Legal Education and Training Review

Legal Education and Training Review in United Kingdom

The online resource of the Legal Education and Training Review is:
https://letr.org.uk/

“In 2011 a Legal Education and Training Review(LETR) was established by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and ILEX Professional Standards (IPS). The Review is looking at the education and training requirements of the legal professions for the provision of legal services in England and Wales. The legal services sector is experiencing an unprecedented degree of change. LETR is intended to ensure that the future system of legal education and training will be effective and efficient in preparing legal service providers to meet the needs of consumers. It is looking at all stages of legal education and training, including the academic stage of qualification at University, professional training and continuing professional development post qualification. The primary objective of the Review is to ensure that England and Wales have a legal education and training system which protects and promotes the interests of consumers and to ensure an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession. The final report with its key recommendations is expected to be published in December 2012. It will be for each front-line regulator to decide what action to take in response to the review recommendations. It is possible that this review could recommend a common system of education and training for solicitors and barristers. This would facilitate movement between the two professions and avoid specialisation in the early years of qualifying.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has criticised the ‘general practitioner’ style of training for lawyers in its submission to LETR:
“The GP-style qualification model fails to respond to a market which is hugely varied in terms of its provider base and range of activities. It is impossible for a single qualification to prepare an individual for the sheer diversity of roles they might, perhaps much later, come to occupy. It is in danger of providing adequate preparation for nothing instead of providing a readiness to tackle anything – the principle to which it aspires.”
The Panel has argued that a ‘modular approach’ to qualification should be taken, where those approved to practise would gain a limited permission to provide certain legal services, but authorisation to provide others would be granted separately on the completion of further training. The consumer panel would like to see a single regulatory badge under which the professional titles of solicitor and barrister would “lose meaning”. While the professional titles have powerful brand appeal for consumers and strongly influence their choice of legal adviser, they create misleading distinctions between regulated providers. For example, a solicitor is likely to be seen by the average consumer wishing to buy a home as being more qualified than a licensed conveyancer for this task, but both have demonstrated they are sufficiently competent to perform the role.”

Source: Update to English Legal System (Elliot)

See Also

Barristers
Solicitors
Background of Legal Professionals


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