Detailed on these pages are the key legal qualifications and stages involved in solicitor training and barrister training.

The routes are listed for both law and non-law graduates and help you choose your correct legal courses path.

Routes for solicitor training

Law graduate

• A-Levels
• Degree in Law (LLBft, LLB Sand, LLB pt, LLBdl)
• Legal Practice Course
• Training Contract
• Professional Skills Course
• Admission to the Roll

Non-Law graduate

• A-Levels
• Degree
• Conversion Course (CPE, GDL)
• Legal Practice Course
• Training Contract
• Professional Skills Course
• Admission to the Roll

Non-graduate

• GCSE/Mature student
• Enter Legal Profession
• ILEX Level 3 (two years, part-time)
• ILEX Level 6 (two years, part-time)
• 3 years legal experience concurrent with course, followed by
• 2 years post-qualification legal experience to gain ILEX Fellowhip
• Legal Practice Course to be completed after gaining ILEX Fellowship
• Professional Skills Course
• Admission to the Roll

Training contract
The training contract is a period of practice-based training in law  for graduates. It is normally of 2 years duration leading to legal qualification as a fully fledged solicitor. During that period your time will be divided among particular practice areas ("seats"). Traditionally this has been 4 seats x 6 months but different firms operate different schedules, i.e. 6 seats x 4 months etc.

Professional Skills Course (PSC)The PSC must be satisfactorily completed by all trainee solicitors during their training contract and before legal qualification. The PSC requires the equivalent of 12 days of full-time attendance and builds on the vocational training provided in the Legal Practice Course. It provides practical skills-based law training in 3 compulsory courses plus a programme of electives.

Admission to the Roll
On satisfactory completion of the training contract you will be "Admitted to the Roll" - i.e. you will become a solicitor in your own right and will be eligible to apply for a "Practising Certificate" enabling you to advise and represent clients.

Routes for barrister training

Law graduate	Non-Law graduate
A-Levels Degree in Law (LLBft, LLB Sand, LLB pt, LLBdl) Bar Professional Training Course (formerly known as Bar Vocational Course) First Six Second Six Tenancy	A-Levels Degree in any subject Conversion Course (CPE, GDL) Bar Professional Training Course First Six Second Six Tenancy

First Six
The "first six" is the first six months of pupillage and at commencement you will be assigned a pupil supervisor who may be referred to as your pupil master or mistress. Your time will be spent observing and assisting your pupil supervisor and other barristers in chambers. On satisfactory completion of the "first six" you will receive a certificate enabling you to work on your own during your "second six".

Second Six
The "second six" is the second six months of pupillage. During this time you may have cases and clients of your own and may represent those clients in court. This is where you begin to build your reputation as a barrister.

Tenancy
A Tenancy is where you obtain a permanent place in chambers. Completion of the first and second sixes does not guarantee you a place in that set.

Summary

Routes to qualification

Solicitor training	Barrister training
Non law Degree
Any grade suffices for the solicitors regulation authority	Must be at least a 2.2 for the bar sandards board
Graduate Diploma in Law full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) 7 foundation subjects: Contract, Criminal, EC, Constitutional, Land, Tort, Trusts
Legal Practice Course Full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years)	Bar Professional Training Course Full -time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) (KLS does not deliver in part-time mode)
2 year training contract	1 year pupillage if to practice
Qualification

Find out more about the courses we offer:

Graduate Diploma in Law course overview
Legal Practice Course overview
Bar Professional Training Course overview