Four key domains form SRA's competence statement

Mark Solon talks to the SRA's director of education and training, Julie Brannan, about the regulator's new competency statement for solicitors

To view the full video interview click here

Ethics, professionalism, judgement and technical legal practice have been identified as key areas covered by the SRA's competence statement.

Along with these core areas in which solicitors should be experienced are being able to manage yourself, your own workload and work with other people.

Julie Brannan made the comments when interviewed by solicitor and managing director of the legal division at Wilmington Group Plc, Mark Solon, on the regulator's new competency statement for solicitors.

When asked by Solon how the one competence statement could apply to all solicitors, who come in all shapes and sizes, the director of education and training at the SRA agreed it was a generic statement that applied to all areas of practice and all degrees of qualification; both point of qualification and experienced practising solicitors.

"The idea behind that is it identifies the core activities that we say all solicitors should be able to do, whatever their practice area," she said.

"We thought about having different competencies for different areas of practice, but in our workshop groups, we were able to identify what we felt were generic, common activities. We expect solicitors working in particular practice areas to take the competence statement and apply it to their particular area of work."

The SRA has recently published its proposed competence statement for solicitors and accompanying consultation, which will close on 12 January 2015.

The SRA hopes the competence statement will set out much more clearly the defined standard for practice as a solicitor.

"In the past, we've had 'day one outcomes'," said Brannan, "which wasn't terribly well knitted into our training pathways, and of course we've got the standards as they're embodied in the code. But we don't have anything that sets out in a coherent, simple, accessible document what the standards are that we require for practice as a solicitor.

"We've done that through the proposed competence statement. It's designed to reflect modern practice and to signal to consumers what they can expect of their solicitor."