What is the CLC Graduate Conversion Exemption?

The CLC Graduate Conversion Exemption is a focused entry route for graduates who did not study law. It recognises that a degree in any subject has already given you the academic skills needed for higher level study: researching, analysing, writing clearly and working to deadlines. Rather than asking you to repeat that groundwork through the full CLC Level 4 Diploma, the CLC lets you complete a single Level 4 unit, Land Law, and then progress straight to the Level 6 Diploma.

It works in a similar way to a law conversion course for would-be solicitors, but it is shorter, cheaper and aimed squarely at a specialist career in property or probate law. You come out with the same CLC licence as someone who took the full route.

Who is eligible for the Graduate Conversion Exemption?

You are eligible if you hold a recognised UK degree in a subject other than law. The CLC accepts undergraduate and higher degrees, and gives examples such as:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc)
• Bachelor of Education (BEd)
• Bachelor of Engineering (BEng)
• Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB)
• A recognised UK master's degree in a subject other than law

These are examples, not a closed list. The test is simply that your degree is a recognised UK degree and that its subject is not law. If you do hold a law degree or a GDL, you have a better option: you are usually exempt from the whole Level 4 Diploma, as explained on our law degree fast-track guide. If your law degree is from outside England and Wales, see our Overseas Graduate Exemption guide.

Do I need to work in law already?

No. The CLC says the route is ideally suited to graduates already working in the legal sector, such as conveyancing assistants and probate paralegals who came into the profession without a law degree, but you do not need a legal job to use it.

If you are coming from outside law, be realistic about the extra work. The CLC expects you to do additional reading and independent research to build your legal knowledge before Level 6 study and exams. Our tutors support that, and the Land Law unit is designed to give you a solid footing. You can begin studying before you have a legal role, but you must complete your full practical experience before you apply for a licence. If you are already in an appropriate legal role, you can usually build your experience alongside your studies. Our guide to the CLC practical experience requirements explains what counts, who can supervise you and when your hours start to count.

Why is Level 4 Land Law still required?

Your degree proves you can study at a high level, but it will not normally have taught you land law, and almost everything at Level 6 is built on it. Conveyancing is the transfer of interests in land; probate regularly involves dealing with property in an estate. Without a grounding in estates, interests, registration and co-ownership, the Level 6 units would be very hard going.

So the CLC keeps one Level 4 unit in the route. Because you have not followed a legal education route, completing Land Law does not give you the full Level 4 Diploma. It is awarded as a standalone unit, and it is what allows you to progress to Level 6 under the Graduate Conversion Exemption.

How does the route compare with other ways to qualify?

The CLC has several entry routes, and the right one depends on what you already hold. Here is where the Graduate Conversion Exemption sits.

Every route still needs 1,200 hours of supervised practical experience before a first licence. Read more about the Professional Experience Exemption or, if you have no degree, the no-degree route.

How much does it cost?

With the Graduate Conversion Exemption you pay for two things at Access Law Online: the Land Law unit at £555 (or three interest-free instalments of £185) and the Level 6 Diploma at £1,920 (or from £160 a month over 12 months at 0% interest). That is £2,475 in total, a saving of £1,755 on the full route. The CLC charges its own licence fees separately when you apply.

For payment plans, apprenticeship funding and CLC fees in more detail, see how much a CLC qualification costs.

How does the exemption work in practice?

There is no separate exemption to apply for or register. Your non-law degree and the Level 4 Land Law unit together are your entry requirements for the Level 6 Diploma, and the CLC checks everything when you apply for your licence.

1. Check you are eligible. You need a recognised UK degree in a subject other than law. Keep your degree certificate safe, as you will need it later.
2. Study the Level 4 Land Law unit. Study online at your own pace with tutor support, pass the assessment and receive your Land Law certificate.
3. Enrol on the Level 6 Diploma. With your degree and Land Law certificate as your entry requirements, study the Level 6 Diploma in Conveyancing or Probate Law and Practice.
4. Complete 1,200 hours of supervised experience. Most people build these hours alongside their Level 6 studies.
5. Apply to the CLC for your licence. Once you hold the Level 6 Diploma and your experience is signed off, you apply to the CLC.

Not sure how your qualifications fit? Use our CLC Exemptions Calculator or get in touch with our team.

Start your route

Frequently asked questions

Does my degree subject or grade matter?

The subject matters only in that it must not be law. Any recognised UK degree in another subject can qualify, from a BA or BSc to a BEng, a medical degree or a master's. The CLC's published criteria do not set a minimum degree classification. If you hold a law degree or GDL you are usually exempt from the whole Level 4 Diploma instead.

Does it matter how long ago I graduated?

No. The CLC's aged qualification requirements do not apply to qualifications used to gain an exemption at Level 4, so a degree awarded many years ago still counts towards the Graduate Conversion Exemption.

Will completing Land Law give me the Level 4 Diploma?

No. Because you have not followed a legal education route, Land Law is awarded as a standalone unit rather than the full Level 4 Diploma. Its purpose is to let you progress to the Level 6 Diploma under the Graduate Conversion Exemption.

Do I need a job in law to use the exemption?

No. You can start the academic route before you have a legal role, though you should expect to do extra reading to prepare for Level 6. You must complete 1,200 hours of supervised practical experience before applying for a CLC licence, and if you already work in an appropriate legal role you can usually do this alongside your studies.

Can I use the exemption for probate as well as conveyancing?

Yes. After Land Law you can progress to either the Level 6 Diploma in Conveyancing Law and Practice, leading to a Licensed Conveyancer licence, or the Level 6 Diploma in Probate Law and Practice, leading to a Licensed Probate Practitioner licence.

How do I claim the Graduate Conversion Exemption?

There is nothing to register in advance. Your non-law degree and the Level 4 Land Law unit are your entry requirements for the Level 6 Diploma. When you have the Level 6 Diploma and 1,200 hours of supervised experience, you apply to the CLC for your licence and produce your degree certificate, your Land Law certificate and your Level 6 Diploma certificate.

Authoritative source: CLC, Graduate Conversion Exemption. Always check the current CLC requirements, as rules can change.