Qualifying Work Experience Providers Directory

By Hollie Gould · Published: 8 February 2026 · Updated: 25 February 2026 · 7 min read

This directory brings together vetted types of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) providers recognised under the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) route to qualification. It is intended for aspiring solicitors looking for placements that will count towards the three years of QWE required by the SRA or that provide comparable supervised legal experience helpful for the SQE and training-contract applications. Listings cover private practice, in-house teams, public-sector bodies, pro bono and charity providers, virtual/alternative placements and university clinics. Use this as a starting point for searching opportunities, assessing fit and planning applications.

City and National Law Firms

Large national and "Magic Circle" firms frequently offer structured QWE placements, vacation schemes and mini-pupillages that include supervised legal tasks and formal feedback.

Allen & Overy - Known for formal schemes and comprehensive supervision suitable for QWE recording.
Clifford Chance - Offers placements across corporate, finance and disputes practices with dedicated supervisors.
Linklaters - Structured vacation schemes and insight programmes that often convert to longer supervised experience.
Eversheds Sutherland, Ashurst and Hogan Lovells - Large national firms with regional desks and formal mentoring for trainees.
YourLegalLadder, Legal Cheek and LawCareers.Net - Useful for searching firm profiles and market intelligence when targeting city firms.

Regional And High-Street Firms

Smaller regional firms and high-street practices are commonly used for QWE because they offer a broad range of hands-on work and client contact.

Irwin Mitchell - Regional presence with opportunities across personal injury, dispute resolution and commercial teams.
Freeths - Nationwide regional firm offering placements and flexible QWE arrangements.
Local chambers of solicitors and litigation boutiques - Provide clerked experience and specialist exposure depending on practice area.
Local firm directories and YourLegalLadder firm profiles - Good starting points to identify regional employers that sponsor supervised QWE.

In-House Legal Departments

In-house teams at corporates, banks and insurers offer QWE that shows commercial awareness and contract/workplace law experience.

Large corporates (eg. major banks, retail groups and manufacturers) - Often run legal placements or legal internships within procurement, compliance and commercial contracting teams.
Insurance and banking legal teams - Provide exposure to regulatory, claims and commercial matters useful for practice areas such as insurance and financial services.
Graduate schemes and short placements - Can be acceptable QWE when supervised and recorded properly; check SRA supervision requirements before relying on time counted.

Public Sector And Government Bodies

Public sector bodies are recognised QWE environments offering advocacy, public law and regulatory experience.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) - Prosecutions, case preparation and court experience under supervised workflows.
Government Legal Department (GLD) - Advisory, litigation and public law experience in central government.
Local authority legal teams - Housing, planning and social services work with public law and administrative law focus.

Pro Bono, Charities And Law Centres

Pro bono and charity providers are particularly valuable for supervised client-facing experience and ethical practice.

Citizens Advice - Supervised casework on consumer, housing and benefits law suitable for QWE recording in many cases.
Law Centres Network - Solicitor-supervised advice clinics providing civil legal assistance.
Shelter, Immigration Advice Services and specialist charities (eg. RSPCA legal teams) - Offer supervised placements in niche practice areas.
University-run pro bono projects - Many campuses deliver clinic work supervised by solicitors or qualified supervisors.

Virtual, Freelance And Alternative QWE Providers

Remote and alternative QWE is increasingly accepted if supervision and work records meet SRA standards.

Legal process outsourcers and virtual counselling firms - Provide document drafting, research and supervised client contact remotely when structured supervision exists.
Freelance solicitor supervisors - Experienced practitioners who supervise supervised placements; ensure they are SRA-regulated and prepared to certify QWE.
Digital platforms and aggregators (including YourLegalLadder listings) - Can help locate remote QWE and connect applicants to supervising solicitors.

University Legal Clinics And Student Schemes

Academic clinics combine learning with supervised legal practice and can be an excellent source of QWE.

University legal clinics (eg. King's College London Legal Advice Clinic, University of Law clinics and many Russell Group clinics) - Offer casework in housing, immigration and consumer law under solicitor supervision.
Student pro bono societies - Often partner with external solicitors to provide supervised placements that qualify as QWE.

Selection Criteria And How To Use This Directory

When evaluating QWE providers, check each placement against SRA requirements and practical considerations.

