You can go on to unlock a traditional legal career as a chartered legal executive, solicitor, barrister or paralegal. But you could also follow an exciting career outside of law. You can look forward to working in areas such as education, journalism and public relations.
Qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive
Our LLB (Hons) Law and Legal Practice is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) Regulation. It incorporates the CILEx Regulation knowledge and skills education standards. Once you have completed the degree, you can qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive by undertaking a minimum of three years’ full-time qualifying employment (or equivalent part-time employment) and demonstrating competence in the work-based learning outcomes. You will also need to satisfy the CILEx Regulation’s character and suitability requirements.
In order to satisfy the CILEx Regulation knowledge and skills education standards, and be eligible to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive, you must take at least one of the following Level 6 modules:
- Civil Litigation and Advocacy
- Criminal Litigation and Advocacy
- Business Law and Practice
- Immigration Law and Practice
- Wills and Probate Practice
- Conveyancing
Under s.12 of the Legal Services Act 2007, litigation and advocacy activities can be carried out by an authorised person only. CILEx Regulation is a regulator that can award litigation and advocacy practice rights to enable a qualified Chartered Legal Executive to become an authorised person.
Litigation and advocacy rights, under the Legal Services Act 2017, mean the right to conduct litigation and advocacy with rights of audience (where applicable) in the County Court, Magistrates Court, Youth Court and (in some circumstances) the Crown Court.
CILEx Regulation has split the litigation and advocacy rights into different practice areas: civil; criminal; and family. Authorisation will relate to one of these practice areas.
If you seek to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive and be authorised to conduct civil litigation and advocacy with rights of audience in the County Court and civil matters in the Magistrates Court you will need to complete the Level 6 Civil Litigation and Advocacy module. Prior to qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive, you will also need to complete an accredited civil litigation advocacy skills course. If authorised, you will become a Chartered Legal Executive and Advocate (Civil Litigation).
If you seek to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive and be authorised to conduct criminal litigation and advocacy with rights of audience in the Magistrates Court, Youth Court and, in certain circumstances, the Crown Court you will need to complete the Level 6 Criminal Litigation and Advocacy module. Prior to qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive, you will also need to complete an accredited criminal litigation advocacy skills course. If authorised, you will become a Chartered Legal Executive and Advocate (Criminal Litigation).
Full information can be found here.
Qualifying as a Solicitor
From September 2021 onwards the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have implemented changes to the qualification process by introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The SQE replaces the postgraduate qualification gained through completion of the Legal Practice Course (LPC).
In the future, all those wishing to qualify as a solicitor will need to pass the SQE and complete a two-year full-time period of qualifying work experience (or equivalent period of part-time work experience) and meet the SRA’s suitability requirements.
SQE1 primarily tests candidates’ legal knowledge, while SQE2 tests practical legal skills.
The cost of the two stages of assessment is £3,980 (SQE1 costs £1,558 and SQE2 costs £2,422).
You will complete the SQE1 after you have successfully completed our LLB (Hons) Law and Legal Practice.
Full information can be found here.
Qualifying as a Barrister
Our LLB (Hons) Law and Legal Practice covers the seven foundations of legal knowledge which are required for the academic component of Bar training. On successful completion of the degree programme (with a 2:2 or above) you can progress to the vocational component of Bar training. which is now called by a variety of names such as the Bar Practice Course or Barrister Training Course (it was previously called the Bar Professional Training Course).
To become a practising barrister, it is then necessary to complete a 1-year pupillage. The pupillage may also be called “work-based learning” because the Bar Standards Board is seeking to encourage a wider range of employers to offer this component of training. “Work-based learning” might, for example, be offered by employers that offer training to future members of the employed Bar.
Full information can be found here.
Postgraduate study opportunities
We have a progression agreement with Birkbeck College (University of London). If you graduate with a minimum 2:2, you will be eligible for admission to some of Birkbeck’s Master’s degrees without having to be interviewed.
You will also be eligible for admission to our MBA. As one of our graduates, you will receive a 25% tuition fee discount.