Licensed conveyancer : Training

Licensed conveyancers need a licence to practise. The route to obtain this includes:

• registering as a student with the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) ;
• spending at least two years in full-time practical training working under the supervision of a qualified employer (at the same time normally working towards the examinations of the CLC);
• passing the CLC examinations.

During the two-year training period, students study for the CLC examinations, either by part-time study or by distance learning. The part-time courses are offered by some colleges of further education and other institutions - you can find a list of places on the CLC website. The council also offers a distance learning course, which over 60% of students take advantage of.

The course consists of two parts:

• the foundation, which is two assignment-based subjects (introduction to law and legal method and introduction to conveyancing) and two examination subjects (land law and the law of contract);
• final examinations, which are on three subjects: conveyancing law and practice, landlord and tenant, and accounts.

Most students take three to four years to complete the practical training and exams, although it is possible to do it in two years. Once they have done this, licensed conveyancers become holders of the 'first licence', which allows them to offer services through an employer.

Qualified solicitors, legal executives and law graduates are eligible for exemptions from all of the foundation-level examinations and some of the practical training. All exemptions, however, are dealt with on an individual basis by the CLC and require the submission of documentary evidence.