Assessment Drives Learning: The Solicitors Qualifying Exam Eliminates U.K. Law School Requirement

The regulatory body that oversees the legal profession in England and Wales, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), has enacted a major overhaul of legal training and solicitor licensure. This will take effect in 2020. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, hosts Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams join attorney Mark A. Cohen, CEO of Legal Mosaic and Julie Brannan, Director of Education and Training for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), as they discuss how the U.K. is eliminating the requirement of attending law school in favor of a skills exam. They talk about that exam, its potential impact on law students and the legal community, and whether or not the United States will adopt a similar practice. Mark Cohen, the CEO of Legal Mosaic, is a Distinguished Lecturer in Law at Georgetown Law School and writes a weekly column on the global legal marketplace for Forbes. Mark recently wrote a piece for Forbes titled, “A British Reboot of Legal Education-- Law School Optional.” Julie Brannan is the director of education and training for the Solicitors Regulation Authority better known as the SRA out of the U.K. She joined the SRA in October 2013, and since then has been leading the Training for Tomorrow review of legal education and training. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio and Litera.