GDL vs. No-GDL (College of Legal Practice)

[Lawyering13]

Hi all,

I'm a future trainee solicitor at a US firm due to start my training contract in March 2026. My firm doesn't require me to sit the GDL exams and I start my SQE course in February 2025. However, I am slightly worried going into the SQE without completing the GDL for a multitude of reasons, and wanting some advice:

- Could I have legal knowledge gaps without completing the GDL?
- Will having the GDL make me more employable, or having JUST the SQE make me less desirable post-qualification?

I found a full-time GDL course with the College of Legal Practice that runs for 20 weeks. Has anyone completed it before, and if so, what are your opinions? If I can find the money/time to do the course, would you recommend I complete it?

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Having the GDL won't make you are more employable.

Is your firm providing you with a more extended SQE course that would cover additional legal knowledge or do you do exactly the same course as law students? Some firms have a slightly longer SQE course (if only by a matter of weeks) that gives you legal knowledge foundations suitable for the SQE.

 

[Lawyering13]

@Jessica Booker My firm gives me a 6 week course, but I still question whether the time given will be sufficient to cover everything I need to know for the SQE. I would feel more assured if I did the GDL, but I could be wrong.

Its more whether I will miss out on legal content by not doing the GDL and/or I will find the SQE significantly harder.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker My firm gives me a 6 week course, but I still question whether the time given will be sufficient to cover everything I need to know for the SQE. I would feel more assured if I did the GDL, but I could be wrong.

Its more whether I will miss out on legal content by not doing the GDL and/or I will find the SQE significantly harder.

if your firm thinks it is sufficient, I would expect it to be so. But maybe talk to other people either via your firm or other firms who put trainees through the same course, to get their thoughts on what it was like.