Hints, tips and FAQs

Only those who have been admitted as a solicitor in Scotland and hold current practising certificate can call themselves by the title "solicitor". It is a criminal offence to act as a solicitor, or to pretend or imply that you are one.  Certain limited areas of law are also reserved to solicitors in Scotland.

However, foreign lawyers can advise on the law of their home jurisdiction in Scotland and in areas of international law, without having to requalify.  If you are unsure, you should research further before enrolling on the QLA and also possibly by discussing the matter with prospective employers, to clarify their expectations.

You will need to consult the Solicitors Regulation Authority website for information on how to requalify into England and Wales.

You may also wish to consult the Law Society of England and Wales’s website for advice and more information.

There are lots of opportunities within law that don’t require you to be a solicitor, such as working as a paralegal, legal assistant, researcher and working in the court service.

The Law Society isn’t able to help you find this work and you should consider speaking to university careers services or recruitment advisors to discuss this.

If you are already fully qualified in your home jurisdiction, you do not need to complete a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice to requalify in Scotland.

The QLA is solely independent study.  There are no classes, seminars or study materials.

Candidates are provided with a syllabus, a reading list and there are past papers available on the website.  You should consider all of that information before enrolling on or sitting any of our exams.

The reading list comprises books and online articles.  Candidates will have to source their own books, most of which can be bought online.

No. However, your ability to communicate effectively in written English will be assessed by our examiners as part of the Qualified Lawyers Assessment.

Once all required exams have been sat and passed, you are eligible to apply for admission to the Roll of Solicitors. You must apply for admission within five years after passing the Qualified Lawyers Assessment. The Society will provide you with the correct admission paperwork following your final exam.

Once admitted to the Roll of Solicitors, you will then be provided with paperwork to obtain a Practising Certificate to allow you to practice as a Scottish solicitor.

Finding a job once you have requalified into Scotland can be hard. Not all firms will be fully aware of the requalification process and so if there are particularly firms or sectors that you want to work in, it’s worth  approaching them directly to discuss this, before you make the decision to requalify.

The Law Society isn’t able to help you find work once you have requalified and you should consider speaking to recruitment advisors before deciding whether to requalify.  You may also be able to find some job listings on the LawScot Jobs website.

Before choosing to requalify into Scotland, we would encourage candidates to do as much research as they can in relation to what jobs will be available to them, once they qualify.

We would encourage individuals to gain experience in the Scottish legal sector either before or while studying for their QLA.  This could be experience within a firm in a non-solicitor role such as a paralegal, legal assistant, director or consultant. This will not only be beneficial when studying for the QLA, as you will have access to legal professionals to help with your studying, but can also improve your chances of gaining a job as a solicitor once you have requalified.

A lot of firms require UK work experience in related fields.

The Law Society isn’t able to help you find a work placement. However, some employment recruiters may be able to and it is worth discussing this with them.

Likewise, if you are studying in the UK, apply for work experience while studying – consider applying to organisations in all areas of the legal sector e.g law firms, the court service, in-house legal teams.  If you have any connections with a UK university (for example if you have completed a Masters in the UK before considering requalification) speak to your career service to discuss options and any opportunities they may be aware of.

Remember that although placements may seem a better option for Scots law LLB undergraduates, rather than for a lawyer already trained in another jurisdiction, this may still be a good way of making connections and getting experience in the Scottish legal profession.

PQE means “Post Qualified Experience”.  You may see “PQE” on job adverts and this usually refers to the experience that you have gained after you have been admitted as a solicitor in Scotland.  It does not normally include any experience that you have gained in another jurisdiction.  However, PQE in an advert is usually just a guide and so don’t let that stop you from applying.  You may have many more skills and experience that makes you stand out as a candidate, even if your Scots law experience is limited.

How much you are paid as a solicitor that has requalified into Scotland will depend on many factors.  It may depend on the area of law you work in, your prior experience, the size and type of firm you work for and the location of your employer. 

Whilst every requalified solicitor’s circumstances will be different, it is possible that some firms will not be prepared to pay you as much as you would have been earning in your home jurisdiction, until you have more experience in Scots law.

No, at least not immediately.   Practice rule D2.1: Restriction on practice states:

2.1.3…you shall not practise as a manager unless you have been employed as a solicitor or European lawyer for a cumulative period of three years, one year of which shall immediately precede your commencing practice as a manager.

You do not need to be a solicitor to work at the Law Society of Scotland.  We advertise all our vacancies on our website.

We advertise our committee vacancies on our website.