We sometimes refer to lawyers as US-qualified. That is not strictly true; they are qualified in individual states. The term ‘UK-qualified’ is also wrong. To practise as a solicitor in England or Wales, you must be English and Welsh-qualified. The law, it would seem, has many borders. But this has not stopped the Law Society from broadening its horizons. Last week, we reported on an initiative to allow Indian lawyers to qualify in English and Welsh law, without going to the trouble and expense of travelling to London or, er, Cardiff. Because India is a common law jurisdiction, it is relatively straightforward for Indian lawyers to take what is known as the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test. While the initiative is unlikely to lead to an influx of Indian lawyers into the UK, it may help persuade India to open up its legal market to UK firms by demonstrating that Indian lawyers too can have access to international law.
Given India’s enormous economic potential, any such development would represent a major boost for the UK’s legal market. Next stop China. Imagine the lift it would give UK firms if becoming qualified as a solicitor emerged as the benchmark of quality for Chinese lawyers – much in the same way as advocates from common law countries, including a certain Mahatma Gandhi, have traditionally come to London to qualify as barristers.
