How to become a solicitor
Find out more about the route to becoming a solicitor in England and Wales, and how our law degrees have been designed to prepare you for your career.
Information is correct as of March 2025. Before deciding whether to pursue a career, you’re advised to contact your careers service for the most up-to-date guidance.
What does a solicitor do?
Solicitors provide expert legal advice on a range of personal and business issues. They may work with private or commercial clients depending on the size of their firm. Although they usually specialise in one area of law, a solicitor's training is broad and will usually involve learning about many areas of legal practise. With changes being made to how you qualify as a solicitor, here's everything you need to know - including how a ßÏßÏÊÓƵ law degree can give you all the preparation you need.
Qualifications required
The introduction of the Solicitors' Qualifying Exam (SQE) means that anyone aspiring to become a solicitor in England and Wales will need to take the SQE. You can learn more about the new requirements from the .
Although no longer formally required, law degrees still offer one of the best routes into a career as a solicitor - including the development of practical skills like arguing and persuasion, and the opportunity for real-world legal experience.
How ßÏßÏÊÓƵ can help you become a solicitor
At ßÏßÏÊÓƵ we offer a range of undergraduate law degrees that will give you an excellent understanding of English law, as well as an opportunity to explore international, European and Canadian law. Over the course of three years you'll be able to gain valuable experience through our , and can even train to offer legal advice to the public, setting you up for a career in law.
Even if you already have an undergraduate degree in another subject, our newly launched MA in Law will not only provide you with a solid foundation of legal knowledge, but also provide a solid grounding for future SQE preparation. This MA additionally covers all the areas required by the Bar Standard Board for anyone wanting to become a barrister.
Our partnership with the global legal education provider BARBRI also means that our ßÏßÏÊÓƵ students (as well as our alumni) will receive a discount on the prep fees for the first stage of the SQE assessment (SQE1).
Read how .
If you haven’t studied a degree yet, and you’re considering one, browse our related subject areas at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ (you should check your course is accredited by the correct body):
Already a ßÏßÏÊÓƵ student? Find out more about the solicitor career path and other related careers using our .
How to get experience as a solicitor
It's important to get as much work experience as possible if you want to become a solicitor. Here's some of the ways you can get experience whilst studying a law degree with ßÏßÏÊÓƵ:
- give legal advice assistance to the public through our
- take part in national and international mooting competitions, sponsored by leading law firms
- undertake a vacation scheme at a solicitor's firm, with advice and information from our dedicated law school employability team
- join the Student Law Society
- attend our extensive law employability events programme
- visit our annual law fair to talk to dedicated legal professionals.
You could also try:
- getting voluntary work in a legal setting such as The Free Representation Unit
- sitting in the public gallery at criminal court hearings so you can witness proceedings
- getting a part-time job at a solicitors or law firm
- working in a court in roles such as a court usher.
How to get a law degree
To get on to a law degree you usually need three A-levels and a range of GCSEs. See what qualifications you need to study Law at Sussex.
Your subjects don't have to be law-related but it might be helpful to take courses with strong research and communication elements, such as law, history, geography, politics, the sciences and languages.
Taking these kind of subjects may also help you when writing about your decision to study a law degree in your personal statement.
See our guide to writing a UCAS personal statement and writing a Masters personal statement.
Skills required
You will need to be:
- analytical
- accurate, logical and methodical
- a good problem solver
- confident
- meet deadlines and work well under pressure
- a good communicator.
and .
Earning potential for a solicitor
£28kstarting salary for qualified solicitors in a regional firm or smaller commercial practice (but this depends on your employer).
£65kstarting salary in larger commercial firms (but this depends on your employer).
37hour working week is what you'll generally be contracted to, although you can expect to work longer hours during busier periods.
6 years is how long it can take to qualify as a solicitor.
Other career paths in law
See some of the other legal roles/careers you can go into in the UK:
- barrister
- paralegal
- chartered legal executive
- costs lawyer.
Studying at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ
If you choose to study your degree at ßÏßÏÊÓƵ, you’ll benefit from:
- careers support for up to three years after you graduate
- the chance to join our alumni network
- mentoring schemes so you get real-world advice, support and experience while you study.