Legal Practice Course (LPC) (Postgraduate Diploma LPC)

Overview

The Legal Practice course (LPC) aims to prepare you for practice as a trainee solicitor and to provide you with a solid foundation for subsequent practice as a solicitor. This course, which can be studied full-time or part-time (day or evening), provides graduates who have completed the academic stage of legal training or who are Members or Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives, with the professional stage of training as solicitors. We have a long-standing reputation for training solicitors and were one of the first universities to be validated to run the Legal Practice course.

The course emulates the nature of the work encountered in practice and is transactional, following a particular set of clients through a case study. It will build on the substantive law that you will have already been taught and includes the study of both substantive law not previously learnt, and procedure in the major areas of practice. It teaches the 'lawyerly' skills of practical legal research, interviewing and advising, writing, drafting and advocacy to prepare you for your subsequent professional training and for practice.

The LPC is entirely taught in an exciting new building with a mock court room, audio visual recording facilities, IT resources and library facilities. Materials and case studies are provided.

Faculty of Law, Governance and International Relations

www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/lgir/

Applying and entry

PLEASE NOTE There is no official closing date for this course, but you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only consider your application if there are places available on the course.

Tel: 020 7133 4202
Email: admissions@londonmet.ac.uk

Applicants should normally possess a qualifying law degree, with at least second class Honours or (if a non-law graduate) at least a second class Honours degree and the Common Professional Examination (CPE) with an average of at least 50%. If you wish to discuss these criteria you can email the course director, Sarah Campling, s.campling@londonmet.ac.uk

Other factors will be taken into account, in particular the need to study part-time and in London, evidence of ability to pursue successfully the skills component of the course, and your motivation to be a solicitor, evidenced, for example, by relevant work experience. Students must obtain membership of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and be in a position to obtain a Certificate of Completion of the Academic Stage to enrol on the LPC. Please contact the SRA on 0870 606 2555 for details.

If you are applying for a full-time place on this course, you must do so through the Central Applications Board www.lawcabs.ac.uk

PART TIME applicants should apply direct to the University via the Online Application link or complete and return the direct application form

Attendance

Full Time: Students who wish to complete the Legal Practice Course in one year normally attend on 2 days a week. This is usually Tuesday and Thursday from September until June.

Part time: Students who wish to complete the Legal Practice Course over two years can attend either in the evenings or during the day.

Part time; Evening The evening classes are taught from 6pm until 9pm on Tuesday and Thursday in the first year and Monday and Wednesday in the second year.

Part time: Day The part-time day classes are taught from 10am until 5pm on Friday in the first year and on Monday in the second year.

Foundation Course: Students attending on either the full time or the part time course attend a full time foundation course for one week in September from 10am until 5pm.

Course contents

During Stage 1 of the Legal Practice Course you will study the Core Practice Areas of:

• Civil Litigation
• Criminal Litigation
• Property Law and Practice
• Business Law and Practice

You will also study Professional Conduct and Regulation, Taxation and Wills and Administration of Estates. In addition we will teach you to develop the following skills essential to practice as a solicitor:

• Practical Legal Research
• Interviewing and Advising
• Advocacy
• Legal Drafting
• Legal Writing

During Stage 2 of the Legal Practice Course you choose 3 from the following list of vocational electives:

• Commercial Law and Practice
• Corporate Law and Practice
• Advanced Business Law and Practice and Practice
• ADR and Mediation Law and Practice
• Employment Law and Practice
• Intellectual Property Law and Practice
• Private Client Law and Practice
• Child Law and Practice
• Immigration Law and Practice
• Family Law and Practice
• Housing Law and Practice

Assessment

Assessment methods replicate solicitors' practice and include: oral presentations, research exercises, drafting exercises, and open book examinations.

Careers

LPC students are supported by an excellent careers service to assist with obtaining training contracts. Our Clinical Legal Education unit helps arrange suitable pro bono work for all LPC students who need to enhance their links with the solicitors' profession. Each student is designated a “Professional Mentor” to provide individual advice and guidance. Also every year we run a “Career Development Week”. During this week we offer a number of work placements within solicitor’s firms, at court or within not for profit organisations.

Student profile

This is what one of our students had to say

"Upon completion of my degree I wanted to study the Legal Practice Course at an institution where there were excellent facilities, the staff were keen to help you succeed, and the fees were not excessive. London Metropolitan proved to be all of these things.

I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I spent at London Met, and upon entering my training contract I felt totally prepared and able to take on the role of a trainee solicitor. I feel that my readiness to take on this role was a direct consequence of the excellent preparation I was given by what I would consider to be a fantastic university."

Bethany Richards Trainee Solicitor