Breakdown of routes to admission
The number of solicitors being admitted to the roll in England and Wales has increased.
The table below provides a breakdown of those admitted in the 12 months to end of May 2025 and the 12 months to end of May 2026 by their routes to qualification.
In the 12 months to end of January 2026, 59% of new solicitors took the Legal Practice Course followed by a period of recognised training. The second most popular route is now the SQE route.
| Date(s) | Legal Practice Course followed by a period of recognised training | Chartered Legal Executives (CiLEX) & Assistant Justices; Clerks | Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme | SQE | Registered European Lawyer | Equivalent Means | Republic of Ireland Exempt | Northern Ireland Exempt | Other/ Unknown | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 to May 2026 | 5486 (55%) |
167 (2%) |
1 |
3957 (40%) |
0 (0%) |
121 (1%) |
166 (2%) |
67 (1%) |
0 (0%) |
9,967 |
| May 2024 to April 2025 |
6236 (65%) |
167 (2%) |
4 (0%) |
2781 (29%) |
0 (0%) |
102 (1%) |
165 (2%) |
56 (1%) |
1 (0%) |
9,533 |