PGDL Sponsorship & SQE self-funding

[citylaw2025]

Hi guys,

I am a final year law student in Ireland and am considering applying for TCs with MC/US firms in London.

I applied last autumn and received 3/3 TC interviews from firms but didn't interview as I was unsure if I wanted to sign myself up for the 2-year PGDL & SQE slog. I am not worried about getting TC offers but am unsure about my requirements for the PGDL & SQE and whether its worth studying in London with little money for two years.

Due to my Irish law degree I am short a few courses for (English Land Law, English Public Law & Admin Law) and firms would most likely require me to complete the PGDL with exemptions before the SQE. I have some queries before deciding whether to fully commit to London.

(i) Are there firms which wouldn't require me to complete the few few PGDL courses and would allow me to commence straight away with the SQE? I have strong academics and amn't worried about failing the SQE because of not having 3 courses completed from the PGDL.

(ii) If not, does anyone know if firms would sponsor and allow me to complete the PGDL (with exemptions) online rather than being in London? I don't want to have to struggle to afford London living for another year just to complete a few courses.

(ii) Rather than doing the PGDL, would firms allow me to complete the SQE straight away if I removed their risk by self-funding it and completing it online and starting my TC in 2024 instead of 2025?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Jessica Booker]

1) yes, there will be. Some firms are just offering a more thorough/well rounded SQE course that all candidates go through.

2) yes, plenty of firms will still sponsor the PGDL if you ask you to complete it. There is typically no requirement for you to study at a certain location, so if you wanted to do this online, that is most likely to be possible in the vast majority of cases.

3) You could self-find away and sit SQE1 of your own accord. I think the difficulty would be in finding a firm that had TCs to start in 2024 though - although it’s not impossible for firms to do this, especially if they are having to either defer future trainees who do not pass the SQE or trainees fail the SQE and their offers are therefore no longer valid.