SQE and masters
Hello, I want to apply to the trainee schemes of law firms and I think they pay for the SQE (i'm not sure) and I wanted to ask, If i want to do a masters, when do I apply?
If your first degree is law (which I assume it is) you could apply for law vacation schemes in year 2 of your degree and then in summer holiday after that and Autumn term of year 3 apply for law firms who might sponsor you on the SQE courses and exams. If you cannot find one to sponsor you you can apply for SQE1 and 2 courses with a masters to obtain student loan masters funding to cover the bulk of the cost of the courses.
Look on the firms' websites for the dates eg this firm had a deadline of Jan 2022 ( so best to apply in 2021) for people starting their 2 years of training/QWE in Sept 2024 https://apply.dacbeachcroft.com/jobs/job/Trainee-Solicitor/1278 so presumably LLB students would want to do their SQE courses year 2023/24 academic year so applied about 2 years beforehand in last year of their degree probably having done a vacation scheme in the 2nd year of their degree. Not all firms are the same so just have a look at their websites. If you want to go straight on to a sponsored SQE after your LLB without gap years and masters loans then you need to start thinking about the process in about year 2 of your degree.
Look on the firms' websites for the dates eg this firm had a deadline of Jan 2022 ( so best to apply in 2021) for people starting their 2 years of training/QWE in Sept 2024 https://apply.dacbeachcroft.com/jobs/job/Trainee-Solicitor/1278 so presumably LLB students would want to do their SQE courses year 2023/24 academic year so applied about 2 years beforehand in last year of their degree probably having done a vacation scheme in the 2nd year of their degree. Not all firms are the same so just have a look at their websites. If you want to go straight on to a sponsored SQE after your LLB without gap years and masters loans then you need to start thinking about the process in about year 2 of your degree.
Original post by 17Student17
If your first degree is law (which I assume it is) you could apply for law vacation schemes in year 2 of your degree and then in summer holiday after that and Autumn term of year 3 apply for law firms who might sponsor you on the SQE courses and exams. If you cannot find one to sponsor you you can apply for SQE1 and 2 courses with a masters to obtain student loan masters funding to cover the bulk of the cost of the courses.
Look on the firms' websites for the dates eg this firm had a deadline of Jan 2022 ( so best to apply in 2021) for people starting their 2 years of training/QWE in Sept 2024 https://apply.dacbeachcroft.com/jobs/job/Trainee-Solicitor/1278 so presumably LLB students would want to do their SQE courses year 2023/24 academic year so applied about 2 years beforehand in last year of their degree probably having done a vacation scheme in the 2nd year of their degree. Not all firms are the same so just have a look at their websites. If you want to go straight on to a sponsored SQE after your LLB without gap years and masters loans then you need to start thinking about the process in about year 2 of your degree.
Look on the firms' websites for the dates eg this firm had a deadline of Jan 2022 ( so best to apply in 2021) for people starting their 2 years of training/QWE in Sept 2024 https://apply.dacbeachcroft.com/jobs/job/Trainee-Solicitor/1278 so presumably LLB students would want to do their SQE courses year 2023/24 academic year so applied about 2 years beforehand in last year of their degree probably having done a vacation scheme in the 2nd year of their degree. Not all firms are the same so just have a look at their websites. If you want to go straight on to a sponsored SQE after your LLB without gap years and masters loans then you need to start thinking about the process in about year 2 of your degree.
Hi, thanks for the reply.
My plan was to do the LLM before my SQE at a separate university not as a joint course (my personal preference) so do i just apply to trainee contracts during my masters year to be funded for the deadline of the SQE?
Thanks
If you do an LLM after your LLB and then move on to the SQE that adds a year to the process so in terms of the timing so you would be applying in year 3 of your LLB for a TC starting 2 years after your LLB when you have done a 1 year masters and SQE year. however do be aware you are only allowed one student loan masters loan so if you "waste" it on the LLM and then cannot find a sponsoring law firm for SQE you then could not get a second masters loan to fund the SQE/masters that are available.
