Routes to a career in law
Find out more about all our courses
You don’t need a law degree to become a lawyer, so whether you’re a law or non law graduate, or maybe considering a change in career, training with The College of Law will equip you to meet the realities of today’s legal environment and become a highly marketable lawyer.
If you study a law degree
Study a qualifying degree in English law and it will take you a minimum of five years to qualify as a solicitor and five years as a barrister. These qualifying years break down as:
If you study a non-law degree
Study a non-law subject for your degree, and you will need to add another year to this calculation:
- At least three years for the non-law degree you choose
- One year to complete a law conversion course, the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)
- One year for the LPC or BPTC
- Two years for a training contract with a law firm or one year to undertake pupillage
And there’s more
If you successfully study the GDL at the College and go on to pass either the LPC or BPTC with us, you’ll graduate with a LL.B without the need to study and pay for additional modules, reflecting the high quality of our courses.
We also offer flexible LL.M Masters degree programmes for those hoping to build specialist legal skills and knowledge. College of Law LPC or BPTC graduates earn a third of the credits towards our LL.M degrees meaning they only need to study three modules and a final assignment to achieve the full Masters degree.
Training contracts and pupillage
A training contract is the practical stage of training for solicitors during which time you experience a period of ‘learning on the job’, putting into practice the skills and knowledge gained on the LPC, usually within a law firm. Most full-time training contracts last for two years.
During your training contract, you’ll have to undertake additional training, including the Professional Skills Course (PSC), which covers further skills and knowledge that solicitors need in practice. You must pass the PSC in order to qualify as a solicitor.
Pupillage is the final stage of training to qualify as a practising barrister, carried out after successful completion of the BPTC. Pupillage is commonly one year of hands-on training in an authorised pupillage training organisation, usually barristers’ chambers. The year is divided into two six-month periods, known as ‘sixes’. The first ‘six’ is ‘non-practising’, with pupils shadowing the work of a pupil supervisor. The second ‘six’ is ‘practising’, with pupils undertaking to supply legal services and exercise rights of audience (speaking in court).
You can
Whatever your starting point, background or aspirations, we have the courses and flexible options to help you succeed in the legal world. Because everyone’s circumstances are different we work hard to help you achieve your ambitions of becoming a lawyer. With full and part-time study modes, that cover a range of time periods, our courses are structured to meet a variety of needs and personal circumstances.
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