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Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme - QLTS
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The Legal Services Board (LSB) and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) have approved a new scheme for lawyers qualified overseas and other lawyers qualified in the UK, who wish to be admitted as solicitors in England and Wales.
The proposed Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) is designed to ensure that all solicitors in England and Wales have comparable standards of skills and knowledge, however they qualify.
Under the proposed QLTS, which is set to take effect in January 2011, the SRA will introduce three separate assessment schemes: one for qualified UK solicitors, one for overseas lawyers qualified in international jurisdictions and an aptitude test for lawyers qualified in Europe.
All foreign lawyers seeking admission in England and Wales will need to three assessments:
1. Multiple Choice Test (MCT)
2. Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
3. Technical Legal Skills Test (TLST)
The assessments will be administered by a sole assessment provider on behalf of the SRA. The new scheme will also open up a wider variety of jurisdictions for qualified lawyers to transfer from.
Starting September 1, 2010, the SRA will begin to issue a QLTS Certificate of Eligibility for candidates who plan to sit the assessments. The QLTT will still be offered until August 2013 for those candidates who obtained their QLTT Certificate of Eligibility until August 31, 2010.
Please contact us for more information about the QLTS.
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