Welcome to the May round-up of legal training and education news. If you’d like to discuss anything with our Business Development Team, feel free to reach out to us and we will give you a call to discuss your team's needs.
This week, DfE announced changes to Level 7 apprenticeship funding as part of a wider statement about skills funding, which you can read here. From 1 January 2026, apprenticeships at Level 7 will no longer be eligible for government or Apprenticeship Levy funding for apprentices aged 22 or over on enrolment (or for those 25 and over where they are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan). All existing apprentices are unaffected.
This means that those planning to start solicitor apprenticeships in 2025 will still be able to do so, and from next year, solicitor apprentices already on a programme will be unaffected. And for those aged 22 or over, we are confident that solutions will be developed over the coming months that preserve many of the benefits of the current pathway, albeit with some additional employer investment.
We have two more confirmed Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship cohorts (of all ages) with our apprenticeship partner, Damar Training, starting this year: one in July (enrolments close on 6 June), and one in September. We are also working to have a final all-age window at the end of the year. Please read more here: Changes to Apprenticeship Funding - Damar Training
Want to find out more? Click the link below to book a call with our Business Development Team.
There’s no single blueprint for SQE success – but there is practical support from early adopters who are already reaping the rewards. We've created a guide to share what we’ve learned from working with SME law firms across the UK. The guide includes:
How a strategic SQE programme can strengthen your talent pipeline and sustain growth
Why now is the time to rethink your early talent strategy
How future-ready firms are moving forward
10 common SQE roadblocks and how to overcome them
Real stories from firms already building successful SQE programmes with BARBRI
5 practical steps to get SQE ready from leadership buy-in to skills development
Your SQE success checklist: 12 essentials to have in place before you launch
Register below to be the first to receive the SME Law Firm Guide when we release it in the next few weeks.
Several BARBRI Law Firm Partners Enjoy 100% SQE1 Trainee Pass Rates
Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) results day can bring a mixture of excitement and anxiety for students, their employers and providers alike. But we are delighted that several of our client's trainee cohorts achieved a 100% SQE1 January 2025 pass rate, including those at Baker McKenzie, Greenberg Traurig, Davis Polk, Vinson & Elkins and Hausfeld.
In this article, Jonathan Worrell, Director of Business Development, writes about how BARBRI's approach is transforming SQE preparation.
Call For Input: Make Your Voice Heard Above the AI Noise
Lawyers and legal professionals are invited to share their experiences with AI at work to help inform the first AI Adoption Index: an independent initiative aimed at increasing transparency to the AI adoption conversation in legal. Most of the industry-level discussion paints a picture of widespread and accelerating AI adoption, often based on a narrow focus and the larger firm market.
The creators of the Index want to amplify the diverse experiences of all lawyers and legal professionals around the globe, especially the ones we may not get to hear about regularly, to shine a light on where adoption truly is and what the industry needs to do to deliver on the promise of AI to its members. Click on the relevant survey link below to contribute to the first AI Index:
A quick reminder to book your team’s HRA training course and assessment dates with us now to complete qualification before 30 September. After this deadline, BARBRI will no longer administer assessments, and the new provider may use a different format. To avoid disruptions, we advise candidates to complete their qualifications under the current system as soon as possible, leaving extra time after the assessment date in case a resit will be necessary.
From Prep to Pass: 5 Essentials for SQE Candidate Success
Since 2021, the SQE has become the main route to solicitor qualification in England and Wales. In this article, Jonathan Worrell, Director of Business Development, presents five recommendations to help firms ensure the success of their SQE candidates.
Organised annually by in-house community Crafty Counsel and offering Europe’s biggest in-house legal event, Crafty Fest brings together 600 in-house legal professionals over two days for a chance to learn, connect and share. Victoria Fearne, Head of New Business & Account Management, and Emma Cavendish, Business Development Director, will be there, and we'll host a masterclass about beating imposter syndrome (surprisingly common among lawyers!).
Legal professionals who want to be successful need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies. Legal Tech Talk is the place to learn about the latest innovations in legal technology and how you can use them to improve efficiency in your practice. Lucie Allen, BARBRI's Chief Growth Officer, will be speaking and we'll also have a stand, so come and say hello.
The LPM Conference is dedicated to SME legal business managers – from practice managers and directors to managing partners and heads of department – spanning IT, finance, HR, operations, risk and more across UK SME legal firms. Jonathan Worrell, Director of Business Development, will be speaking. The conference promises to be fun and exciting, full of discussions, panel debates, problem-solving round tables and networking opportunities. Join us!
Trust the process. I’ve taken and passed four different bar exams using BARBRI. Follow their schedule, compete the program and pass the exam. They have a proven record of success. Highly recommend.
– Eli Castro, via Google, 13 May 2025
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BARBRI is supporting legal teams like yours with your training and development needs. We can help you with:
Professional Development – including the Professional Skills Course (PSC), Trainee Litigation Programme and Higher Rights of Audience (Civil or Criminal), and professional skills covering a wide variety of topics from essentials (communication, time-management, mentorship) to generative AI and the respectful workplace.
Custom training: We can develop a training programme specifically for your team or students, white-labelled, and in the modality you prefer.
Whether you're at a top 100 or a small regional law firm, an organisation, ALSP or law school, we'd love to support you with your legal training needs.
