Darren Toombs

The Law Society of Northern Ireland this week published the findings of a consultation it undertook between December 2024 and March 2025 on the future of solicitor training and qualification pathways.

The consultation sought responses on nine options and aimed to explore how the current vocational training model could be enhanced to promote greater access, inclusion, and professional readiness.

More than 80 per cent of respondents supported reform, with strong support for part-time/hybrid qualification routes, modern solicitor apprenticeships, returner programmes, and experience-based entry routes.

Stakeholders also agreed that reform must be incremental and carefully managed to preserve standards, support smaller firms, and safeguard public trust.

Writing in the consultation report, Darren Toombs, chair of the Law Society’s education committee, said the profession “must evolve in response to changing societal needs, shifting career expectations, and growing demands for diversity, inclusion, and accessibility”.

“This consultation report represents a significant step in the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s work to ensure that our qualification and training pathways remain fit for purpose, supporting both the current and future needs of the profession and the communities we serve,” he said.

“It is the product of extensive engagement with members, trainees, legal educators, other regulators, government departments, and the wider legal community.

“The consultation findings reveal a desire for reform, with support for flexible entry routes, such as solicitor apprenticeships, part-time and hybrid pathways, and returner programmes.

“These new models reflect the realities facing many aspiring solicitors, including financial pressures, geographic barriers, and non-traditional life circumstances.

“At the same time, respondents rightly emphasised the need to protect the quality and consistency of solicitor training with the clear message that any change must be carefully implemented and preserve professional standards and educational integrity.

“This report sets out clear recommendations and an ambitious action plan. We are committed to working in close partnership with stakeholders to take these proposals forward, ensuring that future pathways into the profession continue to attract, support, and develop the highest calibre of solicitors.”

He added: “On behalf of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, I wish to thank all who participated in this process. Your contributions are helping to shape a more modern, inclusive, and resilient solicitor profession for Northern Ireland.”