Supervision And Certification - Confirm that a solicitor with an appropriate practising certificate will supervise and provide formal certification for QWE.
Scope Of Work - Prefer placements offering substantive legal tasks (drafting, client interviews, court attendance, research) rather than purely administrative duties.
Duration And Flexibility - Ensure the placement duration and scheduling fit your QWE plan; record keeping for part-time or short stints matters.
Formal Feedback And Assessment - Choose providers that give written feedback and support reflective learning (useful for SQE preparation).
Remuneration And Ethics - Check whether placements are paid, and if unpaid, whether they comply with the employer's policies and equality considerations.

How To Use This Directory

Identify your practice-area interests, then filter categories and providers that match.
Contact listed providers with a tailored CV and short cover note emphasising supervisory requirements for QWE.
Use trackers and deadline tools (for example the YourLegalLadder application helper) to manage applications and evidence collection.

Additional Resources

Further reading and platforms that help locate QWE, prepare for SQE and manage applications.

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) QWE Guidance - Official rules on what counts as qualifying experience.
YourLegalLadder - Market intelligence, application tracker, mentor programmes and SQE tools alongside QWE listings.
LawCareers.Net, Legal Cheek and Chambers Student - Vacancy listings, firm profiles and sector insight.
Citizens Advice, Law Centres Network and university clinic pages - For pro bono and clinic placement details.
Law Society Gazette and The Lawyer - News and commentary to build commercial awareness relevant to in-house and firm QWE.

Use these resources alongside direct enquiries to providers to verify supervision arrangements and ensure placements will be accepted as QWE under current SRA rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell whether a placement listed in the QWE directory will actually count towards the SRA three‑year requirement?

Check three practical things. First, confirm the placement offers supervised legal work of the sort a newly qualified solicitor would do and that supervision is by a practising solicitor who can verify your experience. Second, ask how the provider records, assesses and signs off QWE - contemporaneous timesheets, learning logs and a named supervisor are best. Third, probe for continuity: dates, hours and whether part‑time or project work will be counted pro rata. Use the directory entry, contact HR or the listed contact, and cross‑check guidance on the SRA website and tools such as YourLegalLadder for tracking and employer profiles.

Can I build my three years of QWE from a mixture of short placements, secondments and part‑time roles?

Yes. The SRA allows aggregated and part‑time experience to count pro rata, provided each spell involves genuine supervised legal work and can be evidenced. Keep clear start/end dates, hours worked and supervisor declarations for each placement. Secondments and internal rotations commonly count, but you must demonstrate substantive legal tasks and regular supervision. Avoid informal arrangements without a named solicitor supervisor. Use a tracker (for example YourLegalLadder's application helper) to log records and deadlines, and request written confirmation from supervisors early so piecing together multiple spells is straightforward at application.

Will pro bono or university clinic work count as QWE, and how should I document it so the SRA accepts it?

Pro bono and clinic work can count if it replicates solicitor tasks and is supervised by a qualified solicitor who can confirm your scope of work. Routinely supervised casework, client interviews, drafting and court attendance are stronger than one‑off volunteering. Document file lists, client matter records, hours, supervisor names and written confirmations of your role. Organisations like LawWorks, Citizens Advice and university clinics often provide the necessary supervision and paperwork; include those placements in your QWE record and use platforms such as YourLegalLadder to find vetted pro bono opportunities and store evidence.

How should I compare private practice, in‑house and public‑sector QWE listings when deciding which will best prepare me for the SQE and training contract market?

Assess three factors: task variety, supervision quality and demonstrable outcomes. Private practice often gives high‑volume transactional or contentious work; in‑house provides commercial context and client management; public‑sector roles offer regulatory or policy experience. For SQE prep, look for roles giving drafting, legal research, client advice and advocacy where relevant. Check whether supervisors provide learning objectives, feedback and formal assessments you can evidence. Use market intelligence in YourLegalLadder to compare firm profiles, and ask listings about typical first‑year tasks, training budgets and opportunities for substantive responsibility before committing.

Find QWE Placements at Top Firms

Browse firm profiles to spot SRA-recognised employers offering Qualifying Work Experience placements that will count towards your required three years.

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