Legal Training Handbook

The Legal Training Handbook is an essential manual for all firms. It provides guidance:

• for partners and managers on how to manage training as part of the business
• for training partners and directors on how to meet the training needs of the business
• for solicitors, as well as training managers, on how to design and deliver effective training, and
• importantly on the regulatory requirements for training.

Following the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched wide-ranging reforms of the legal education and training framework. For solicitors in England and Wales, it means change to nearly all parts of the qualification pathway, and to nearly all aspects of required training.

The Legal Training Handbook helps firms navigate these changes by explaining and providing guidance on the new requirements, which include:

• the period of recognised training and the training and qualification requirements for trainees
• the “equivalent means” route to qualification
• the new Continuing Competence approach, which will replace the current CPD scheme
• the new Competence Statement, and proposals for new routes to qualification
• management training
• transitional arrangements
• as well as covering other new developments such as legal apprenticeships, and also the qualification requirements for other ‘lawyers’ under the Legal Services Act 2007

It concisely sets out the information needed in an easy-to-access way, with summary tables and lists of relevant reference and source materials.