SQE2 Attendance Note and Legal Analysis

Following the client interview in SQE2, you are required to prepare an attendance note and legal analysis in the context of Property Practice and Wills and the Administrative of Estates. This written exercise must be completed by hand within 25 minutes and is designed to assess both your practical legal writing skills and your ability to apply the law correctly and comprehensively. It mirrors a common post-meeting task in legal practice, where solicitors are expected to document client meetings, analyse relevant legal issues, and propose next steps.

The attendance note/legal analysis should be a structured and detailed record of the information obtained during the interview. It must capture all relevant facts disclosed by the client, any questions raised, and any contextual information that will inform further action or legal strategy. You are expected to reconstruct the interview from memory, which tests your listening, note-taking, and recall skills. Therefore, paying close attention during the interview and mentally organising information as it is received is crucial to performing well in this part of the assessment.

Beyond recording factual content, you must engage in initial legal analysis. This requires identifying the legal issues raised by the client’s situation and applying the relevant legal principles appropriately. The assessment criteria include both correct and comprehensive application of the law. A correct application involves accurately identifying the applicable legal rules and their relevance to the client’s matter. A comprehensive application involves analysing all relevant issues in sufficient detail, showing awareness of potential legal risks, and addressing any possible gaps in the client’s information.

In line with the expectations of a Day One Solicitor, you are not expected to provide highly technical or exhaustive legal advice. Rather, the advice should be client-focused, meaning that it should reflect an understanding of the client’s needs and objectives, and present legal solutions or explanations that are tailored to those objectives. You should be careful not to regurgitate law in the abstract but instead link legal principles to the client’s personal or commercial goals, showing empathy and practical judgment.

The attendance note/legal analysis should also include clear next steps for both the solicitor and the client. These may include further investigations, drafting documents, initiating proceedings, or making referrals. Where applicable, you should also reflect on possible options for negotiation or settlement, depending on the nature of the case.

Another critical aspect of this task is recognising and addressing any ethical or professional conduct issues that arise. You are assessed on your ability to spot such issues such as potential conflicts of interest, confidentiality breaches, or duties of disclosure, and propose appropriate responses that reflect the values of honesty, integrity, and professionalism.

If the initial email briefing (provided before the interview) asked you to deal with specific issues or provide advice on particular questions, this must be directly addressed in the note. Failing to follow these instructions may result in lower marks, as it indicates a lack of attention to the client’s or supervisor’s priorities.

The attendance note/legal analysis is handwritten in an exam situation that simulates time-pressured, real-world legal tasks without the aid of digital tools. There is no formatting support or spell check, but you will not be penalised for minor errors in spelling, grammar or layout, provided these do not undermine the clarity or legal accuracy of the document.