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May 2016 - DocReview.co.uk
Month: May 2016	The QLTS – Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme	If you are a foreign qualified lawyer and you are after a legal job in London, the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) is definitely an option you should be considering. The QLTS is the way for international lawyers to qualify as Solicitors of England and Wales.
The QLTS is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and ensures that a lawyer qualified in another jurisdiction has met the standard of knowledge and skills required of a newly qualified solicitor of England and Wales, through two separate tests, the MCT (i.e. Multiple Choice Test) and the OSCE (i.e. the Objective Structured Clinical Examination).
The tests are administered on the SRA’s behalf by Kaplan QLTS, and are held twice a year in London and in various locations around the world through a partnership with Pearson Vue. Locations include New York, China, Scotland and others in mainland Europe.
The cost of the QLTS can be roughly broken down as follows:
• MCT = £500 (+Value Added Tax (VAT))
• OSCE = £2,925 (+VAT)
• Cost of admission application after passing the tests = £100
TOTAL: 3,500 £.
The MCT must be completed before the OSCE is attempted, but there is no time limit for completion of the full assessment (i.e. once a candidate has completed the MCT there is no time limit to complete the OSCE).
Also, the SRA regulated that there is no limit on the number of attempts.
Intra-UK candidates and foreign lawyers qualified in an EEA country can apply to the SRA for exemptions on one or more of the outcomes tested.
Part 1 – The Multiple Choice Test (MCT)
Kaplan, the test administrator, explains that the Multiple Choice Test (MCT) part of the QLTS consists of 180 multiple choice questions delivered online, divided into two 3hour sessions of 90 questions each with 5 possible answers. That makes 1 question every 2 minutes!
No material is permitted into the exam room and late comers will not be let into the test room.
The first document you need to familiarise with is Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Day One Outcomes, and specifically Part A, that lists the core knowledge and understanding of the Law applied in England and Wales (see Appendix A), namely:
A1- English & European Law; A2-Constitutional Law; A3-Professional ethics and SRA Accounts; A4-Financial Regulation Authority; A5- Law of Contracts; A6-Law of Torts; A7-Criminal Law; A8-Property Law; A9-Equity & Trust; A10-Human Rights; A11-Business Law.
Part 2 – Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
The OSCE is a practical legal skills assessment that will test Outcomes C, D and F of the SRA’s Day One Outcome (see appendix B). Candidates will be tested in the practice areas of Business, Property and Probate and Civil and Criminal Litigation, and in each practice area they will be tested for the following skills:
Interviewing; Advocacy; Online Legal Research; Legal drafting; Legal writing.
If you are considering studying for the QLTS you have already realised there is not much information about the test itself. In fact QLTS candidates acknowledge that the content of the assessments is confidential and it can’t be disclosed or discussed with any 3rd party.
First of all the exams take place a couple of times per year.
Normally the MCT (the multiple choice part of the exam) is in February, and then in June/July.
The OSCE is usually around June and at the end of November.
Kaplan, the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme administrator, publishes on its website the results of the past exam sessions.
MCT Results
The pass mark is set by the SRA for each session; hence it is not easy to predict the pass mark for the next exam.
The pass mark for the MCT typically ranges around 55%-60%: as the test is made of 180 questions, you’ll normally have to answer correctly to at least 100 questions (55% of 180).
The results of the last 8 sessions of the MCT are shown in the table below:
No marks are deducted for incorrect answers, and multiple answers will not be counted.
For detail on how the pass mark is set and the marking process, please refer to Kaplan Marking and Moderation Policy.
MCT Results are usually published by Kaplan within 4 weeks of the exam date.
The Pass Mark for the OSCE in the last sessions has constantly been over 60%, with a pass rate ranging from 70% (in November 2015) to 82.5% (in November 2014).
OSCE Part 1(22 Nov 2014) + Part 2 Dec 2014
OSCE Part 1(26 Nov 2014) + Part 2 Dec 2014
OSCE Part 1 (16-18 Nov 2015) + Part 2 Nov 2015
OSCE Part 1 (22-24 Nov 2015) + Part 2 Nov 2015
The Multiple Choice Test is offered through Pearson Vue in a number of locations across the world. To register for the Multiple Choice Test candidates need to submit a registration form to Kaplan. Candidates will then receive an acknowledgment from Kaplan which will contain a candidate number, and subsequently Pearson Vue will contact them within 21 days to begin the registration process.
