Getting into law from another career or another discipline can feel daunting. Do you need a conversion course? Which one? And how do you fit study around a job and your other commitments? These were the questions on the table when we took part in the Non-Law Into Law (NLIL) conference, an event for non-law graduates and career changers weighing up a route into the profession.
We sat down with two recent graduates of our Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) to hear how they found it. Maureen Adjei studied psychology in Ghana, moved to the UK in 2022, and was working in financial services when she decided to convert to law. Lucy V. Moore comes at it from the other end of the spectrum, moving into law after a 20-year career in the humanitarian and charity sector. Both have just finished the GDL and are now preparing for the SQE. Here’s what they told us.
Why did you decide to take the GDL?
Maureen: I’m coming from a different jurisdiction, so I wanted a broad foundation before moving on. You don’t strictly need the GDL to sit the SQE, but I wanted the wider knowledge, and a fair experience of what everyone who studied an LLB goes through. The other reason was the skills. The SQE is based on multiple choice questions, so it doesn’t test research and writing in the same way. On the GDL I wrote case scenarios, analysed them, and gave advice. Coming in with no legal background, that experience mattered.
Lucy: For me, it was the most practical decision possible. Even though you no longer strictly need the GDL to sit the SQE, most trainee programmes still ask for it when you apply. I’m coming to law at a later stage in life, so I don’t have time to wait. Getting through the process as quickly as possible is my priority, and the GDL was my best shot at being able to apply for trainee programmes now. I also think studying for the SQE would be a lot harder without it, because of the underpinning it gives you.
Why did you choose The College of Legal Practice?
Maureen: I was looking for two things: cost and convenience. I work full time, and most courses run in person, so I wanted something online. The College gave me that. A few weeks before I started, I learned the assessment had changed to multiple choice, and I thought, good, this will prepare me well for SQE1.
Lucy: Flexibility was the deciding factor. My very first conversation with the College was about how flexible the programme is. Because of my health, I needed to be able to flex my studying significantly, and I don’t think I’d have managed that with another programme. I got to study at my own pace, and if I couldn’t study one week, I could catch up the next.
What did you value most on the course?
Maureen: I didn’t expect the kind of one-to-one, personal tutor experience I got. You could ask questions any time and get feedback any time, and message any of the tutors for a personalised answer. My supervisor and I met once a month to talk through how I was finding it. I’d use the word “mother” for that role. In a big cohort, it was good to have a listening ear, and to see that someone cares about your journey. If I ever missed a class it was recorded, with a transcript, so I could always go back.
Lucy: The quality of the instructors far surpassed my expectations for an online course. I’d assumed I’d have to do much more of the heavy lifting myself, but the classes and instructors were excellent. There are weekly webinars, and every class is essentially a practice version of what you end up doing in the SQE. You work through a scenario each week, applying the law. We’d do multiple choice questions at the end of each class, which is great practice for SQE1, and the classes are recorded so you can revisit them.
Did you have any experience in law before the course?
Lucy: It had been a long time since I’d studied. A conversion course expects an undergraduate degree for a reason: you need research skills, and you use them many times over in law. My career had touched a wide variety of areas of law, which gave me a head start, though it also showed me how much I still had to learn.
Maureen: In my undergraduate degree I did a lot of self-study, and that was relevant on the GDL, along with the research and writing. In the tests and exams you write a lot: case scenarios, analysis, giving advice. You need to be able to self-study and use your own initiative, to research, read, and write. They send you a manual, but doing more than the manual helps you know more.
Did you feel at a disadvantage not doing a longer law conversion course?
Lucy: Not for what I want. The GDL doesn’t close off your options. If you want a more academic path, say a judicial assistant route, a postgraduate qualification might serve you better. But my priority is getting qualified and working, so for me it was a practical decision. If you’re coming at this earlier in your career, having a wider set of options might matter more.
Maureen: Choosing the GDL was a personal decision too, given my background in psychology and coming from a different country. Going straight onto SQE1, you’d cover the same modules, but on the GDL I got far more experience of writing and research, because the SQE is based on multiple choice. For me it was about the experience and broadening my knowledge, so I don’t feel I missed out.
How has the GDL prepared you for the SQE?
Lucy: It’s early days, but I’ve been pleased. The areas we covered on the GDL were extensive for what the SQE needs, especially the core subjects, and I’ve felt well prepared. It has also opened doors. I sent one application at the start of the GDL and another halfway through, once I had some results. I didn’t get an interview for the first, but I did for the second, which tells you to put your back into the course, because firms look at your individual marks.
Maureen: I start the SQE officially in August 2026, and I’ve been doing practice questions to get used to finding the single best answer. Every workshop on the GDL ended with multiple choice questions, and the tutor would explain why one answer was best and why the others didn’t fit. Putting the GDL on my CV has already helped. I’ve landed legal interviews, because firms want to know you have at least some legal knowledge. A lot of qualifying work experience comes down to transferable skills too, like communication and writing, and how you present yourself at interview.
What advice would you give someone thinking about the GDL?
Maureen: If there’s a voice in your head saying do it and another saying don’t, listen to the one that says do it. Before I started, when the timetable came out, I nearly cancelled. I was so scared. I’m glad I listened to the voice that said do it. It wasn’t as easy as I expected, but it wasn’t as difficult either, and it was worth the journey.
Lucy: My advice is for anyone who’s reached the point of thinking “I’m not sure this is for me.” You can always do it later. Everything you do in any other area of work or life comes with you and counts for something if you decide to move into law. It’s not this or nothing, and it’s never too late. If you decide it’s not now, that doesn’t mean not ever. Do it at your own pace.
A realistic route into law
For both Maureen and Lucy, the GDL has been a realistic, manageable route into law. It gives you the grounding the SQE assumes, and it keeps your options open, whether you’re heading for the solicitor route or thinking about the bar. You can study full time or part time, around a job and the rest of your life, and it remains the quickest way to build the foundation you need before the SQE.
Thank you to Maureen and Lucy for sharing their experience so openly.
This conversation took place at the Non-Law Into Law (NLIL) conference, an event for non-law graduates and career changers considering a future in law.