Eligibility for 2028 TC

[aladdinsane]

Hi all, hope all is well. Apologies for what is probably a stupid question.

I am a student in the third year of a non-law degree. I will graduate in 2027.

Am I therefore eligible for a TC starting in 2028? If not, why not, and what would be the earliest TC for which I would be eligible?

Thanks

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Hi all, hope all is well. Apologies for what is probably a stupid question.

I am a student in the third year of a non-law degree. I will graduate in 2027.

Am I therefore eligible for a TC starting in 2028? If not, why not, and what would be the earliest TC for which I would be eligible?

Thanks

Hi matey,

Nah it isn’t a stupid question at all!

As a non-law student, you’d need to complete the PGDL and SQE post graduation. The timeline would look like this essentially:

July/Aug 2027: graduate from non-law degree
September 2027: begin the PGDL course
July/Aug 2028: finish the PGDL course
September 2028: begin the SQE course
July/Aug 2029: finish the SQE course
September 2029: earliest TC eligibility start date

Therefore you’d not be eligible to begin in 2028, unless the firm says you don’t need the PGDL so only need to do the SQE course (see below):

July/Aug 2027: graduate from non-law degree
September 2027: begin the SQE course
July/Aug 2028: finish the SQE course
September 2028: earliest TC eligibility start date

Most city law firms require both PGDL and SQE, so I think a September 2029 start date is more likely than anything earlier tbh.

If you’re looking to apply for vac schemes, those are typically aimed at penultimate or final year law students and final year non-law students.

So you’d apply for vac schemes and TCs starting from Sept 2026 (beginning of final year). Some firms might accept apps in this cycle!

This is because firms typically recruit two or three years in advance of the TC start date. It’s defo worth checking with each firm though!​

 

[aladdinsane]

Hi matey,

Nah it isn’t a stupid question at all!

As a non-law student, you’d need to complete the PGDL and SQE post graduation. The timeline would look like this essentially:

July/Aug 2027: graduate from non-law degree
September 2027: begin the PGDL course
July/Aug 2028: finish the PGDL course
September 2028: begin the SQE course
July/Aug 2029: finish the SQE course
September 2029: earliest TC eligibility start date

Therefore you’d not be eligible to begin in 2028, unless the firm says you don’t need the PGDL so only need to do the SQE course (see below):

July/Aug 2027: graduate from non-law degree
September 2027: begin the SQE course
July/Aug 2028: finish the SQE course
September 2028: earliest TC eligibility start date

Most city law firms require both PGDL and SQE, so I think a September 2029 start date is more likely than anything earlier tbh.

If you’re looking to apply for vac schemes, those are typically aimed at penultimate or final year law students and final year non-law students.

So you’d apply for vac schemes and TCs starting from Sept 2026 (beginning of final year). Some firms might accept apps in this cycle!

This is because firms typically recruit two or three years in advance of the TC start date. It’s defo worth checking with each firm though!​

Thanks very much for this. I appreciate you taking the time to reply!

 

[Shiv Lawy]

Hi matey,

Nah it isn’t a stupid question at all!

As a non-law student, you’d need to complete the PGDL and SQE post graduation. The timeline would look like this essentially:

July/Aug 2027: graduate from non-law degree
September 2027: begin the PGDL course
July/Aug 2028: finish the PGDL course
September 2028: begin the SQE course
July/Aug 2029: finish the SQE course
September 2029: earliest TC eligibility start date

Therefore you’d not be eligible to begin in 2028, unless the firm says you don’t need the PGDL so only need to do the SQE course (see below):

July/Aug 2027: graduate from non-law degree
September 2027: begin the SQE course
July/Aug 2028: finish the SQE course
September 2028: earliest TC eligibility start date

Most city law firms require both PGDL and SQE, so I think a September 2029 start date is more likely than anything earlier tbh.

If you’re looking to apply for vac schemes, those are typically aimed at penultimate or final year law students and final year non-law students.

So you’d apply for vac schemes and TCs starting from Sept 2026 (beginning of final year). Some firms might accept apps in this cycle!

This is because firms typically recruit two or three years in advance of the TC start date. It’s defo worth checking with each firm though!​

So if I am to understand correctly -some firms pay a stipend during PGDL and SQE? And you're not a trainee while sitting SQE you do it before?