How American Lawyers Can Practice Law in the United Kingdom

Michael Wolkind QC
2 min readJul 22, 2021

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The fact is that once you are a lawyer, you want to ensure you can practice law wherever you are in the world. It is not easy to do so but it can certainly help you to advance your career and ensure that you practice it wherever you go.

Indeed, the law itself is a challenging subject overall. However, different countries practice different laws; hence it is usually difficult to study one subject in another country. In addition to this, many countries are also open to students from other countries and practice.

In most other professions, this practice is somewhat common, like doctors, artists, etc. They will likely need to conduct some adaptations to practice their subject in various countries without any hindrance or objection. Here are specific guidelines and tips to guide the process if American lawyers are keen to practice law in the United Kingdom.

Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

The solicitor qualifying examination or the SQE is a two-part examination charged for someone willing to practice in England or Wales. This examination solely consists of two parts and is applicable for both overseas and domestic candidates. In addition to this, the SQE is also assessed by an exam called the QLTS.

The Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme (QLTS)

The exam, as mentioned above or the SQE, is itself assessed by QLTS. QLTS is a substitute for the old QLLT. The introduction of the QLTS exam was done to reform the education system in a better way.

Moreover, as the United Kingdom was experiencing the interest of more and more people towards the law practice, the QLTS was introduced to make the entrance of foreign lawyers tighter. The QLTS has made the process more streamlined and has negated the practice of lawyers eager to practice in the UK to have two years of experience.

Recall that the QLTS is applicable for candidates interested in practicing law from Russia, America, China, and many other countries.

These are a few of the key points that individuals should be aware of as they seek to practice law in the United Kingdom. It can certainly seem difficult at first but it can pay off as you can have more flexibility to practice law in the United Kingdom.

Originally published at https://michaelwolkindqc.uk.

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Michael Wolkind QC

Michael Wolkind QC is a top London-based defence barrister, dog lover, and writer. Learn more @ michaelwolkindqc.org.uk.