Organising your QWE
Make recording your experience easy with our upcoming LawQWE eJournal or download the SRA QWE recording template today where you can collate your experience against your competencies.
What is qualifying work experience (QWE)
QWE must be providing legal services and be for two years of full-time (or equivalent) QWE. The two years can be split across up to four different organisations, as long as a qualified solicitor/Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) confirms the experience, typically the candidate's supervisor. Each QWE experience must meet at least two of the required SRA competencies.
DID YOU KNOW? QWE does not apply to qualified lawyers. However, if you are a foreign lawyer seeking to practice in England and Wales, please look at the SRA's website for guidance.
What counts as QWE?
In paid or volunteer work, and could include time spent: on placement during a law degree working in a law clinic at a voluntary or charitable organisation or a law centre working as a paralegal on a training contract.
TOP TIP Start doing your QWE while you are studying for your SQE 1 and 2.LawQWE has officially launched
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Reflective learning
Reflective learning is a continual process that asks candidates to get into the habit of thinking about their learning and experience. The idea is that regularly reflecting on new experiences and situations creates stronger connections and enables much deeper learning.
WHAT'S THE THREE-STEP PROCESS? Retrieval practice involves actively and continuously trying to remember what you have learned. Elaboration is a learning strategy that clarifies the relationship between new and old material in memory Spaced learning is the idea that learning should be completed consistently, over time.
What does confirming QWE mean and who does it?
QWE must be confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales or a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP). They do not have to hold a practising certificate. It can also be a solicitor that works for a different organisation than the trainee but is willing to confirm. They will need to have reviewed your work during the relevant period of work experience and provided you with some feedback
Once you are ready to submit your QWE block to the SRA, simply log into your MySRA account and follow the instructions to upload your QWE. The SRA will only notify the confirming supervisor to log into their mySRA once the candidate has officially logged their QWE.Want to know more?
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When to start QWE
Although QWE can be at any time, it is best to start doing QWE as soon as possible, ideally before preparing for the SQE 2 assessments because you may find it will help you with your studies.
SQE1 consists of two examinations of 180 questions. It tests 'functioning legal knowledge' (FLK) through single-best-answer, multiple-choice questions. SQE 2 is a single, uniform assessment for all candidates, consisting of 15 to 18 exercises that sample across the skills and practice areas.
COMING SOON
Start reflecting on your learning and digitally collate your QWE with our e-Journal
Record your QWE with our interactive e-Journal that will help candidates to collate their QWE and map their achieved SRA competencies digitally. Although not mandatory, it is best practice for all QWE trainees to track their work experience placements and their achieved SRA competencies comprehensively.
Digitally collate your QWE
Use our e-Journal to help you keep track of your QWE.
Map your development over time
See where there are gaps in your competencies.
Digitally upload your QWE e-Journal contents into your MySRA account when you are ready to submit
When you are ready to submit your QWE to the SRA, simply upload your journal into your My SRA account and submit.
Match your QWE with SRA competencies
You can see the SRA competencies to make sure you are getting the experience you need.