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The SQE

The Solicitors Qualifying Examination

Our Policy

Dentons trainees in England and Wales will qualify through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route to qualification. This applies to those considering a Trainee Solicitor Programme in London, Milton Keynes and Middle East.

We partner with BPP Law School to prepare our trainees for the SQE. BPP has a wide choice of geographical locations, and you are free to apply to any of these centres. Over 12 months, you will attend the BPP course ‘LLM SQE1 & 2’ and sit the centralised SRA SQE assessments. The two-year Trainee Solicitor Programme with Dentons equates to the two-years full-time Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) that the Solicitors Regulation Authority requires you to complete.

If you have not studied an England & Wales qualifying law degree, you will need to successfully complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) and SQE prior to commencing your Trainee Solicitor Programme with us. If you have studied an England & Wales qualifying law degree, you will only need to complete the SQE.

If you accept our offer for the London, Milton Keynes or Middle East Trainee Solicitor Programme prior to starting your PGDL or SQE, we will pay your course fees in full and provide you with a maintenance grant to support you whilst your study with BPP. We are unable to reimburse fees for those who have already completed the PGDL, LPC or SQE before receiving an offer from us.

What is the SQE?

To become a solicitor in England and Wales, you need to complete The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

To become a qualified solicitor via the SQE, you need:

  • A degree or equivalent in any subject.
  • Two stage SQE assessment process: SQE1 involves an assessment on functional legal knowledge (FLK) and SQE2 consists of a practical legal skills assessment.
  • Two years qualifying work experience (QWE).
  • Demonstration of satisfactory character and suitability

For further details on the SQE, please visit the SRA Website.

What does the SQE look like at Dentons?

To support you preparing for the SRAs centralised SQE assessments, we have partnered with BPP Law School. You will need to attend a 12-month course with BPP called ‘LLM SQE1 & 2’. The course includes preparation for both SQE1 and SQE2 and an ‘Essentials for Practice’ programme which includes bespoke modules relevant to the practice areas at Dentons.

There are two sets of assessments that Trainees will need to complete; internal BPP assessments for the SQE1, SQE2 and Essentials for Practice during the LLM course, and the SRA centralised SQE1 and SQE2 assessments. Both sets of assessments are to be completed in advance of commencing the Trainee Solicitor Programme.

If you have already completed and passed the LPC, in accordance with the SRA guidelines, you are exempt from sitting the SRA centralised SQE1 assessments.  However, we still require you to complete the BPP LLM SQE1 & 2 course and pass BPP’s internal assessments within the SQE1 course.

Our trainee journey will look slightly different for law and non-law students:

Qualifying Law Undergraduates

Qualifying Law Degree > LLM SQE1 & SQE2 and centralised SQE assessments > Two Year Trainee Solicitor Programme at Dentons > Qualification

Non-Law Undergraduates

Non-Law Degree > PGDL > LLM SQE1 & SQE2 and centralised SQE assessments > Two Year Trainee Solicitor Programme at Dentons > Qualification

  • We ask all our non-law future trainees to complete the PGDL with BPP University before they commence the SQE programme. This takes one year to complete full time. We will fund the course, exams and provide a maintenance grant.

All future trainees will need to have their results confirmed for the relevant courses and exams before they can commence their employment with us.

Where can you find out more?

We have answered a list of common FAQs below. You can also find out more on the SRA website. For any unanswered questions you can email our Early Careers team at earlycareers@dentons.com

FAQs
  • What intake of Trainees at Dentons will need to complete the SQE? addremove

    All Dentons trainees complete the SQE route to qualification. This applies to those considering a Trainee Solicitor Programme in London, Milton Keynes and Middle East.

  • What is the difference between the SQE 1 and 2? addremove

    SQE 1 tests functioning legal knowledge (FLK). The exam has two parts – FLK1 and FLK2.

    SQE 2 assesses practical legal skills. It also has two parts: oral assessments and written assessments.

    Please see here for a summary by the SRA of the assessment topics for SQE 1 and SQE 2.

  • What does the Essentials for Practice course involve? addremove

    This course offers a range of specialist legal knowledge areas and professional skills that are widely sought by employers beyond the basic SQE curriculum.

    During this course you will be studying: Commercial Property, Debt Finance, Private Acquisitions and Commercial Contracts, alongside Business of Law. These bespoke modules recognise our practice areas at Dentons and will aim to provide you with the necessary knowledge for the start of your Trainee Solicitor Programme with us.

  • What is Qualifying Work Experience? addremove

    All candidates hoping to qualify in England and Wales must complete two years Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).

    Our Trainee Solicitor Programmes allows you to achieve your QWE with us over the two-year programme and allows you to develop a wide range of skills over a variety of practice areas.

  • Will Dentons Trainees complete the SQE before they start their Trainee Solicitor Programme? addremove

    The SRA allows QWE to be completed at the same time as the SQE exams, however the Dentons Trainee Solicitor programme is a two-year programme, not just QWE, and one of our requirements is that trainees have completed their qualifications in advance of joining us.

  • What Training Provider have you partnered with? addremove

    We have partnered with BPP University’s Law School to support all our Early Careers Programmes with the SQE. For further details on the BPP SQE programme please see here.

  • How and where can I study for the SQE? addremove

    BPP offer a full-time course in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds or a virtual option. All courses start in September and last one year. The London and virtual option also offer a February start.

    The part-time course is only offered virtually, and also starts in both September and February each year and lasts two years.

    It is up to you where you choose to study the SQE, and if this is part-time or full-time. However, keep in mind you will need to complete and pass the SQE in full before starting your Trainee Solicitor Programme on the agreed date. This means most of our trainees will need to join the September full-time course.

  • Will Dentons cover the SQE fees? addremove

    Yes, we will cover fees in full for the SQE course and the SQE exam fees for our future trainees studying with BPP. We are unable to reimburse fees for those who have already completed the SQE before receiving an offer from us.

  • Will Dentons provide a maintenance grant to trainees studying the SQE? addremove

    Yes, we will continue to support our future trainees financially through the SQE via a grant.

  • Will candidates who have partially or fully completed the SQE independently be disadvantaged in the application process? addremove

    No, we will consider candidates who have already completed the SQE 1 and/or 2 in exactly the same way. Please note we are unable to cover course or exam costs retrospectively for those candidates who have commenced or completed the SQE or PGDL prior to our offer. If a candidate has completed SQE1 but not yet studied for or sat SQE2, then we would support them with fees and a pro-rated maintenance grant through the rest of their studies.

  • Will Dentons allow students to re-sit the SQE if they don’t pass first time? addremove

    Our policy is for all trainees to pass the SQE assessment on the first attempt. Both Dentons Early Careers team and BPP University will support you during the programme.

    However, should you need any support during the preparation courses or SQE assessments, we will discuss it with you on a case-by-case basis.