QLTS stands for Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme under which lawyers qualified overseas can get admitted as solicitors of England and Wales. They will have to undergo a series of assessments which will ensure that they satisfy the outcomes of solicitors qualified under the normal domestic route. It also allows local barristers, Scottish lawyers, etc to qualify as solicitors in a different route which was not open to them earlier. Click here to know more about QLTS and here about the assessment agency.
With regard to preparing for assessment, QLTS syllabus in my view is largely based on law graduation / diploma + Legal Practice Course (core modules) and therefore you just need the books prescribed for these courses. In addition to your book knowledge, you need to have practice skills also to be able to get through the assessments. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) identifies this as "day-1 outcomes" (Click here for details) and a careful analysis of these outcomes reveals this fact.
One should ideally start with books relating to law degree / diploma and then move on to Legal Practice Course. This is particularly true if your basic law degree is from a civil law country as you may have to get used to the nuances of common law. However, students from common law jurisdictions like me can take the liberty to start off with all the books simultaneously. I have given the list of books that I have bought in a separate page.
Before you start, go through these websites ( SRA and Kaplan) thoroughly and understand the assessment format. In a nutshell, there are 3 stages viz:
1) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) where you need attempt 180 questions.
2) Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) where you need to take interviews of specimen clients, draft attendance notes and make presentation of your assessments.
3) Technical Legal Skill Test (TLST) where you need research on a given set of facts using Lexis / Westlaw and draft your assessments.
You will have to get through the 1st stage before moving to 2nd and 3rd stage which can be taken up simultaneously.
Assessment and pass criteria are given in these websites. Once you know and understand the devil before you, you should be able devise your own strategy to tackle it :) What works for one may not work for the other and so rely on your instincts :))
Whenever you study, keep in mind that you should remember key legal aspects so that you get through 1st stage, be able to apply your knowledge and experience for a given set of practical scenario in order to tackle 2nd and 3rd stage :( You should also be comfortable using Lexis / Westlaw for 3rd stage :((
If you are interested in taking proper training from schools, there are a few who are offering tailored training programs. Click here for details. But, I am not taking training from any school. I am banking only on the books :(((((!!
I have practiced law for sometime and therefore am fairly comfortable with the practice side (I am really hoping for good!). If you have not practiced earlier, then you may find 2nd and 3rd stage hard nuts to crack. You should consider getting some practical experience before giving assessments.
Best of luck and keep checking for my posts...
With regard to preparing for assessment, QLTS syllabus in my view is largely based on law graduation / diploma + Legal Practice Course (core modules) and therefore you just need the books prescribed for these courses. In addition to your book knowledge, you need to have practice skills also to be able to get through the assessments. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) identifies this as "day-1 outcomes" (Click here for details) and a careful analysis of these outcomes reveals this fact.
One should ideally start with books relating to law degree / diploma and then move on to Legal Practice Course. This is particularly true if your basic law degree is from a civil law country as you may have to get used to the nuances of common law. However, students from common law jurisdictions like me can take the liberty to start off with all the books simultaneously. I have given the list of books that I have bought in a separate page.
Before you start, go through these websites ( SRA and Kaplan) thoroughly and understand the assessment format. In a nutshell, there are 3 stages viz:
1) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) where you need attempt 180 questions.
2) Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) where you need to take interviews of specimen clients, draft attendance notes and make presentation of your assessments.
3) Technical Legal Skill Test (TLST) where you need research on a given set of facts using Lexis / Westlaw and draft your assessments.
You will have to get through the 1st stage before moving to 2nd and 3rd stage which can be taken up simultaneously.
Assessment and pass criteria are given in these websites. Once you know and understand the devil before you, you should be able devise your own strategy to tackle it :) What works for one may not work for the other and so rely on your instincts :))
Whenever you study, keep in mind that you should remember key legal aspects so that you get through 1st stage, be able to apply your knowledge and experience for a given set of practical scenario in order to tackle 2nd and 3rd stage :( You should also be comfortable using Lexis / Westlaw for 3rd stage :((
If you are interested in taking proper training from schools, there are a few who are offering tailored training programs. Click here for details. But, I am not taking training from any school. I am banking only on the books :(((((!!
I have practiced law for sometime and therefore am fairly comfortable with the practice side (I am really hoping for good!). If you have not practiced earlier, then you may find 2nd and 3rd stage hard nuts to crack. You should consider getting some practical experience before giving assessments.
Best of luck and keep checking for my posts...
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