CLEO Workshop – The SQE – Fit for purpose? Fit for Pro Bono?

Joint event organised by Nottingham Law School and LawWorks

Legal Advice Centre
Workshops

This workshop, co-hosted by Nottingham Law School and LawWorks, considers the implications of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s proposal for a route to qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales for those involved in student law clinics. Activities will include discussion of the new proposals for qualifying work experience in the clinic context and the possible impact of the proposed Solicitors Qualifying Examination on pro bono and on diversity in the solicitors’ profession.

  • From: Thursday 28 June 2018, 10.30 am
  • To: Thursday 28 June 2018, 4 pm
  • Registration: 10.30 am
  • Location: Lecture Theatre 3, Newton Building, Nottingham Trent University, City Campus, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU
  • Cost: £15 (includes lunch and refreshments)
  • Booking deadline: Wednesday 27 June 2018, 9.00 am

Past event

Event details

The Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) which the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) intends to introduce from 2020, followed on from the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR). It is intended to replace the current system of qualification. LawWorks supports what the LETR has been trying to achieve and we welcome aspects of the SQE such as the scope for students to undertake pro bono work in clinics as "qualifying work experience”. However we have also raised some concerns about the future direction of the proposed SQE competencies and structure, the knowledge-based content and impact on opportunities of the next generation of lawyers to engage with the social context of law. This workshop will address issues concerning “qualifying work experience” and student pathways into undertaking social welfare law and pro bono work, including

  • Volunteering in clinics as qualifying work experience (and how is this counted)
  • Supervision and certification of qualifying work experience

The workshop will discuss the SQE more broadly in the context of clinical legal education (including social welfare law) and the stated aims of the reforms to improve social mobility in access to the profession and open up legal qualification pathways. Will the SQE structure be able to achieve these objectives? The workshop will bring together experts from across the clinical legal education sector to share their perspectives on:-

  • Access to justice and values: social welfare law subjects and practice
  • Diversity
  • Recruitment of trainees: apprenticeships and traditional routes to qualification
  • Impact of the SQE on pro bono

Speakers:

  • Speakers from LawWorks and the pro bono sector, firms, the professional bodies, legal education community, and leading academics/practitioners/supervisors in clinics.

Programme

10.30 am – Registration

11 am - 12 pm – Introduction

12 pm - 1.15 pm – Lunch

1.15 pm - 2.15 pm – Qualifying work experience panel discussion

2.15 pm - 2.30 pm – Break

2.30 pm - 3.30 pm – Impact on Pro bono panel discussion

3.30 pm - 4 pm – Close

Booking information

Registration: £15 which includes lunch and refreshments

Book your place on our Online Store

Location details

Address:

Newton Building, Nottingham Trent University
City Campus
Goldsmith Street
Nottingham
NG1 4BU

Parking:

Nottingham has plenty of Park and Ride services, a number of which are run alongside the city’s tram service - the parking provision is always generous, and you can expect a tram every ten minutes. We recommend using them, as parking in the centre can quickly become expensive. Visit the NET site for more information on the city’s Park and Ride services.

If you’re intending to park in the city centre, the closest (and largest) facilities to our City Campus are:

Travel Info:

Visit our travel pages for detailed information on how to get to our City Campus.

Past event

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