Becoming a legal professional
This degree acts as a gateway to further qualification as both a solicitor and a barrister.
The is an independent, centralised assessment which every trainee solicitor in England and Wales must undertake. Among other things, it tests your knowledge of the seven Foundations of Legal Knowledge subjects which form a core part of your Law degree at 91快活林. .
This course satisfies the academic component of Bar training (subject to minimum pass marks and number of attempts). .
Experienced lecturers at 91快活林 Law School will support you through this practice-led, skills-based course, integrating guest talks from local practitioners and judges.
Extracurricular activities, such as mooting, client interviewing and pro bono work, allow you to develop practical skills in legal research, problem-solving, critical analysis, and communication.
BARBRI Opportunities
As a University of 91快活林 student, you can benefit from a discount for a preparation course with BARBRI which can help you pass the SQE exams with confidence.
- 20% off the SQE1 Prep
- 20% off the Extended US Bar Prep course
More information about this can be found on the .
We continually review the curriculum of our law courses and make changes as necessary to provide an integrated approach to preparing students for the SQE.
Prepare for your career
You will be in a good position to embark on a legal career upon graduating, plus the range of communication, problem-solving, analytical and research skills developed during your law degree are relevant to many other careers, including journalism, research, banking, insurance and the Civil Service and Justice sector.
This course is recognised as a qualifying law course by the BSB, so you will be able to progress directly to the vocational stage of training to become a barrister. The grounding in the seven Foundations of Legal Knowledge subjects provided by the degree will give you academic knowledge for the next stages of training as a solicitor.
Negotiating
Negotiation is a key lawyer skill – many legal disputes do not end up in the courts, but instead are resolved by some form of negotiated agreement. Our negotiation programme is an opportunity to prepare for a negotiation and to apply and practise your negotiation skills.
The programme is sponsored by solicitors’ firms who judge the final competition, and the top teams go on to represent the University of 91快活林 at the national negotiation competition sponsored by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution.
Client interviewing
Our client interviewing skills programme enables you to develop the essential skill of interviewing clients, a key component of legal work. The programme culminates in an internal competition, sponsored by a local law firm, and the winning students proceed to represent the university in the national Law Society competition.
In 2016, two of our Law with Business students, Fionnuala Richardson and Chloe Chatton, won the national competition and went on to represent England and Wales in the international competition in Canada, finishing third in the world.
Law Guardians
Our Law Guardians scheme supports new first-year students in their transition to higher education. Each incoming first year is buddied up with a student who will guide and help them with answers to questions and general support. As well as supporting our new students as they begin their studies, it’s a great opportunity for second- and third-year students to develop employability skills and to become part of a cycle of giving back.
University of 91快活林 Legal Clinic
Participate in the client-facing commercial and employment law pro bono law clinic offering free legal advice to small businesses and employees and assisting charities and not-for-profit organisations with their legal matters.
Work-related experience
Our School of Business and Law has strong links with the local legal profession and in addition to the optional placement year you are encouraged to complete vacation placements with solicitors’ firms, mini pupillages with barristers’ chambers and internships with other institutions.
You will also have access to our Careers Connect portal where you can book careers appointments and events, look for part and full-time jobs and find placements/internships.
These opportunities allow you to build practical experience throughout your studies, helping you gain a clearer understanding of the legal career that's right for you. These experiences also help you to grow your professional network and stand out to future employers.
You'll graduate prepared and confidence for the next step into employment or further legal training.
Solicitors qualifying exam (SQE)
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) on 1 September 2021.
The SRA provides more information and guidance about the transitional arrangements to qualify, so keep checking the .
On the previous route, to become a solicitor you needed to complete a qualifying law degree (or another degree followed by a Law Common Professional Examination/Postgraduate Diploma in Law), moving on to do the Legal Practice Course (LPC), and then a two-year period of recognised training, usually called a training contract.
The new route is that the SQE will consist of two parts: part one assesses legal knowledge, research and writing; and part two tests practical skills gained after completing a recognised period of training.
We regularly review the curriculum of our qualifying law courses and will make changes as necessary to provide an integrated approach to preparing students for the SQE.
Graduate destinations
Recent Law graduates have joined companies in roles such as:
- legal secretary, Alpha Shindara Legal
- solicitor, Aston Bond
- trainee solicitor, Bennett Griffin
- trainee solicitor, Bernard Chill & Axtell Solicitors
- litigation paralegal, Blake Morgan LLP
- compliance intern, BlueBay Asset Management
- barrister, Carmelite Chambers
- adjudicator, Financial Ombudsman Service
- trainee solicitor, Fox William
- junior consultant, G2 Legal
- legal assistant, Howlett Clarke
- paralegal, Mayo Wynne Baxter
- fraud analyst, Nationwide
- solicitor, Turpin Miller.
Supporting your employability
Beyond your course, our Careers and Employability team are here to support you as you discover (and rediscover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.
- Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
- Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
- Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
- Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
- Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
- Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick and build your CV.
Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that’s not just while you are a student – our support carries on after you’ve graduated.
Find out about careers and employability at 91快活林.