A practical, supportive session exploring the different routes into qualification and progression in law — including SQE, CILEX, graduate fast-track options and alternatives for those reconsidering their next step.

Finishing a law degree or GDL can feel exciting, but also overwhelming.

You may be trying to decide:

• whether to pursue SQE
• whether another route into qualification may suit you better
• how to gain qualifying experience
• how to afford the next stage of training
• what employers are actually looking for
• or simply what your options really are in 2026

You may also already have SQE experience and be reconsidering your next step after results, cost pressures or concerns about the route ahead.

This free online session is designed to help law graduates and aspiring lawyers understand the different pathways available and make informed decisions about what might work best for them.

We’ll discuss:

• The main routes to qualification in England and Wales
• SQE and how it works in practice
• CILEX routes to qualification
• Graduate fast-track options
• Qualifying work experience and career progression
• Alternatives for those who did not pass SQE1
• Flexible routes while working
• Cost considerations and affordability
• How employers view different pathways
• Questions to ask yourself before committing to a route

Who is this for?

This session may be particularly useful if you are:

• finishing a law degree or GDL
• considering SQE
• unsure which route is right for you
• looking for a more flexible or affordable pathway
• already working in law without a practising qualification
• reconsidering your options after SQE results
• interested in qualifying through CILEX
• a CILEX professional considering dual qualification

Brightlink Learning is a teaching and learning organisation, SRA listed to offer SQE preparation, an accredited CILEX centre and a legal apprenticeship provider working with future lawyers, legal professionals and employers throughout the UK.

Brightlink provides professional legal education with a supportive, relationship-based approach to learning, combining flexible study with personal guidance and real-world progression pathways.

The organisation works with aspiring Solicitors, CILEX Lawyers and Paralegals, as well as employers and in-house legal teams. Brightlink’s strategies emphasise accessible legal education, alternative routes into law, and supportive progression for learners at different stages of their career journey.