One-quarter of small and medium law firms haven’t adopted SQE, new research finds
updated on 24 June 2024
Reading time: one minute
More than a quarter (27%) of small and medium (SME) law firms haven’t adopted the Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam (SQE) yet, according to new research.
The report, conducted by BARBRI, surveyed 127 figures from SME law firms, defined as having fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover below 50 million.
The results found that firms had a range of reasons for not yet switching, such as:
- a lack of information (44%);
- not feeling it’s the right time to make the transition (31%);
- a lack of internal buy-in (25%); and
- concerns about costs (6%).
The transitional period for adopting the SQE is officially running until 2032. However, the report states that, in reality, “the LPC window of opportunity is closing quickly with a real shift expected over the next couple of years”.
The research also found out more about how SME firms are adopting legal apprenticeships. More than half (53%) of law firms reported that they’re using apprentices to bring in new talent (9%), upskill existing talent (9%) or both (35%).
Of the 46% of law firms not using apprenticeships, 36% reported a preference for “more traditional routes”, 28% stated that it “takes too long to build skills”, and 16% were concerned about the quality of candidates.
However, the research pointed to SRA data, which showed that, in February 2023, apprentice SQE pass rates were on average 26% higher than the overall pass rate. The report also noted that the apprenticeship route is a good way to improve social mobility within the profession. Head of property at Heringtons Solicitors, Andrew Hiesley, explains that: “Apprenticeships can be incredibly cost effective for an employer utilising the government funding. In addition, it opens up a completely different pool of talent including those who didn’t choose to study law at university.”