Registering for the OSCE
Candidates registering for the first time will need to submit a registration form.
All other candidates can complete a booking request.
In any case remember that candidates sitting the QLTS for the first time must register with Kaplan before they can book any of the assessments, using the registration form.
QLTS Preparation
There are essentially two ways of preparing for the QLTS: self-study or via a course provider.
We can’t suggest that one way is better than the other; it really depends on your personal circumstances, needs and skills.
This is the cheapest solution. You can find a list of the books you can buy and study on Pass the QLTS.
There are many options available but the Oxford University Press (OUP) Concentrate Books are in my opinion the best choice for the MCT preparation. They cost between 10 and 12 £ and can be ordered easily via Amazon.
The second option is to subscribe to one of the course provided by the specialised schools.
The three main options (according to our friend Google) are listed in the table below together with the average price. When choosing a course, remember to compare the features and not only the price.
1,190 £
Course handbook with free updates
(Partnership with City University London)
Practice questions interactive lectures
For any other information or suggestion on the QLTS, get in touch or subscribe to our newsletter to receive our updates.
Author folagraltd@gmail.comPosted on May 25, 2016May 26, 20161 Comment on The QLTS – Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme	Legal Jobs London	London is currently the business capital in Europe. While the economy of the Euro area is still sluggish, the UK and – specifically – London have seen an incredible rise in capital inflow and employment rate. This is also true for all legal jobs, although with a few caveats.
Law is traditionally a very conservative area, intrinsically connected to the language and culture of a specific Country. Globalisation and international trade, far from affecting this feature, simply spread the use of Common Law and English language beyond what their original national borders were.
A good working knowledge of both the legal framework and the language is, therefore, a good predictor of your potential success in the English legal industry, but not a fundamental precondition.
The legal market is very dynamic and highly layered, with a range of temporary and permanent positions that range from legal assistant and paralegal to partner. In addition, these traditional roles are supported by a variety of professionals whose existence is rarely known outside of international law firms (e.g. Legal Executive, Litigation Support Lawyer, Legal Project Manager).
Moreover, the sheer number of deals, trials, arbitrations, mergers and acquisitions that take place every day in London, often with an international scope, can make a non-native English speaking lawyer looking more attractive that a 100% born and bread UK solicitor.
The good news is that the legal market in the UK is deeply meritocratic and it is growing at an unprecedented rate. The bad news is that this is not a secret and the competition is fierce, with applicants submitting their CVs from every corner of the world.
A golden rule for climbing the corporate ladder is that it is easier from the inside, instead that from the outside, regardless of your starting point. Many lawyers are qualified and have the relevant experience required but they may not be considered if they are holding a foreign qualification (see article on QLTS) and none of their professional experience has been developed in the UK and/or in a Magic or Silver Circle international law firm.
Luckily, the UK job market allows law firms to hire lawyers as contractors even for a couple of days and they are in great demand where specific skills and languages are required.
In fact, law firms (and corporations) frequently outsource specific aspect of trial or hire directly lawyers to perform an initial review of the documents related to a case. This job is called document review.
What the role of a document reviewer entails is explained in depth here, but for the purpose of this post it is sufficient to know that, in many instances, the amount of documents that a law firm needs to look at is enormous and the deadline is often quite tight. Over time, technological developments and budget constraints pushed law firms to find more efficient and cost-effective options of assessing the relevancy of a document for a specific litigation; one of which is to hire lawyers as contractors with the sole task of running a preliminary screening of the material on an electronic review platform. The filtered results are then passed on to the team of associates actually working on the case, in preparation for the witness interviews or for the trial bundles.
Document review is currently in great demand and with above average salary rates (ranging from £ 18/hour for paralegal roles to £45/hour for highly sensitive review in foreign languages). It represents an excellent professional experience and a fantastic stepping stone in the UK legal industry. It also perfectly fits those who are looking for a flexible life-style, without renouncing to the benefits that a law firm salary generally brings.
If you are interested in knowing more about document review and if you want to have access to our current job opportunities in Europe, fill in the form below and get in touch with us.
Author folagraltd@gmail.comPosted on May 25, 2016September 15, 2016Leave a comment on Legal Jobs London	Search for:
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