How to Get the Best Out of QWE
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Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) is a vital step in your journey to becoming a solicitor. It provides you with the opportunity to develop essential legal skills and competencies while preparing for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). This guide offers insights on how to maximise the benefits of your QWE, from preparing for your placement to confirming your experience.
What to Expect from Organisations Offering QWE
When choosing a QWE placement, it is important to understand what the organisation should offer. Organisations, whether regulated or unregulated, should expose you to a variety of legal tasks and matters that help you develop the competencies outlined in the Statement of Solicitor Competence. This includes providing opportunities to learn from experienced practitioners, behave ethically, and reflect on your work. Effective supervision is key, and organisations should ensure that you receive constructive feedback to identify your strengths and areas for development.
It is also crucial that the organisation confirms your QWE once you have met the criteria. This confirmation can come from a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) within the organisation or a solicitor who has reviewed your work and received feedback from your supervisor.
Preparing for Your QWE Placement
Before starting your QWE, it is helpful to consider the type of work you will be exposed to and how it aligns with your career goals. A placement that offers diverse and challenging tasks will better equip you with the skills needed for SQE2 and beyond. Engage in conversations with the organisation about your expectations and theirs, and clarify if the placement qualifies as QWE from the outset.
Identify who within the organisation is responsible for confirming your QWE. If your organisation does not have a solicitor or COLP, you will need to find an external solicitor with direct knowledge of your work to confirm your experience.
Additionally, consider who will supervise your day-to-day work. It is beneficial to discuss how your supervisor will assess the quality of your work, provide feedback, and ensure you are exposed to a wide range of tasks. Understanding how those tasks will help you develop professionally and ethically is also important.
Making the Most of Your Placement
During your QWE, take advantage of opportunities for regular reflection and feedback. This might involve formal appraisals, one-on-one meetings, or seeking input from various sources, such as colleagues or external contacts. Reflection allows you to assess your progress, identify areas for improvement, and plan for further development.
Your placement should also foster professionalism, particularly in behaving ethically. This involves understanding procedures like conflict of interest checks, anti-money laundering regulations, and information security protocols. Learning from experienced role models can provide invaluable insights into how to navigate ethical challenges.
If you encounter challenges during your QWE, do not hesitate to address them with your supervisor or another trusted colleague. Whether you are seeking more diverse tasks or considering additional experience through volunteering, remember that QWE can be gained across up to four different organisations.
Recording Your QWE
Accurately recording your QWE is essential to demonstrate how it has helped you develop the required competencies. If your organisation does not have a formal process for recording experience, you can use the SRA's training template. Ensure that your records clearly reflect the work you have done and how it relates to the competencies.
Regular communication with the solicitor or COLP confirming your QWE is important. This can be done during appraisals or one-on-one meetings to ensure clarity on how you’re evidencing the competencies.
Confirming Your QWE
The confirmation of your QWE involves verifying details such as the duration of your placement, the opportunities it provided for competency development, and whether any issues arose that might impact your suitability to be admitted as a solicitor. The solicitor or COLP is not assessing your competence but ensuring that your experience meets the criteria.
It is vital to know from the start who is responsible for confirming your QWE. If this person changes, your organisation should inform you and designate another qualified individual.
If you have completed your QWE but face difficulties in getting it confirmed due to exceptional circumstances, such as your supervisor no longer being a solicitor, you can contact the SRA for guidance.
Making the most of your QWE requires careful planning, proactive engagement, and a clear understanding of the requirements. By choosing the right placement, seeking diverse experiences, and maintaining thorough records, you can ensure your QWE contributes effectively to your journey towards becoming a solicitor.
What to Expect from Organisations Offering QWE
When choosing a QWE placement, it is important to understand what the organisation should offer. Organisations, whether regulated or unregulated, should expose you to a variety of legal tasks and matters that help you develop the competencies outlined in the Statement of Solicitor Competence. This includes providing opportunities to learn from experienced practitioners, behave ethically, and reflect on your work. Effective supervision is key, and organisations should ensure that you receive constructive feedback to identify your strengths and areas for development.
It is also crucial that the organisation confirms your QWE once you have met the criteria. This confirmation can come from a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) within the organisation or a solicitor who has reviewed your work and received feedback from your supervisor.
Preparing for Your QWE Placement
Before starting your QWE, it is helpful to consider the type of work you will be exposed to and how it aligns with your career goals. A placement that offers diverse and challenging tasks will better equip you with the skills needed for SQE2 and beyond. Engage in conversations with the organisation about your expectations and theirs, and clarify if the placement qualifies as QWE from the outset.
Identify who within the organisation is responsible for confirming your QWE. If your organisation does not have a solicitor or COLP, you will need to find an external solicitor with direct knowledge of your work to confirm your experience.
Additionally, consider who will supervise your day-to-day work. It is beneficial to discuss how your supervisor will assess the quality of your work, provide feedback, and ensure you are exposed to a wide range of tasks. Understanding how those tasks will help you develop professionally and ethically is also important.
Making the Most of Your Placement
During your QWE, take advantage of opportunities for regular reflection and feedback. This might involve formal appraisals, one-on-one meetings, or seeking input from various sources, such as colleagues or external contacts. Reflection allows you to assess your progress, identify areas for improvement, and plan for further development.
Your placement should also foster professionalism, particularly in behaving ethically. This involves understanding procedures like conflict of interest checks, anti-money laundering regulations, and information security protocols. Learning from experienced role models can provide invaluable insights into how to navigate ethical challenges.
If you encounter challenges during your QWE, do not hesitate to address them with your supervisor or another trusted colleague. Whether you are seeking more diverse tasks or considering additional experience through volunteering, remember that QWE can be gained across up to four different organisations.
Recording Your QWE
Accurately recording your QWE is essential to demonstrate how it has helped you develop the required competencies. If your organisation does not have a formal process for recording experience, you can use the SRA's training template. Ensure that your records clearly reflect the work you have done and how it relates to the competencies.
Regular communication with the solicitor or COLP confirming your QWE is important. This can be done during appraisals or one-on-one meetings to ensure clarity on how you’re evidencing the competencies.
Confirming Your QWE
The confirmation of your QWE involves verifying details such as the duration of your placement, the opportunities it provided for competency development, and whether any issues arose that might impact your suitability to be admitted as a solicitor. The solicitor or COLP is not assessing your competence but ensuring that your experience meets the criteria.
It is vital to know from the start who is responsible for confirming your QWE. If this person changes, your organisation should inform you and designate another qualified individual.
If you have completed your QWE but face difficulties in getting it confirmed due to exceptional circumstances, such as your supervisor no longer being a solicitor, you can contact the SRA for guidance.
Making the most of your QWE requires careful planning, proactive engagement, and a clear understanding of the requirements. By choosing the right placement, seeking diverse experiences, and maintaining thorough records, you can ensure your QWE contributes effectively to your journey towards becoming a solicitor.
