Morning, Thursday, 10th September 2026
Online
This conference will examine key issues, latest developments and next steps for legal education and training in England and Wales. Discussion will focus on priorities for professional competence and qualification pathways, widening access to legal careers, workforce development and skills, and ensuring education and training frameworks keep pace with technological and structural change across the legal profession.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implications of recent and forthcoming developments affecting legal education and training, including continuing implementation and evaluation of the SQE, development of barrister apprenticeships, proposals for encouraging a more diverse legal profession, emerging approaches to public legal education, and the growing influence of AI on legal practice, recruitment and training.
Delegates will consider priorities for implementation of reform, maintaining confidence in professional standards, supporting accessibility and progression into the profession, and equipping legal professionals with the knowledge and skills needed throughout their careers.
Regulatory framework & implications
With recent regulatory developments, including the SRA’s review of the Statement of Solicitor Competence and the SQE1: Functioning Legal Knowledge assessments, alongside publication of Phase Three Evaluation findings on operation and impact of the SQE, it will be an opportunity to examine key stakeholder concerns as the SQE framework continues to develop and priorities for maintaining confidence in professional competence. In this context, areas for discussion include qualification costs, accessibility, consistency of assessment outcomes and preparedness for practice.
Attendees will consider issues emerging in the LSB’s recent consultation on Encouraging a diverse legal profession, and implications of reform proposals for regulation, education and training in addressing barriers to access and progression - particularly around delivery of accessible and flexible qualification routes for a broad range of talent. Proportionality and implementation challenges for firms and regulators will also be discussed, including expectations around data collection, monitoring, and proposals for mandatory and voluntary equality and diversity training.
The relaunch of the Public Legal Education Committee and publication of new PLE Principles will be discussed, looking into the role of sector education initiatives in supporting public confidence - such as evidence led content, tackling legal misinformation, and improving public understanding of rights and responsibilities.
Discussion will also examine implications of the High Court ruling on conduct of litigation by non-solicitors, including on supervision models, delegation of work, training structures and operational delivery across legal services.
AI, skills & professional judgement
The 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 how AI is affecting skills development, legal judgement, and the application of legal reasoning, alongside implications for verification skills and supervision - with concerns from some around potential overreliance on AI tools among junior lawyers.
The introduction of AI chatbots and automated recruitment processes by firms will be explored, including ongoing challenges posed by AI in training - particularly in relation to fairness, accessibility and bias - as well as how the Government’s renewed emphasis on public legal capability may affect expectations around foundational legal knowledge, 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 BSB, 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 implementation of barrister apprenticeships might improve diversity and access to the profession - particularly in smaller firms or underrepresented areas of law - as well as what is needed in terms of workforce development, looking at regional access to the profession, and strategic approaches to education and training that keeps pace with changing legal sector workforce needs.
Funding & standards
The agenda also considers implications of recent changes in apprenticeship funding, including restrictions on government funding for Level 7 solicitor apprenticeships from 2026, with discussion expected on what this may mean for access to the profession - particularly for candidates from underrepresented or lower income backgrounds, 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 some professional bodies about the SQE’s demands and diversity expectations - may affect both pre-qualification training and continuing professional development frameworks across the profession.
Strategic approaches to reducing pressure will be assessed in relation to balancing affordability, workforce development and professional standards, alongside wider questions around long-term sustainability of qualification pathways and career progression.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates.
