How long does it take to become a lawyer in the UK?

The traditional direct path for solicitor is:

1) - 3 year bachelors degree, either law or another subject
2) - Graduate diploma in law (1 year) - only if you didn't complete a law degree.
3) - Legal practice course (1 year)
4) - Training contract - 2 years working in a law firm (you are working full time for a salary in a law firm here so from a career perspective this is when you start "working in law". Getting the training contract is the hard bit of becoming a solicitor.
5) - Qualify as a solicitor after completing the 2 year training contract.

There are alternate ways, including the new SQE exam which simplifies the GDL,LPC and training contract into a single exam with two years of qualifying work experience, but I'm not too familiar with the details of how exactly that works and whether its easier, or harder than the "usual" route above.

There's usually no need to take a LLM masters or similar. You gain an understanding of legal basis during your studies and the training contract is when you learn on the job, then you qualify as a junior solicitor assisting more senior solicitors etc.. etc...

Id definitely recommend that you carry out some thorough research around different areas of the legal field and how it all works to get a feel for what you might be interested in - criminal and corporate law are *incredibly* different and about as far apart in terms of the legal day job as its possible to be!

" For one i've seen people do vacation schemes, internships,training contracts etc during their second year of university. When are you actually supposed to do those? Is it during university of after it?"
During university is the ideal - the vacation schemes are in university vacations such as summer holidays and many firms recruit future trainee solicitors from those doing the 1 or 2 week paid vacations schemes. You are allowed to apply later after university too if you want.

"Secondly, when do you actually learn about the different things about criminal / corp law? For example you've already learnt stuff about law in your 3 years bachelors, when do you learn about criminal and corporate law and the different aspects of it? Do you go to uni and complete a further degree? Such as a postgraduate one where they specifically teach you more about crim / corp law? "


In your 3 year LLB you can pick some subject in addition to the core subjects like contract law and tort. I picked as an option company law. Another one I chose was trade competition (competition law). Another one I picked was taxation - in other words commercial/company law subjects. Then on the SQE courses the bigger firms have an enhanced programme where students will study subjects like acquisitions and mergers. Everyone doing the SQE course will also be learning a lot of company law too.

So yes for solicitors the SQE post grad course will cover additional material to the 3 year LLB. Also after those 4 years of study you work as a trainee solicitor for two years using 6 months in 4 different areas of law so again you are getting experience in different areas and also continuing training by that firm during those years 5 and 6 of your training. (|or y ears 6 and 7 if your first degree is not a law degree).

Barristers have a different career path not covered above. Most English lawyers are solicitors however.

" For one i've seen people do vacation schemes, internships,training contracts etc during their second year of university. When are you actually supposed to do those? Is it during university of after it?"


"Secondly, when do you actually learn about the different things about criminal / corp law? For example you've already learnt stuff about law in your 3 years bachelors, when do you learn about criminal and corporate law and the different aspects of it? Do you go to uni and complete a further degree? Such as a postgraduate one where they specifically teach you more about crim / corp law? "

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