The Leading SQE Prep for U.S. Lawyers
If you’re ready to expand your legal career, dual qualification could be the answer. International operations have become ingrained in legal practice and it’s common for international matters to be handled in either the United States or English & Welsh legal systems. The United States is the largest legal services market in the world followed by England & Wales which is the second largest globally and the largest in Europe. Positioning yourself as a dual qualified lawyer in either regions will make you more marketable globally and open up opportunities within and outside UAE.
We offer online U.S. Bar Exam preparation courses and Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) preparation courses that fit all types of learners, from those who want to get qualified or dual-qualified as soon as possible to those who need more flexibility and time. Trust BARBRI, the world's largest legal exam preparation experts, to help you succeed with the U.S. Bar Exam or the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).
SQE Prep That Fits Around You
Our prep courses are designed to be fully online. Your Personalised Study Plan (PSP) will work out modules of different time lengths for you to complete, so you can earn while you learn.
Intelligent Online Learning Platform
With ISAAC, your PSP (Personalised Study Plan) is created just for you, using AI, algorithms, and 50+ years of bar exam intelligence. That means no more "one size fits all" courses - ISAAC focuses your study on what's most likely to be tested on your exam.
Exceptional One-to-One Student Support
You get unlimited one-to-one time with your learning coach, who is there to help you throughout the entire course. We also have top career coaches to help you to prepare for applications and interviews so you can secure qualified work experience (QWE).
SQE Exemptions for Qualified U.S. Attorneys
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) grants exemptions from the SQE1 or SQE2 to qualified lawyers based on your qualifications, jurisdiction and experience. To apply for an exemption, you need to register with the SRA and follow the prompts to supply all relevant information.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Dual US-UK Qualified Lawyer with the SQE?
The SQE route is highly flexible, with several exam sessions throughout the year. To familiarise yourself with English and Welsh law and give yourself the best chance of passing the first time, we highly recommend a bridging course like BARBRI’s Foundations in English Law, a 6-week online course, plus BARBRI’s SQE1 Prep 40-week course and the SQE2 Prep 20-week course. The fastest route to qualification, without any SQE exemptions, will take roughly 18 to 27 months to complete if you factor in the appropriate time to prepare for each assessment.
The SQE Route for US Lawyers
The SQE1 assessment tests your functioning legal knowledge (FLK). It is a computer-based multiple-choice exam with 360 questions spread over 2 days. This exam can be sat worldwide.
- 360 multiple-choice questions over the course of two days
- Total time 10 hours and 12 minutes, each day will be as follows:
- Exam session 1 – 153 minutes (90 questions)
- Break 60 minutes
- Exam session 2 – 153 minutes (90 questions)
- Exam session 1 – 153 minutes (90 questions)
- 1 minute 40 seconds per question
- Best of five options answers to scenario-based questions
Sample questions can be found on the SRA website.
- Business Law and Practice (including taxation)
- Dispute Resolution
- Contract
- Tort
- The Legal System of England and Wales
- Constitutional & Administrative Law & EU Law
- Legal Services
- Property Practice (including taxation)
- Wills and the Administration of Estates (including taxation)
- Solicitors’ Accounts
- Land Law
- Trusts
- Criminal Law and Practice
What Makes BARBRI Different?
50 Years of Experience
In the US, BARBRI is a household name. And we’re fast making our mark in the UK too, using the same legal expertise and industry-leading technology to help students prepare for the SQE exams.
Expert Faculty
Our tutors are qualified solicitors and barristers with decades of legal education experience, and we update our course material regularly to reflect the latest changes.
Maximum Flexibility
Our SQE1 prep courses are designed to be fully online and flexible. Your Personalised Study Plan (PSP) customises your learning journey so you can fit in the bit-sized modules around work and other commitments.
Upcoming SQE1 Prep Courses:
10 Weeks Online | Full-Time 40 Study Hours/Week
-
Best for recent law graduates from a UK university looking for the quickest, most efficient course to pass the SQE and who can study full time.
- Session Start Dates
21 Oct 2024 (for Jan 2025 exam)
28 Apr 2025 (for Jul 2025 exam) - SQE Guarantee
If you take our SQE1 Prep course and don’t pass the exam, you may rejoin any SQE1 Prep course we offer – free of charge – within 12 months of the results date. T&Cs apply.
20 Weeks Online | Part-Time 20 Study Hours/Week
-
Best for recent law graduates (within the last 3 years) from a UK university, who are looking to fit SQE preparation around other commitments.
- Session Start Dates
Enrolments closed: Jan 2025 exam
17 Feb 2025 (for Jul 2025 exam)
28 Aug 2025 (for Jan 2026 exam) - SQE Guarantee
If you take our SQE1 Prep course and don’t pass the exam, you may rejoin any SQE1 Prep course we offer – free of charge – within 12 months of the results date. T&Cs apply.
40 Weeks Online | Part-Time 10-12 Study Hours/Week
-
Best for non-law graduates, international law graduates and qualified lawyers, UK law grads who graduated 3+ years ago, and anyone in full-time employment.
- Session Start Dates
30 Sep 2024 (for Jul 2025 exam)
31 Mar 2025 (for Jan 2026 exam)
- SQE Guarantee
If you take our SQE1 Prep course and don’t pass the exam, you may rejoin any SQE1 Prep course we offer – free of charge – within 12 months of the results date. T&Cs apply.
Download Our SQE Prospectus
For International Candidates
Download Taster Material
Industry Leading Pass Rates
We're pushing the boundary on legal education and the results are real. Our SQE1 pass rate of 79% significantly exceeds the industry average pass rate of 53% and our SQE2 pass rate of 85% exceeds the industry average pass rate of 64%. And our sponsored students perform even better. Here are the results:
- BARBRI pass rate
- SQE pass rate
SQE1 results from January 2025 exam; BARBRI results from students who completed 90%+ of the course. SQE2 results from October 2024 exam.
SQE
- 72%
- 56%
SQE2
- 83%
- 81%
| |
|---|
|
What Is It Like Studying the SQE With BARBRI?
Maddy came from a non-law-degree background and was working full time while preparing for the SQE1 and SQE2 exams. Here she explains how our prep courses helped her to pass the exam confidently.
Course Reviews + Testimonials
Everything you need is in the BARBRI course, and you have more than enough to get you prepared. You just need to dedicate the time and remember to stay calm! It breaks a seemingly insurmountable task down into manageable pieces, so it’s doable. Additionally, knowing my weak areas made my study time a lot more efficient.
Alumni in the US + Beyond
BARBRI alumni are working at companies and law firms around the world, including the ones below. Now we're here for you.
- Baker & McKenzie
- Bank of New York Mellon
- Bonn & Schmitt Avocats
- Citigroup
- Clifford Chance
- Dechert
- Deloitte
- Deutsche Bank
- Ernst & Young
- First Derivatives PLC
- First Derivatives PLC
- Goldman Sachs
- KPMG
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Slaughter & May
- State Street Global Advisors
- White & Case
U.S. Lawyers: Start Your Journey to Dual Qualification Today!
Pricing + Enrollment
Book an Appointment with a Legal Education Consultant
Want to Learn the Basics of Common Law First?
Before you start your SQE journey, you may want to join other internationally qualified lawyers in taking the optional Foundations in Law course – a 6-week, self-paced online introduction to England and Wales’s legal system and frequently used legal terms. This will give you the all the background you need to succeed in your SQE Prep course.
Buy Today
I am extremely impressed with the BARBRI SQE Prep course. The mock questions were very similar to those in the exam and the content BARBRI included on the course was extremely targeted, making revision effortlessly efficient.