Converting to law

Law conversion courses are designed for students who have an undergraduate degree in a non-law subject, but who want to transition into legal study. If you one day want to practise law as a solicitor or barrister, studying a law conversion course will help you develop the legal knowledge and skills needed for professional practice.

GDL, PGDL and more

Law conversion courses can go by different names but, traditionally, most providers offered a course known as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL). The GDL was a way for both solicitors and barristers to study the required academic modules they needed to pass before progressing on to the LPC (for solicitors) or the BPTC (for barristers). For future barristers, this is still the case; although the BPTC is now known by different course names depending on the provider, such as BTC or BPC.

However, the route to qualifying as a solicitor changed on 1 September 2021. Aspiring solicitors accepting a place on a law conversion course after 1 September 2021 must now pursue the SQE route to qualification.

Under this route, budding solicitors with a degree in any subject must demonstrate two years of full-time (or equivalent) qualifying work experience, pass the SQE assessments and meet the SRA’s character and suitability requirements. It is therefore no longer a requirement for aspiring solicitors to study a law conversion course.

Having said that though, a law conversion course still gives those thinking of qualifying as a solicitor the foundational knowledge of the law needed as part of the new SQE assessments. Aspiring solicitors may, however, feel they need to progress onto additional courses designed to prepare for the SQE.

As a result of these changes, you may even see that some universities have chosen to phase out their former law converison course and are developing new postgraduate programmes for aspiring solicitors.

For example, BPP Law School and the University of Law have replaced the GDL with a new Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL), and also offer additional SQE preparation courses.

Where can I study a law conversion course?

Law conversion courses can be taken at various locations across the country. The following universities offer law conversion courses:

- BPP Law School - leading provider

- Cardiff University

- City, University of London

- Leeds Beckett University

- Manchester Metropolitan University

- Nottingham Trent University

- Oxford Brookes University

- Swansea University

- University of Brighton

- University of East Anglia

- The University of Law - leading provider

- University of Sheffield

- University of Strathclyde (Scotland) 

- University of Sussex

- University of Wolverhampton 

For more information about converting to law, visit our dedicated law conversion course page.