Gap between degree and TC

[Elizas]

Afternoon, all - please forgive me if this question falls into the 'stupid Q' category but...

Why are the training contracts for this year's cycle not beginning until Autumn 2026 or early 2027?

Once we graduate from whatever degree we are undertaking (in my case LLB but it could be GDL or LLM QLD etc) - doesn't that mean we have a full year + a few months gap? In some people's case, if they are a 3rd year law student, that means they would be waiting TWO years between graduation and TC.

I understand during this time we would complete the SQE but also, we must keep paying rent and funding ourselves, without much more than the small firm stipend. That won't go far in London with rents etc.

* Is it possible to speed up this process?
* Isn't it possible to do the SQE in 6 months?
* How do people fill this time productively other than looking for paralegal work?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Someone applying now could have to:

- complete both the penultimate and final year of their undergrad degree (or do the PGDL if a non-law finalist). That will take people through to June 2025

- They then need to do the SQE, which will generally take 12 months from starting a course to getting your SQE2 results.

- lots of people like taking six months out before starting a TC to effectively have a mini “gap year” before starting, and so like the March intake as they can have time out travelling for at least another six months.

You can study the SQE in 6 months but it will take at least 8 months between sitting SQE1 and getting your SQE2 results because of the time lag in getting results for each assessment and how frequently the assessments run (currently SQE1 only runs twice a year in Jan and July, SQE2 runs every quarter in Oct, Jan, Apr, Aug).

You can technically speed up the process by finding a firm who is happy to take you on and allow you to sit SQE1 and/or SQE2 whilst you gain your qualifying work experience.

You can also speed this up if you are a non-law student by finding firms who don’t make you go through the PGDL before the SQE, but they typically won’t be recruiting so far in advance.

 

[Elizas]

Someone applying now could have to:

- complete both the penultimate and final year of their undergrad degree (or do the PGDL if a non-law finalist). That will take people through to June 2025

- They then need to do the SQE, which will generally take 12 months from starting a course to getting your SQE2 results.

- lots of people like taking six months out before starting a TC to effectively have a mini “gap year” before starting, and so like the March intake as they can have time out travelling for at least another six months.

You can study the SQE in 6 months but it will take at least 8 months between sitting SQE1 and getting your SQE2 results because of the time lag in getting results for each assessment and how frequently the assessments run (currently SQE1 only runs twice a year in Jan and July, SQE2 runs every quarter in Oct, Jan, Apr, Aug).

You can technically speed up the process by finding a firm who is happy to take you on and allow you to sit SQE1 and/or SQE2 whilst you gain your qualifying work experience.

You can also speed this up if you are a non-law student by finding firms who don’t make you go through the PGDL before the SQE, but they typically won’t be recruiting so far in advance.

Thank you for your reply, Jessica.

Gosh, it seems like the new system - and how long it takes to take the SQE - hardly makes law more accessible! But I might have misunderstood how the LPC system previously worked. I am personally gutted to find out there is so much extra time I now have to burn waiting to start my TC.