Morning, Thursday, 10th September 2026
Online
This conference will focus on latest developments and next steps for legal education and training in England and Wales.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to examine the integration of reform into legal training, continuous professional development, and qualification routes, as well as strategies to equip the legal workforce with the skills needed for a digitally-enabled and evolving profession.
Regulatory framework & implications
We expect discussion on priorities following recent regulatory developments, including the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s review of the Statement of Solicitor Competence and the SQE Functioning Legal Knowledge assessments, alongside publication of Phase 3 evaluation findings on the operation and impact of the SQE.
Delegates will consider issues emerging in the Legal Services Board’s consultation on diversity and inclusion, and implications for regulation, education and training in addressing barriers to access and progression.
The relaunch of the Public Legal Education Committee and publication of new PLE Principles will be discussed. Areas for consideration include the role of sector education initiatives - such as evidence led content, tackling legal misinformation, and improving public understanding of rights and responsibilities - in meeting evolving professional training expectations.
AI, skills & professional judgement
The planned agenda will bring out latest thinking on how AI is influencing both training and recruitment processes, and priorities moving forward.
In light of the SRA’s updated performance data and feedback, delegates will consider implications of AI integration into legal work, particularly how it affects skills development, legal judgement, and the application of legal reasoning. The introduction of AI chatbots and automated recruitment processes by firms will be explored, alongside ongoing challenges posed by AI in training, particularly in relation to fairness, accessibility, and bias. Discussion will also consider how the Government’s renewed emphasis on public legal capability may affect expectations around foundational legal knowledge, digital literacy, and the skills required for responsible AI‑enabled practice.
Evolving barrister qualification routes
Sessions will assess implementation of the Barrister Apprenticeship Standard and next steps for enabling delivery of the route in practice. Discussion will consider priorities for establishing End Point Assessment arrangements approved by the Bar Standards Board, including options for suitable assessment organisations and practical steps needed to support delivery of the apprenticeship model alongside traditional barrister training. Attendees will also examine how these routes align with broader calls for greater diversity and access to the profession, particularly in smaller firms or underrepresented areas of law.
Funding & standards
Further discussion will consider implications of recent changes in apprenticeship funding, including restrictions on government funding for Level 7 solicitor apprenticeships from 2026, and the potential impact on access to the profession, particularly for disadvantaged candidates and smaller firms. Delegates will explore how apprenticeship pathways and other vocational routes are adapting to these funding changes, alongside how proposed revisions to competence standards - including concerns raised by professional bodies about the SQE’s demands and diversity expectations - may affect both pre-qualification training and continuing professional development frameworks across the profession.
Overview of areas for discussion
- SQE evaluation:
- interpreting Phase 3 findings on effectiveness and impact - consequences for access, outcomes and candidate preparedness
- addressing concerns raised by professional bodies about demands and expectations
- barrister apprenticeship:
- implementation of the Barrister Apprenticeship Standard - establishing End Point Assessment arrangements approved by the Bar Standards Board
- options for suitable assessment organisations and enabling delivery of the apprenticeship route alongside traditional barrister training - supporting diversity and access across the Bar
- AI in training:
- options for new frameworks or standards - balancing AI literacy with legal reasoning and ethical judgment
- keeping training in pace with innovation in service delivery - implications of automated recruitment and chatbot use
- access and inclusion:
- new funding reform and finance models - support for candidates from underrepresented or lower‑income backgrounds
- lessons from interventions in other professions - inclusion and regulatory standards
- ethics integration:
- embedding ethics in practice - course design, assessment methods and workplace behaviours
- application beyond academic settings - consistency across providers
- route alignment:
- transparency and parity between SQE, apprenticeship and traditional pathways - perceptions of fairness and rigour - avoiding fragmentation in qualification routes
- funding pressures:
- impact of restrictions on Level 7 solicitor apprenticeship funding - consequences for disadvantaged candidates and smaller firms
- adapting apprenticeship pathways and other vocational routes
- competence expectations:
- proposed revisions to competence standards - concerns from professional bodies
- reshaping pre‑qualification training and CPD frameworks - implications of new regulatory approaches
- regulatory coordination:
- accountability across multiple regulatory and policy bodies
- co-ordination on managing reform impact over time - sharing knowledge and effective outcomes between institutions
- relaunch of the PLE Committee - alignment of PLE Principles with professional training, foundational legal capability and sector‑wide education initiatives
