Cross-Border Practising

in a Global World
Why you should Dual-Qualify as an English Solicitor via the
Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS)

OLTSchool
Becoming an English Solicitor
 Table of Contents
1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 3

2 Globalisation of the Legal Profession.......................................................................................... 5

3 Leading Law Firms are Expanding Globally.................................................................................... 6

4 London as a Legal and Business Centre........................................................................................ 7

5 The Dual-Qualified Lawyer................................................................................................................. 8

6 Why Become a Dual-Qualified English Solicitor? ...................................................................... 10

7 The English Solicitors’ Profession................................................................................................ 12

8 The Benefits of Practising as an English Solicitor.................................................................... 13

9 Wanted: English-Qualified Solicitors. Location: Everywhere! ................................................ 14

10 LLM v QLTS............................................................................................................................................ 15

11 Path to Qualification: the QLTS....................................................................................................... 16

12 Taking the QLTS Assessments........................................................................................................... 17

13 About QLTS School .......................................................................................................................... 18

14 QLTS School’s Ultimate QLTS Preparation Course......................................................................... 19

15 How to Get Started?......................................................................................................................... 20

1 Introduction

Looking for innovative ways to advance your legal career, enhance your
professional marketability and gain more practical legal knowledge?
Then this e-Book is for you!

As a lawyer, you’re a well-trained, trusted and hard-
working part of a prestigious and well-regarded
profession, working in a highly competitive
environment.
You already know there’s a heavy emphasis on
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) – developing and
honing lawyers’ skills and legal knowledge. It goes
without saying that good lawyers are constantly building
their portfolio of professional services and expertise,
ever on the lookout for ways of advancing their careers.
The days of your primary professional qualification
being enough to secure your career are gone. The legal
market – and indeed the world of business – is changing
radically. If you want to carve out your place in the legal
world, you need to go beyond the norm.

That’s why you’re reading this e-Book!

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Many law graduates and lawyers opt for the academic
route and pursue a Master of Laws (LLM) degree.
There is, however, a substantial increase in the number
of lawyers who appreciate that the transformed and
evolving legal market requires lawyers to develop and
provide an enhanced array of skills and expertise to their
firms and clients.
In this e-Book we discuss why becoming a dual-qualified
English solicitor – a legal professional in the world’s most
important jurisdiction and open business economy – will
change the way you work and what you can do for
yourself, your firm and your clients. We show you how a
new, global career awaits you.
We will review the new QLTS scheme – introduced
in England and Wales in September 2010 – that
unlocks the opportunity for lawyers just like you to
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become an English solicitor through a fast-track route
for qualification, without undergoing an internship,
traditional training contract or fulfilling any experience
requirement.
Whether you are newly qualified as a lawyer or a senior
partner in your country of residence, whether you plan
to live in London or remain in your home jurisdiction,
or wherever you are qualified as a lawyer – be it in the
U.S., India, Italy, Russia, China or elsewhere – becoming
a dual-qualified English solicitor via the QLTS will provide
you with more legal knowledge, unique practising skills
and an outstanding professional profile. It will also offer
you a remarkable opportunity to hold one of the most
prestigious titles in the legal profession – an English
solicitor.
4
2 G l o b a l i s at i o n o f t h e L e g a l P r o f e s s i o n

Different jurisdictions contain different legal systems. National borders are no longer a barrier to doing
While countries like the UK, the U.S., India, Australia, business. Many organisations either see or enjoy the
New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Pakistan increased profits and recognition that come with
adopt a common law system, other countries, such as worldwide operations and a global focus.
most of the European Union Member States, Brazil,
In practical terms, this means more and often higher
Argentina, Mexico, Russia, Japan, China and Turkey,
value transactions that involve parties in different
use a codified civil law system.
countries and complex issues of fact and law on which
Until recently, most law schools focused on a single considered and trusted legal advice is essential for the
jurisdiction legal education based on a far more localised protection of all parties.
industry. Few lawyers bothered to apply to gain admission
As more companies realise profits from overseas
to foreign Bar Associations or equivalent Law Societies.
operations and cross-border activities, dual-qualified
Before the dawn of the global village, lawyers could
solicitors are set to play an indispensable role in enabling
practise law with little if any cross-jurisdictional knowledge.
and protecting global trade and competition.
Times have changed, however, and lawyers now form
part of an increasingly interconnected world, spanning
several jurisdictions and different legal systems. This
has spawned a multitude of potential clients, and
produces an effect – the need for legal services on an
international and global level.

