SRA training proposals mean less-advantaged students will lose out

Prompted by the strength of feeling among its members, the Law Society has formally responded to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's (SRA) planned assessment options for entry to the profession.

The society said the removal of already approved pathways carried a significant risk of adversely affecting less-advantaged students who do not have access to people already in the profession, or to the best-informed sources of careers advice.

Further, the financial impact would disproportionately affect poorer students who would not be able to gain funding for courses as they are no longer 'required'.

The SRA has stated its preference for a series of centralised assessments for knowledge and skills against the competence statement for solicitors, published on 1 April 2015.

The regulator would prefer there to be no approved pathways to entry and no required courses, meaning a qualifying law degree, completion of the legal practice course (LPC), or training contract would no longer be required.

The society, however, has argued that the current two-year training period for would-be solicitors is 'about right'.

The Law Society said it is supportive of centralised assessment framework in conjunction with the current robust assessment procedures, which should be improved.

Jonathan Smithers, the Law Society's president, said the global reputation of UK law would be 'under threat' if qualification was watered down.

'In 2013 a thorough, evidence-based review of education and training requirements across legal services in England and Wales, known as the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), found that that the current system is not fundamentally broken,' added Smithers.

'We are recommending that the current system be improved and that current assessment procedures are enhanced in order to provide the reassurances desired by the SRA.'

John van der Luit-Drummond is deputy editor for Solicitors Journal
john.vanderluit@solicitorsjournal.co.uk | @JvdLD