Converting Any Degree Into A Law Qualification
If you have a degree in any subject it is possible to convert that qualification to law by undertaking a one year Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). Roughly 30% of trainee solicitors and barristers did not graduate with a degree in law. Some decided to take a GDL at the end of their degree and some may choose to change careers later in life.
People in England and Wales with a greater diversity of educational backgrounds can get into the legal profession by using the GDL/CPE qualification. The course takes one year full time or two year part time. A standard degree in Law takes four years which means that both law and non-law students can graduate at the same time. The GDL/CPE is also commonly referred to as the ‘law conversion course’.
Many UK higher education institutions offer Law Conversion courses but some of the largest are City University London, Kaplan Law School and the University of East London. Like any profession, employers will often prefer the best ranking institutions which could affect your career prospects. Tuition fees can vary from 2000 to 8000 for the one year course.
Standard full time conversion courses last around 36 weeks which includes 4 weeks of assessments. The Central Application Board recommends 45 hours of lectures, tutorials, private study and research each week for a CPE/GDL course. Many graduates of arts courses whose timetable may have previously been considerably less active are shocked at the intensity of the timetable.
Although the CPE/GDL does not offer the full range of subjects of a law degree, it is an intensive one-year foundation course which provides the skills and methodologies to pick things up in the future. The minimum required to gain entry to a CPE/GDL is usually a 2.2 degree certificate but graduates may want to consider the implications of lower grades in a competitive job market.
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