For decades, becoming a Solicitor in England and Wales meant navigating a patchwork of routes — the LPC, the training contract, the QLTS — each with its own requirements, costs, and complications. For lawyers based in Pakistan, the path was even less clear.
In 2021, England and Wales introduced a single, unified qualification: the Solicitors Qualifying Examination — the SQE. It replaced the old system with something cleaner, more accessible, and more internationally relevant. And for Pakistani lawyers with global ambitions, it has changed everything.
This guide breaks down exactly what the SQE is, who it is for, how it works, and how Lincoln Law prepares you to pass it.
What Is the SQE?
The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is the centralised assessment introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of England and Wales as the definitive route to qualifying as a Solicitor. It is designed to be rigorous, consistent, and internationally accessible — meaning candidates from anywhere in the world, including Pakistan, can pursue it.
The SQE does not require you to hold an English law degree. It does not require you to complete a traditional training contract in the UK before sitting the exam. What it requires is that you demonstrate legal knowledge and practical legal skills to the standard expected of a qualified Solicitor — and that you complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE), which can be gained in a variety of legal settings, including in Pakistan.
For Pakistani lawyers, this is the Solicitor pathway. It is modern, flexible, and built for a global legal profession.
How Is the SQE Structured?
The SQE is divided into two stages:
SQE1 — Functioning Legal Knowledge
SQE1 tests your knowledge of English law across two papers, each consisting of 180 multiple-choice questions. The subjects covered span the core areas a Solicitor must know: Business Law and Practice, Dispute Resolution, Contract, Tort, Legal System and Services, Criminal Law and Practice, Property Practice, Wills and the Administration of Estates, Solicitors Accounts, Land Law, Trusts, and Constitutional and Administrative Law and EU Law.
SQE2 — Practical Legal Skills
SQE2 moves beyond knowledge and into application. It tests five core legal skills through a series of written and oral assessments: Client Interviewing and Attendance Note, Advocacy and Persuasive Oral Communication, Case and Matter Analysis, Legal Research and Written Advice, and Legal Drafting. These are assessed across the practice areas of Criminal and Civil Litigation, Property, Wills and Intestacy, and Business.
Most candidates sit SQE1 first, then SQE2 — though the SRA does not mandate this order. Lincoln Law’s programme is currently focused on SQE1 preparation, which is the essential first milestone on this journey.
Who Is the SQE For?
The SQE is designed to be inclusive. There is no requirement to hold a UK law degree — you simply need a degree-level qualification (in any subject) and to satisfy the SRA’s character and suitability requirements.
The SQE is the right route if you are:
- A Pakistani law graduate or advocate who wants to qualify as a Solicitor in England and Wales
- A lawyer looking for a flexible qualification route that accommodates your existing career
- Someone aiming to work at an international firm, in commercial law, or in cross-border matters
- A legal professional who wants a globally portable qualification that opens doors beyond Pakistan
- A fresh law graduate who wants to invest in an international credential from the outset of their career
What About Work Experience?
To qualify as a Solicitor, you must also complete two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). This is one of the SQE’s most significant advantages over the old system.
Under the old Training Contract model, you had to secure a contract with an approved UK firm — highly competitive and largely inaccessible to overseas candidates. Under the SQE, your QWE can be gained across up to four different legal employers and does not have to be served in England and Wales. Legal work experience in Pakistan — at a law firm, in a corporate legal department, or as a practising advocate — can potentially count towards your QWE, subject to SRA approval.
This means you can pursue the SQE while continuing your legal career in Pakistan — studying and working simultaneously, without putting your life on hold.
Why the SQE Is a Game-Changer for Pakistani Lawyers
The Solicitor title carries enormous weight in international legal practice. Whether you want to advise on cross-border transactions, work with global firms, or position yourself in international arbitration, being a qualified Solicitor of England and Wales is a credential that speaks for itself. Here is why the SQE specifically is the right vehicle:
- No UK law degree required: Your existing legal qualification from a Pakistani university is a legitimate foundation.
- Flexible and globally accessible: You can prepare from Pakistan and sit the exams at approved centres without relocating.
- Work experience can be earned locally: Your existing legal practice in Pakistan can potentially count towards your QWE requirement.
- One unified exam: Instead of navigating multiple legacy routes, the SQE is a single, standardised assessment that all candidates complete.
- Future-proof credential: As the new standard for Solicitor qualification, the SQE is not going anywhere — it is the definitive route for the foreseeable future.
How Lincoln Law Prepares You for the SQE
Lincoln Law is Pakistan’s dedicated preparation institute for the SQE and BTT — programmes that were previously almost entirely inaccessible to lawyers based in Pakistan. We were founded by Supreme Court lawyers who saw this gap and decided to close it.
Our SQE programme is delivered in a hybrid format — combining structured in-person sessions in Karachi with online learning — so that working lawyers and recent graduates alike can pursue this qualification without uprooting their lives.
What you get at Lincoln Law:
- Curriculum built specifically around SQE1 assessment requirements — not generic English law content
- Teaching by lawyers who understand the Pakistani legal background and how to bridge it to English law concepts
- Small batch sizes that allow genuine mentorship, not just lectures
- A clear, structured programme with milestones — so you always know where you are and what comes next
- Guidance on the SRA application process, character and suitability requirements, and QWE planning
The SQE is a rigorous qualification. It demands serious study of English law, sharp analytical thinking, and the ability to apply legal knowledge to practical problems under exam conditions. But it is entirely achievable — and Lincoln Law exists to make sure Pakistani lawyers have the preparation they need to succeed.
The world’s best law firms, international arbitration bodies, and global legal markets recognise one qualification above most: Solicitor of England and Wales. The SQE is how you earn it. Lincoln Law is how you prepare.