Law & Justice
Your route to Solicitor
Advise clients and run cases or deals — corporate, criminal, family, property, human rights.
Career compatibility and admission likelihood are different things
Compatibility is about you. Admission is the institution's decision — we can only tell you how to be ready for it.
Destination
Solicitor
Qualify as a solicitor
SQE 1 & 2 plus qualifying work experience
Vacation schemes and legal work experience
LLB Law degree
A Levels (essay subjects recommended)
You are here
Tell us your year group to place this properly
My academic gap
Here's exactly what has to move
Current position
Stage not set · predicted grades
Target
AAB–BBB for a law degree, or any degree at 2:1 plus conversion
English
Reading and writing volume is the core of the job
Humanities
Essay subjects build the argument skills law degrees assess
Official requirements set by Solicitors Regulation Authority (SQE). Last checked August 2026 — always confirm directly with the institution.
What the destination officially asks for
AAB–BBB for a law degree, or any degree at 2:1 plus conversion
Admissions tests: LNAT at some universities · SQE 1 & 2 to qualify
Timeline
- A Levels
- Degree
- Vacation schemes in year 2
- Training contract
- SQE
Official requirements from Solicitors Regulation Authority (SQE) · last checked August 2026. Always confirm with the institution — they set the rules, we don't.
Your routes in
Ranked honestly, for where you are now.
Some of these are harder than others. We say which, and why.
Qualifications
Any A Level subjects — essay subjects help
Grades
AAA–BBB depending on the university
Admissions tests
LNAT at some universities
Duration
3 years, then SQE (solicitor) or Bar training (barrister)
How competitive
Competitive at top universities; training contracts are the real bottleneck
Funding
Student finance; many firms fund the SQE
Progression
Trainee solicitor, then qualified solicitor — or pupillage as a barrister
The route, step by step
- 1A Levels (essay subjects recommended)
- 2LLB Law degree
- 3Vacation schemes and legal work experience
- 4SQE 1 & 2 plus qualifying work experience
- 5Qualify as a solicitor
Next action
Build evidence of argument and writing: debating, essay prizes, mooting
Plan this route with the TutorWhere people study this
Real institutions, real requirements.
Universities, conservatoires and specialist schools that lead to this destination.
Oxford · A*AA–A*A*A + admissions test + interview
University of Oxford
Cambridge · A*AA–A*A*A + admissions assessment + interview
University of Cambridge
London · A*AA–AAB, A Level Maths for Economics
London School of Economics
London · A*AA–ABB depending on course
UCL
Bristol · A*AA–ABB, contextual offers widely used
University of Bristol
Nottingham · AAA–ABB depending on course
University of Nottingham