The Freedom Law Clinic

The SQE courses with integrated QWE enable students to acquire real legal experience while pursuing their studies. In both SQE1 and SQE2 Preparation with QWE Courses, the Clinic offers at least two hours of structured QWE each week. Running part-time for a year, aspiring solicitors will make significant progress toward qualification by the time they complete the course.

One FLC student, working in international relations at Dublin City University, wanted to elevate her career by qualifying as a lawyer. But, she says, “it would be challenging for me to qualify as a solicitor on a course with a traditional structure because I’m already in an established full-time career.” Choosing to opt for the SQE1 with QWE course, this student notes that finding a suitable qualification prep course was particularly challenging for her given that she lives in Ireland. “So, while other providers offer SQE courses online, you have to build up your QWE through in-person work experiences,” she says, which was a particular challenge for her being outside of the UK. At FLC, with the QWE offering taking place remotely, those living abroad or in full-time employment can fit their QWE around their existing commitments.

“[The FLC’s offering] is great for someone who has a background like me who can’t study full-time,” she continues. “But it’s also good for those studying full-time as well. You’re doing your QWE alongside learning, and you have the opportunity to avoid the stress of applying for training contracts and qualify anyway, if you choose”. The flexibility of the FLC’s offering gives students the option to study in a way which suits them, this student is keen to emphasise. “If you want to study in a classic full-time and structured way, you have everything you need to do that,” she explains. With a suite of lectures, slides, detailed notes, and seminars provided to students on each topic, the materials give you a very good understanding of what you need to know to qualify, she tells Legal Cheek.

The Clinic also offers additional courses that focus solely on QWE, which can be completed alongside other studies or work commitments. These courses allow aspiring lawyers to address a variety of pro bono matters, such as housing and welfare, under the supervision of qualified lawyers. Students on the course will undertake a minimum of two QWE hours each week, allowing students to fit their caseload around existing commitments. The design of the course allows its participants to accrue six months worth of QWE over the duration of the programme, built with the flexibility to accrue these QWE hours when it most suits its students.

Choosing to integrate QWE into her SQE1 course at the FLC, this student gives an insight into her experiences undertaking QWE with the Clinic. “It’s really amazing,” she enthuses. “We have lots of different cases that come our way at the Clinic because it’s partnered with various providers for the QWE. These include Justice for Tenants, Voice of domestic Workers, Manifesto Club, and Citizens Advice to name a few. These partners bring cases to the FLC that students can get involved in for their QWE. For everyone undertaking QWE, you can take on as much work as you want to,” she explains, “but it depends on how much time you have, and what your other commitments are”.

With a focus on flexibility, and fitting around the needs of each student, QWE casework is allocated to students based on student capacity, competence and legal interests, we’re told. With this student having a keen interest in modern slavery and immigration, her caseload has tended to reflect those practice areas. “I’ve also been able to widen my legal experiences and interests by taking on criminal casework, as well as work in family and tort law,” she reveals.

The Criminal Appeals Programme, on the other hand, focuses on complex criminal casework. Over the duration of this seven-week programme, students get stuck into reviewing case papers; analysing evidence; practicing oral advocacy; and drafting skeleton arguments.

The Clinic takes a novel approach when it comes to course fees, with the majority of the Clinic’s courses paid for via a subscription service. Citing a goal to break down barriers to accessing legal education, enrolled students can drop in and out of courses at the Freedom Law Clinic depending on their monthly requirements. Asking our FLC insider for her experience using the subscription service, she tells us that it’s been a god-send. “I was able to pause my subscription for a number of months whilst I had personal commitments, and I still had access to the course materials and lecture recordings up to that date,” she says. “This allowed me to do personal study throughout those months on my own terms to revise and solidify my understanding of the course material whilst relieving any financial burden.”

On the pastoral support side, this student tells us that although the course is studied remotely, this doesn’t affect the ability to contact supervisors on the FLC’s courses. “The tutors are amazing; they really know their job. There may be no physical contact, but you can schedule a meeting with somebody at any time,” she says. “Be that your tutor, your supervisor, or the course director, they’re always available to meet with you if you need.”