The rumours appear to be true! The SRA has started a consultation to look at the introduction of a new 'super' exam to be taken by anyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor.
The roll out of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination will ensure consistently high standards throughout the legal profession according to the SRA.
If the idea is met with approval there will be further consultations in 2016 to look at the different pathways to qualification. It may mean that not everyone will need to take the LPC in future.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is proposing that all new solicitors should take a final, competency-based exam before they qualify. The Solicitors Qualifying Examination, or SQE, has been rumoured for a while, but the SRA has now officially opened a consultation on the proposal. All intending solicitors, regardless of the type of training they had gone through, would have to take it in order to qualify. Speaking to Lawyer 2B, the chair of the SRA’s education and training committee Martin Coleman said: “The main reason for doing this is to ensure that the high standards we expect of solicitors are maintained and consistently applied across the board.
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