Course modalities offered

City University London
Legal Practice Course LLM
City University London

Course modalities offered
  • On campus - City, University of London
  • Sep 1, 2022 Full-time - 1 years
  • On campus - The City Law School
  • Sep 1, 2022 Full-time - 1 years

Key Course Facts

Course Description

This course is designed for anyone who wants to become a solicitor – whatever area of law you are interested in. To apply, you will have already completed a qualifying law degree or a non-law degree, plus a Graduate Diploma in Law.

The course attracts a rich blend of students with a variety of backgrounds and interests – from around the world and from all parts of the UK.

Providing you with a solid academic foundation, this programme is taught at Masters level, and its structure and content fully meet the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requirements. The Legal Practice Course (LPC) is part of the required training for qualification as a solicitor of England and Wales, and follows completion of the required academic stage of training.

City’s LPC is taught at Masters level. The course offers you two possible routes:

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice ('The LPC'): If you successfully complete the compulsory taught element of the course (150 credits) you will be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma and be certified as having completed Stages 1 and 2 of the Legal Practice Course. This is the compulsory vocational qualification required to be completed as part of your training to become a solicitor and to be eligible to be admitted to the Roll of Solicitors of England and Wales.

LLM in Legal Practice ('the LLM'): Alternatively, you may choose to complete both the LPC and an additional 30 credit practice-focussed dissertation to achieve a Master’s Degree. It is also possible to join the course for Stage 1 of the LPC only, Stage 2 of the LPC only or one or more of the electives.

Objectives The Legal Practice Course will help you:

  • Gain a strong foundation for a future career in the law.

  • Work on a series of client files, similar to the cases dealt with in a solicitor’s office. The law school’s experienced staff will guide you through the different tasks that would have to be undertaken to advance the client’s case.

  • Learn by performing tasks relating to the case studies that you are given. These include drafting legal documents, preparing letters of advice or delivering a submission at court.

  • Satisfy all the requirements of a traditional LLM, while gaining a primary focus on practice.

  • Focus on a specific area of professional legal practice related to the LPC. This can be linked to training contract applications to underline a commitment to a particular area. This route enhances your CV with an LLM from a University that provides academic excellence for business and the professions.

  • Chose the option of undertaking an additional, practice-focused dissertation to obtain the LLM in Legal Practice. There is no additional fee for this.

  • Become well prepared for your career in law.

Your approach to the course will be very different to the one experienced in an academic law course, offering you high levels of support, small class sizes, and one-to-one attention. You will also learn to apply knowledge in a way that best serves the client’s interests.

Solicitors Qualifying Exam:

In autumn 2021, a new route to qualifying as a solicitor of England and Wales will be introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA): The Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The new SQE route no longer requires you to have a qualifying law degree – rather you are to hold a degree or equivalent qualification.

One of the strong features of the LPC at City is the level of support students receive. All of the tutors on the course are solicitors, some of whom have worked as partners in their previous firms. They are supported by occasional sessions delivered by practitioners or visiting academics who are experts in their particular fields. The course is structured in a way that allows you to gain maximum benefit from the experience that tutors have. You will therefore get a high level of face-to-face contact time with tutors. This is reinforced by the size of the groups. For the workshops, you will normally be in a group of 16 students. This group will then split into two for the skills sessions, which are normally taught in groups of eight students. This allows more time for students to get guidance from tutors. These smaller sessions are underpinned by the large groups. All students will attend these sessions, which give an overview of the area being studied. If you choose to take the LLM, the classes that you take on the LPC provide the taught element of the course. To complete your studies and be awarded the LLM in Legal Practice, you will also have to produce a dissertation of between 7,500 and 10,000 words. In order to do this, you will need to work independently, use practitioner sources and apply law at an advanced level to solve problems whilst developing an awareness of current practice issues. In support of your work on the dissertation, we provide: - One-to-one supervision. - Web-based guidance on research, planning and writing a dissertation. - Access to all City Law School and City, University of London facilities, including library services, IT support and careers guidance. - Induction sessions on research and writing skills. The assessment regime for the course has to meet the SRA’s requirements. This means that the Core Practice Areas, Electives and Professional Conduct and Regulation (including Solicitors Accounts) are assessed by means of a written examination. The Course Skills are assessed in the context of the Core Practice Areas and Wills in a manner that is appropriate to the individual skill. For example, you will have to conduct a filmed interview with an actor as your client, make a filmed court submission, draft a legal document or prepare a letter of advice for a client. Our assessments are open book and therefore test your application of the law rather than your memory.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Do you not fulfill the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements?
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still be able to join Legal Practice Course, LLM.

The LPC is a postgraduate course with entry requirements prescribed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Most students will have a UK honours degree in law. Normally a strong second-class degree is the minimum standard required. However, it is possible to apply with a degree in another subject and a further qualification in law, such as the Graduate Diploma in Law. The SRA can advise on non-standard qualifications. In considering your application, we will take the following into account: Academic profile and achievement. Strength of personal reasons for wishing to take the course. Evidence of your motivation to become a solicitor (work experience, training contract applications, etc.). Students who have passed the BVC or BPTC in the last five years will be able to accredit their prior learning and so will only have to take certain elements of the course. Please contact us if you want to know more about this option. Character and Suitability Test You should be aware that before you qualify as a solicitor you will have to undergo a character and suitability test for the SRA. The SRA will review your position if you have any convictions, had financial problems, such as a County Court Judgment against you or been involved in assessment offences. If you have been affected by such matters, you should contact the SRA. Find further information on the test on the SRA website.

Costs

Tuition Fees Legal Practice Course LLM

EU £15050
International £15050
England UK £15050
Northern Ireland £15050
Scotland £15050
Wales £15050
Source: UCAS Feb 9, 2023

Average student cost of living in London

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

Source: Own research based on surveys and university data

University Rankings

Positions of City University London in top UK and global rankings.

chart data

See all 30 university rankings of City University London

About City University London

Founded in 1894, City University London (a.k.a. City) is located in Central London. Due to its location, City attracts students from around the world, and as a result offers a diverse campus culture. The facilities on-site have been developed with each student’s future work environment in mind. So Law students have access to simulation courts of law, and future Nurses can expect to make use of mock medical wards. Academics aside, being located in Central London means learners can get around quickly thanks to the numerous public transport options in the area.

Student composition of City University London

Students by level of study Academic year 2020/21 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on 10 February 2022
undergraduates:
11455
postgraduates:
4690
Total:
16145
Source: Academic year 2020/21 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on 10 February 2022
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Where is this programme taught

City, University of London
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The City Law School
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