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3 L e a d i n g L a w Fi r m s a r e E x p a n d i n g G l o b a l l y
Global businesses seek equally global law firms, a
challenge to which the legal profession is responding
rapidly. Some of the world’s largest law
firms now have a presence in both major
and emerging markets, through mergers
and acquisitions or expansion into different
geographic areas. Thousands of lawyers
may work under the banner of a single
firm, yet may be dispersed throughout the
world, working and specialising in the legal
practice areas that keep the modern global
business machine well oiled.
Despite doom-laden reports about the
current state of the world economic situation, top law
firms continue to compete for excellent candidates.
There will always be a demand for internationally
qualified and deployable legal professionals.
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The strategy of global expansion and service pursued
by law firms – and, most importantly, the increasingly
complex demands of their clients –
requires the services of foreign and dual-
qualified lawyers from an increasingly
large number of jurisdictions.
In light of this global expansion, Ted
Burke, Chief Executive of global law
firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP,
foresees many opportunities for dual-
qualified English solicitors to work on
global transactions both in London and
beyond, such as Asia, the U.S., Europe
and Latin America. The skills and abilities of dual-
qualified English solicitors are likely to be more highly
sought after and yield further opportunities to live and
work anywhere in the world.
6
4 London as a Legal and Business Centre

The hub of many business negotiations, transactions
and a pre-eminent forum for dispute resolution, London
is unquestionably one of the command centres of the
global economy. Over half of the FTSE 100 companies,
one-fifth of Europe’s 500 largest companies and 75%
of the Fortune 500 companies choose to base or have a
presence in London.
With English law recognised as being the dominant law
of business, London is both the natural and preferred
city for dispute resolution – whether litigation or
arbitration – with a reputation for a fair, efficient and
impartial judiciary.

Four of the world’s six largest law firms are

headquartered in London, whilst international law firms,
particularly from China, are establishing a presence
in the city so as to service domestic clients living or
working in Europe, as well as competing for a lucrative
share of this local legal market.

Whether it is finance, insurance, media, banking,

trading, advertising or professional services, London
offers a business-friendly environment and a central
international location.

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5 T h e D u a l - Q u a l i f i e d L aw y e r
With recent developments and globalisation trends in
the legal profession, lawyers are no longer confined
to the jurisdiction in which they were educated
and qualified. Ambitious lawyers now work and
live in various countries throughout the world. An
understanding of the local cultural, economic,
political and social differences of each
jurisdiction, therefore, is an essential
component and a practical aspect of
the legal services and advice provided
by a lawyer.
To survive in the new legal order, the
new breed of “global lawyers” must
provide sophisticated and specialised
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legal services to individuals and corporate clients of all
sizes anywhere in the world. While still few in number,
the new breed of lawyers are at the forefront of a
movement that is fundamentally changing the legal
profession. Demand for their skills and services has
increased and is set to rise further.
To meet this international demand,
“global lawyers” should have a
working knowledge and experience
of legal systems of their respective
jurisdictions and have the legal and
regulatory right to practise law in
multiple jurisdictions unimpeded.
8
We have already discussed the requirements of the legal
profession and the changes in the environment in which
law firms operate today, but what about the clients?
Globalisation trends are changing what clients expect
from lawyers. A German company may buy up property
in Malaysia, whilst an English electronics company
may wish to source component parts from a specialist
Chinese manufacturer. Meanwhile, a French company
in dispute with an American corporation wishes to have
their dispute resolved through arbitration in London. A
glance at any good business newspaper will give you a
flavour of just how borderless international business has
become.
Clients today are sophisticated, their expectations
are high and they demand effective and immediate
results. Clients expect lawyers to make business
happen by advising on risk, facilitating transactions and
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representing and protecting their interests. Lawyers
must cover all areas of a transaction, from employment
to intellectual property and everything in between. This
requires knowledge of local legal systems, international
conventions and treaties and of the governing
jurisdiction.
Today’s clients are drawn to providers who offer a one-
stop service, able to offer an intimate knowledge of
their client’s business, the continuity and confidentiality
of a full-service practice and the resources that allow
every part of a client’s business and legal needs to be
serviced by one provider.
It is therefore apparent that in an increasingly
competitive world, lawyers with a dual qualification
have a competitive advantage over their colleagues
and are, accordingly, able to offer a much more
comprehensive service to their clients.
9
6 Why Become a Dual-Qualified English Solicitor?

