Education and training policy

The Society has recently implemented the Future of Legal Education and Training project after a lengthy consulation period focusing on the routes into the profession. The detail of this project can be found here.

If you are currently on the route to qualification - particularly if you are currently a law student - then it is highly likely your next stage of the route to qualification will change as a result of the revised policies.If you are a first year law student, your entire route to qualification will be quite different to those before you.  In addition, there are changes to the current CPD requirements, which is relevant to all solicitors in Scotland holding a practising certificate.

What are the changes?

Prior to September 2011, the standard route to qualification was the LLB, followed by the Diploma in Legal Practice and a two year traineeship.

In academic session 2011/12, the present LLB has been replaced by a new Foundation Programme, which is offered at the same level as the LLB but with some changes to the programme itself, including changes to the professional subjects.

The Diploma in Legal Practice has become Professional Education and Training Stage 1 (PEAT 1) which is also known as the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. This vocational stage is the stage of legal education where knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are learnt in a simulated environment.

Students undertaking PEAT 1 will have more choice and flexibilty in their course and up to 50% of the course can be made up of electives. 

The traineeship has become Professional Education and Training Stage 2 (PEAT 2). This work-based element is the stage of legal education where the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are built on and honed in a live environment. Trainees will work towards reaching the standard of the qualifying solicitor.

A major change is the introduction of outcomes which apply across both PEAT 1 and PEAT 2, in "professionalism, professional ethics and standards", "professional communication" and ''business, commercial, financial and practice awareness''. The two stages have never been linked in this way before and the link will provide real clarity across the two.

The structured learning element of the traineeship (i.e. PEAT 2) will also change. Trainee CPD will replace the Professional Competence Course. All trainees starting on or after 1st September 2011 will require to undertake Trainee Continuing Professional Development. (Though to aid transition the PCC can be deemed as TCPD up until 31st August 2013).

There are also changes to CPD requirements for all solicitors.The new framework, which cameinto force on 1 November 2011, retains the existing requirement of a minimum of 20 hours each year. To support solicitors in their CPD activities the Society has introduced basic templates, which can be completed online, to assist with identifying training needs, recording CPD undertaken and evaluating the outcome of the training. In addition a wider range of activities are now considered to be acceptable as CPD. These include activities such as structured and formalised one-to-one training, coaching, and online training, rather than the present narrow definition of group study.

A breakdown of the changes can be found here.

If you have any queries, please get in touch with:

Liz Campbell - lizcampbell@lawscot.org.uk
David Meighan - davidmeighan@lawscot.org.uk
Rob Marrs - robmarrs@lawscot.org.uk                                          Heather McPhee heathermcphee@lawscot.org.uk

See the detailed Education and training policy section for more information.