Thanks.
Then I think I will just apply for a joint LlM and SQE.
Then I think I will just apply for a joint LlM and SQE.
Original post by 17Student17
If you do an LLM after your LLB and then move on to the SQE that adds a year to the process so in terms of the timing so you would be applying in year 3 of your LLB for a TC starting 2 years after your LLB when you have done a 1 year masters and SQE year. however do be aware you are only allowed one student loan masters loan so if you "waste" it on the LLM and then cannot find a sponsoring law firm for SQE you then could not get a second masters loan to fund the SQE/masters that are available.
If you are well into your LLB already you might want to do the LPC instead of the SQE as that may be simpler (LPC with masters). Check the dates for the move over from LPC to SQE when you decide. That way you do a known exam marked by the institution with whom you study it eg BPP or UoL and do not do a course with them and then separate SQE exams with Kaplan which hardly anyone has yet sat.
Original post by 17Student17
If you do an LLM after your LLB and then move on to the SQE that adds a year to the process so in terms of the timing so you would be applying in year 3 of your LLB for a TC starting 2 years after your LLB when you have done a 1 year masters and SQE year. however do be aware you are only allowed one student loan masters loan so if you "waste" it on the LLM and then cannot find a sponsoring law firm for SQE you then could not get a second masters loan to fund the SQE/masters that are available.
Hi, Thank you so much for your response. I was under the impression that you cannot get a masters loan to fund the SQE/or LPC regardless? I thought the only options were self-funding and/or finding a sponsoring firm?
Original post by TheonlyMrsHolmes
Hi, Thank you so much for your response. I was under the impression that you cannot get a masters loan to fund the SQE/or LPC regardless? I thought the only options were self-funding and/or finding a sponsoring firm?
University of Law and BPP offer an integrated masters which qualifies for a masters loan and is about the same cost as the loan.
However, you would still have to pay to sit the SQE exams which is about 5k together for both sqe1 and sqe2 (this is the same regardless of whether you do an integrated masters or just sqe prep course on its own)
Alternatively you can simply self teach yourself the SQE and only pay to sit the SQE exams if you did not want to do the integrated masters.
That is correct above - that Student Finance England finance is available to cover most of the course costs via a master's student loan for LPC masters or SQE with masters (80% of people use BPP or University of Law for these post grad law courses).
You will need to sit down with a calculator however as the masters element increases the fee a bit but means you can obtain the masters funding. However the funding may not cover all the fees and covers nothing for your rent/food etc.
The LPC v SQE dilemma is very difficult for the very very few people now able to choose between the two. Anyone graduating now in a subject other than law eg has no choice and must do SQE.
The LPC is probably an easier exam and is marked by the institution where you study. With SQE as stated above you also have to find £5k for exam fees. I thought it was £4k but probably gone up. (Unless a firm is paying).
However if you pass the LPC but cannot find a law firm still taking LPC trainees (the big firms have moved just about everyone on to SQE from about this year even if they have done the LPC) then the LPC exempts you from SQE1 but not SQE2 so you still might need to do an SQE2 course and certainly the exam if you cannot find a traditional TC using the LPC route.
You will need to sit down with a calculator however as the masters element increases the fee a bit but means you can obtain the masters funding. However the funding may not cover all the fees and covers nothing for your rent/food etc.
The LPC v SQE dilemma is very difficult for the very very few people now able to choose between the two. Anyone graduating now in a subject other than law eg has no choice and must do SQE.
The LPC is probably an easier exam and is marked by the institution where you study. With SQE as stated above you also have to find £5k for exam fees. I thought it was £4k but probably gone up. (Unless a firm is paying).
However if you pass the LPC but cannot find a law firm still taking LPC trainees (the big firms have moved just about everyone on to SQE from about this year even if they have done the LPC) then the LPC exempts you from SQE1 but not SQE2 so you still might need to do an SQE2 course and certainly the exam if you cannot find a traditional TC using the LPC route.
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