By now, you probably understand why you should • Opening up a variety of career opportunities
qualify in more than one jurisdiction. You might be • Enhancing their professional profile, reputation and
wondering, however, why qualify in England? marketability in their home jurisdiction
Prized for its fairness, protection and impartial • Offering a wider
application, English law remains the preferred range of legal
jurisdiction for global business. services to clients
• Advising existing
The title of English solicitor is more than just an addition clients on matters of
to your CV or resumé. As a world leader in the provision English law
of services, the UK legal profession has always played a • Gaining a foothold
significant role in influencing the development of legal in the EU market
and regulatory regimes internationally.
• Working as a
Moreover, the international reputation of the training solicitor in
and qualification process in England and Wales is well England and Wales
regarded. • Getting more business and increasing revenues

There are several reasons and motivations why lawyers are

looking to join the Roll of Solicitors in England and Wales:

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Interestingly enough, the majority of lawyers seeking to become dual-qualified do not intend to practise in London,
preferring instead to stay in their home jurisdiction and utilise the skills, qualification and knowledge they have
gained by qualifying as English solicitors.

Why Becoming an English Solicitor

WATCH
the Video

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7 The English Solicitors’ Profession
The solicitors’ profession is diverse. It ranges from sole
practitioners working for local consumers, ‘boutique’
specialist outfits, mid-tier firms servicing a mixture
of private and commercial clients in London and
the regions, to large multinational firms acting for
international clients.
There are currently over 120,000 solicitors licensed to
practise in England and Wales, regulated under a single
regulatory regime. The Law Society has, since January
2007, delegated its regulatory powers to the Solicitors
Regulation Authority (SRA).
The trend towards globalisation and the major
developments in the legal profession have suited the
flexible legal system found in the UK. This flexibility
allows lawyers, wherever they first qualified, to have
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access to proportionate and reasonable transfer
arrangements and permits UK law firms to compete
internationally for the best talent to complement their
own domestic talent.
These trends have led to the introduction of the
Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS), which is the
fast-track route for international lawyers to re-qualify as
English solicitors.
The scheme, which was introduced in September 2010,
is open to qualified lawyers from many jurisdictions
all over the world, and marks a crucial step towards a
more flexible and unified approach to the regulation of
foreign lawyers than the previous regime, the Qualified
Lawyers Transfer Test (QLTT).
12
8 The Benefits of Practising as an English Solicitor
Qualifying as an English solicitor takes your professional
portfolio to the highest, most respected level. You’ll be
able to work on a range of domestic and international
matters, undertaking work restricted to those who
hold the qualification. Whether you choose to work in
a leading law firm in London or
remain in your home jurisdiction
and develop your legal career
locally, being a qualified English
solicitor will open doors for you.
Combined with your chosen
specialism, you will be armed
with important insights and advice on the legal and
factual aspects of doing business across multiple
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jurisdictions. This can make the difference between a
business enterprise profiting or plummeting, because
you will be able to provide answers and advice on
matters that only someone with your training and
qualification can give.
From São Paulo to Sydney and
Moscow to Madagascar, the
valuable and highly sought after
skills and expertise of a dual-
qualified solicitor, fluent in the
law and language of England
as well as their own jurisdiction,
provides exciting opportunities for key roles in helping
to shape global business.
13
9 Wa nt ed : E n g li sh S o li c i t o r s. L o c ation : Ev e ry wh e re !

Major cities throughout the world are the focus of many types of
negotiations and transactions governed by English law. Consequently,
there is an increasing demand for locally-based, dual-qualified lawyers
with the experience and knowledge to provide trusted advice on English,
cross-jurisdictional and domestic legal elements of transactions and
dispute resolution.

Wherever business is done, there is always a need for a lawyer! You have
an exciting career ahead of you that can take you all over the world – if
you want it to!

