Professions approved by the SRA for registered foreign lawyer (RFL) status

Updated 20 January 2022

We have the power to approve foreign professions under Section 89 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 and Schedule 14 paragraph 2(2) of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 for their members to be managers of recognised bodies regulated by the SRA.

We will consider whether other professions should be added to this list as and when requested to do so. The profession in question must fulfil four basic criteria:

• the profession’s members must be subject to a system of regulation as a profession of lawyers;
• members must be required to complete a specified training;
• members must be bound by an ethical code, and
• there must be disciplinary sanctions for breach of the ethical code which would extend to removal of the right to practise.

If you want to ask us to approve a new profession please contact us.

We set out below the list of professions listed that we have to date approved.