Students are provided with comprehensive study materials and textbooks to support their studies.

At the beginning of the programme students are required to study the English Legal System by means of a pre-attendance package and induction programme.

In addition, students must study the following seven subjects:

Studying these subjects satisfies the requirements of the Bar Standards Board and allows you to progress onto a Bar Course should you wish to pursue a career as a barrister. Completion of our GDL will allow you to progress onto our LLM in Professional Legal Practice which is designed to build on this foundational knowledge and to help you pass the SQE1 assessments.

All students are required to undertake research into a further area of law. Past options have included Company Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Evidence, Shipping Law, Space Law and Sports Law. Students receive initial guidance on the subject and advice on how to conduct legal research.

We look forward to welcoming you on the course, any further information at this stage please contact Amanda Newby, Programme Leader.

Before September 2021 anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor had to undertake the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) in September 2021. The SQE is a national assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It will provide a fair and consistent assessment for all candidates regardless of whether they have taken a law degree or qualified through new routes like the solicitor apprenticeship. The SQE will eventually replace the LPC entirely, but there is currently a period of transition.

Broadly, if you started your law degree, an exempting law degree or Common Professional Examination (CPE)/Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before the SQE was introduced, you should still be able to qualify under the LPC route (or you could choose to qualify under the new system).

Under the LPC system you must complete both the academic and vocational stages of training as well as meeting the character and suitability requirements to become a solicitor.

The academic stage is achieved by either a) a Qualifying Law Degree or b) a non-law degree in a different subject and completing the CPE/ GDL.

The vocational stage is completed by passing the LPC and undertaking two years of recognised training (known as a Training Contract). During the training contract, students will also undertake a final assessment as part of the Professional Skills Course (PSC).

In summary, under the LPC route to qualification it is necessary to::

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is a new route to qualification as a solicitor from September 2021..

The introduction of SQE means that the assessments required to become a solicitor have been centralised with every aspiring solicitor sitting the same national assessment. Under the SQE route to qualification to become a solicitor it is necessary to:

Have a degree or equivalent;

Pass the two stages of the SQE national assessment: SQE1 and SQE2;

Undertake a two-year period of work experience (known as Qualifying Work Experience); and

Meet the character and suitability requirements to become a solicitor.

The SQE Assessment is split into 2 stages: SQE1 and SQE2:

SQE1 – A test of your ‘functioning legal knowledge’ and application of law based on realistic client scenarios. This stage consists of 2 multiple choice papers of 180 questions each. To progress onto SQE2, the student must pass SQE1.

SQE 2 – A test of your practical legal skills including interviewing (notes and analysis), advocacy, research, drafting, writing, and case analysis.

As mentioned above, ‘Qualifying Work Experience’ (QWE) is also required as part of the SQE route. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) anticipate that student’s gain this experience before sitting SQE2 although this is not a requirement. A minimum of two years full time equivalent is required and QWE is more flexible than the concept of a period of recognised training under the LPC route. Whilst many students may still choose to complete this requirement by undertaking one period of formal training with a law firm, work undertaken with up to 4 organisations can be used to satisfy the QWE requirement. A greater range of work experience can also count now than previously. This new development provides students with more flexibility and gives students an opportunity to widen their knowledge through a greater range of work experience increasing the potential pathways to qualification.

There is a cost of sitting the SQE assessments, in addition to any course tuition fees. The SRA regularly updates information and guidance about how to qualify under the SQE system, so keep checking its website.

Dr Victoria Roper, Associate Professor at Northumbria University, answers crucial questions about the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination in the BBC's podcast series; Not All Lawyers Have Law Degrees.