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10 LLM v Q LTS

The LLM is a highly specialised qualification that takes
an academic approach to complex aspects of many
areas of legal practice, and can provide a specialist
theoretical expertise in a niche area of law.
While gaining an LLM is a worthwhile achievement in
itself, it is not as valuable as being able to demonstrate
your experience and practical skills to major law firm
recruiters.
Dual qualification as an English solicitor through the
QLTS means you gain a prestigious and internationally
recognised qualification and allows you to demonstrate
both your academic and practical prowess.
You also develop, to a high standard,
the practical skills a lawyer requires.
These practical skills include: legal
knowledge and application, research
and analysis of fact and law, time
management, verbal and written
communication and the provision of
legal advice in a commercial context.
These practical skills of a dual-qualified lawyer
mark you out as an outstanding legal adviser,
but are not restricted solely to the legal profession –
organisations across all sectors value the commercial
aspects you gain by acquiring these transferable skills.
Further, the practical advantages of dual qualification
presents opportunities for you to assume important roles
in law firms or to work within industry as a qualified
solicitor, undertaking work at a level that befits, and can
only be performed by, a professionally qualified person.
Finally, even if you are an LLM graduate, becoming a
dual-qualified lawyer via the QLTS will undoubtedly
complement your academic
knowledge with practical skills
and make your professional profile
appealing both to law firms and your
clients.

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11 P a t h t o Q u a l i f i c a t i o n : t h e   Q LTS

The QLTS is your key to becoming a dual-qualified English
solicitor – it unlocks the international career and professional
benefits outlined in this e-Book.
The QLTS comprises assessments that test candidates’
knowledge and understanding of the English law, as well as
various skills required to practise as a solicitor. There are three
sets of assessment under the QLTS:
validity of their Certificate of Eligibility. Some candidates also
need to satisfy an English language requirement.
There is no experience requirement or training contract to
complete prior to your admission to the Roll of Solicitors on
the successful completion of all the QLTS assessments.

• Multiple Choice Test (MCT) – comprising 180 questions

OLTSchool
divided into one morning and one afternoon session of
three hours each.
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) – Becoming an English Solicitor WATCH
testing advocacy and interviewing skills.
• Technical Legal Skills Test (TLST) – testing the skills of
Webinar – Introduction to the the Video
QLTS Course
legal research, drafting and writing.

Candidates must pass the MCT before attempting the OSCE

and TLST, which can be taken in any order. Candidates must
obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the SRA before taking
the assessments and are allowed to attempt each of the
three parts of the assessment three times during the five-year

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12 T a k i n g t h e Q LTS A s s e s s m e n t s

The assessments are offered in the UK (and from 2013

the MCT will be offered in New York City) by a sole
assessment provider appointed by the SRA.

To ensure the integrity of the assessment process, the

assessment provider is not allowed to offer preparation
courses for the assessments.

It is therefore extremely important to prepare for

the QLTS assessments with an established course
provider that will guide you through the assessment
requirements, build your knowledge, skills and
confidence, so that you can sit the assessments
knowing that you are as fully prepared as
you can be.

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13 A b o u t Q LTS S c h o o l

QLTS School is the premier provider of training and

consulting services for the QLTS assessments.

We are the only course provider that has been offering Focus Experience
courses for the QLTS assessments since its introduction in
2010.

All of our time, energy and resources are invested in

developing strategies for the unique content of the QLTS.

Our tutors and administrative staff participated in the

SRA seminar that was held in London in May 2011.
Accordingly, we have designed and developed our
Ultimate QLTS Preparation Course, the most effective Success
QLTS training available today which reflects the SRA and
the examiner’s requirements.

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14 Q LTS S c h o o l’ s U lt i m at e P r e pa r at i o n C o u r s e

Our courses cover the three assessments of the QLTS:
MCT, OSCE and TLST.
The courses are based on professionally written
textbooks, online resources and extensive tutor support.
All our tutors are drawn from University Law Lecturers,
Solicitors and Barristers, as well as SRA External
Examiners on the Legal Practice Course.
We have a proven track record of candidates who
successfully passed all QLTS assessments on their first
attempt.
With us, you study when you want, how you want and
where you want.

OLTSchool
Becoming an English Solicitor WATCH
Interview with the Video
Adriana Guerra Speight –
Former QLTS School’s Candidate

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15 H o w t o G e t S ta r t e d ?

Take your Legal Career to the Next Level and

Around the World – Become a Dual-Qualified
English Solicitor

Apply Now for the QLTS Course

with QLTS School

Request a Free Consultation

Join the QLTS

Professional Network

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