Law Conversion outside of Uni?

Ohh okay thanks, I must've thought that the LLM and GDL/LPC are the same thing you need to do to pass the SQE.

Is it correct to think that firms will be looking for some form of education in law, be it an LLB or LLM in order for them to want to help you get your GDL and LPC to pass the SQE? Or are they just looking for a bright candidate that they believe could do well regardless of prior learning of law? (I see these GDL and LPC course things are meant to be pretty full on).

Thanks so much for your help!

Do check your timings too as usually you woudl apply for law firm vacation schemes ( paid work experience) in Sept iof year 2 of your non law degree and work at a few firms following those applications in the summer holidays after year 2 (if you get on those schemes) and apply for a training contract in term 1 of year 3 of a non law degree for a training contract (if you want to be a solicitor) 2 years after that. During the 2 years even once SQE comes in they will probably want you to study some law before co,ming to work for them, something like BPP pGDL which is designed with SQE1 exams in mind.

You will not need an LLM although you can do the pGDL at BPP after you graduate with an LLM included which course attracts a student loan (so if you do not have a law firm or parent who will pay your pGDL and SQE fees) you might have loan funding to cover you in that first year.

That sounds very sensible. You apply for the vacation schemes at start of year 2 of your degree if you want to try for those paid internships in summer holidays after year 2. A lot of London law firms recruit a lot of their trainee solicitors 2 years in advance from people who have worked on those vacation schemes which is why timing is quite important - not waiting until 3rd year of univresity but being ready at end of summer holiday after year 1 or September of year 2 to put in the vac scheme applications - they do pay about £400 a week for the vacation schemes and they tend to last 1 - 2 weeks.
Eg https://www.slaughterandmay.com/careers/trainee-solicitors/work-experience-schemes-and-campus-events/work-experience-schemes/summer-work-experience-schemes.aspx

It is best to look on the law firms' websites to check the timings. There is a list of some of the better known, higher paid law firms here - https://www.rollonfriday.com/inside-info
If you are in the UK for year 2 then you can apply for the vacation schemes and work on them in Easter or summer holiday before your year 3 year abroad. Sorry I just noticed you are studing a language so will have a 4 year degree. I am not sure how the timings then work - probably put back a year so I am not so sure. German is a good one to do. I have German A level but didn't read it at university. Also my daughter was sponsored through 2 years at law school by her law firm despite not doing a vacation scheme placement so it is not essential to do one. Whether you do one or not you still have to apply for a training contract in time so eg you could apply at the start of year 4 when you are back at university.

You could probably look at whch of the law firms on my linked list above has an office in Germany too given your degree as then once they take you on you could even perhaps work 6 months in their German office.

It is very competitive. I applied to 139 firms at university and had 25 interviews before getting a training contract offer but perhaps I was particularly bad at interviews. Today the application process takes longer and people priobably apply to fewer firms as there are more forms and tests. in my day we had a firm application form, a CV to send in and then 2 or 3 interviews at the firms.