QWE must be signed off by an English/Welsh solicitor, or a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP). In most cases, the solicitor signing off on the work experience will work in the same organisation as you.
For most candidates, your supervisor or someone else at the organisation you worked at will sign a declaration that confirms you’ve spent time working with them and developed your legal skills. It doesn’t have to be a solicitor at your firm though; as long as they have direct knowledge of your work (e.g. by looking at a training diary), they can sign off your QWE.
The solicitor who signs off your QWE must confirm:
The length of your work experience
That the work gave you the chance to develop some or all of the competences needed to work as a solicitor
There were no issues that questioned your character and suitability to become a solicitor
Firms or other organisations do not need to register with the SRA or be regulated by the SRA, to offer QWE.
Confirming QWE if no one at your organisation can do so
Some people might not have a solicitor who can confirm their QWE. For example, this could happen if you work abroad with no English-qualified solicitors.
In this situation, you can work with a solicitor regulated by the SRA to confirm your QWE. They’ll spend some time learning about your QWE, which can be done by reviewing your training diary, a portfolio of work, or through feedback from your supervisor, etc.
Learn more about how you can get the assistance of an external confirming solicitor.
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