Becoming an attorney
The below covers the most common routes to qualifying as an attorney in the Cayman Islands.
Caymanian:
Qualifying with a law degree
The minimum requirements for applying to the Truman Bodden Law School are that the applicant be at least 18 years of age and have achieved the Standard of General Education;
1. Passes in at least five approved subjects, three of which at a Grade C or above at Ordinary ‘O’ Level and two at Advanced ‘A’ Level;
2. Obtains an associate degree with a GPA (Grade Point Average), which, in the opinion of the Legal Advisory Council, is equivalent to No. 1 above;
3. Obtains SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores that, in the opinion of the Legal Advisory Council, are equivalent to No. 1 above;
4. If 21 years or older, passes the University of Liverpool’s Mature Students Entrance Examination.
5. Obtained an educational standard that is certified by the Chief Education Officer (see schedule 2 (4)).
For a more detailed explanation, please refer to Legal Practitioners (Students) Regulations. 2018. Applications and information about the LLB are available from the Truman Bodden Law School (www.lawschool.gov.ky/). There are also many other institutions that offer equivalent law degrees. However, if you decide to pursue a degree in law from another institution, check that it is a qualifying course that covers the subjects as outlined in Part 3 of the Regulations. Further information about details contained herein is available from the Law School.
General enquiries should be directed, in the first instance, to the Administrative Officer at: lisa.morales-levy@gov.ky.
Qualifying with a non-law degree
Persons who have received an honours degree in a course other than law, you may be eligible for a conversion course in law, such as the CPE, or the Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies (GDL). While these courses are not taught by Truman Bodden School, they are taught in the United Kingdom. There are also a number of Universities in the United Kingdom that now offer online GDL programmes. The CPE/GDL is an intensive programme and requires great dedication and discipline to cover the seven core law subjects within twelve months. Some course providers also offer the course over a period of two years on a part-time basis. Applications and information about the CPE/GDL are available from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Articles
The last stage of training involves 18 months of articles with a practicing attorney. The attorney responsible for training must have been an attorney in continuous practice in any Court in the Commonwealth for at least five years. Two of these years must have been spent working in the Cayman Islands. Articled clerks must be registered with the Clerk of the Court after a certificate has been achieved. Only Caymanian or persons approved by the Cayman Islands Cabinet are eligible for articles in the Cayman Islands. Securing articles is the individual's responsibility and it is advisable to apply as early as possible. Judicial clerkship that counts towards the period of articles is available on initial application to CILPA, who will liaise with the Judicial Education Committee for placement.
Professional Course
Persons who have successfully completed a law degree (LLB) or a non-law degree in conjunction with the CPE/GDL, must then undergo a period of vocational training by completing the Professional Practice Course (PPC) or its equivalent, the Legal Practice Course or the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) in the United Kingdom. The PPC is one year in duration and comprises an intensive, full-time, nine-month period of study in Cayman law and procedure. Applications and information about the PPC are available here: www.liv.ac.uk/law/cils Details about the Legal Practice Course can be found here: www.lawsoc.org Details about the Bar Vocational Course can be found here: www.barcouncil.org.uk Note: The Legal Practitioners (Students) Regulations (2018 Revision) limits access to the PPC (Reg. 27 relating to the Qualifying Examination taken by the PPC student) and articles (Reg. 16) to Caymanians or persons who hold Cayman Status or have been otherwise approved by the Cayman Islands Cabinet.
Career opportunities
A law degree provides flexibility in terms of career choices. Although many attorneys follow the traditional law firm path, others find success as business owners, CEOs and managers at large and small corporations, while others become consultants, writers or forge careers in government.
The process from graduate to trusted advisor, be it partner, sole practitioner or consultant, takes considerable time to establish the credentials and building up the requisite experience and technical competence to perform at this level.
The time from becoming a law student through to articles can take upwards of six years of study and work experience (depending on whether the applicant elects to go the conventional full-time student route or part-time study route).