Understanding Legal Practice PGDip
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
Course overview
The course aims to:
The course will be of interest to anyone seeking a career in professional legal practice who is a law graduate or has completed Coventry University’s
PGCert in Principles of Law
or a similar course.The course is designed to prepare students to sit the
Solicitors Qualifying Examination Part 1
– this is not embedded in the course. Students will have to sit the exam independently directly with the SRA.The course is also designed to prepare students to sit the
CILEX Lawyer professional examinations (CPQ)
– this is not embedded in the course. Students will have to sit the exam independently directly with CILEX.
Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects
Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022
5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities
QS Stars University Ratings
Top 5 UK Student City (Coventry)
QS Best Student Cities Index 2023Why you should study this course
This course aims to provide you with:
Memberships
International Association of Law Schools
Coventry Law School is a member of the International Association of Law Schools, an association of around 160 law schools from over 55 countries, representing around 7,500 law faculty members. Having this status allows you to access a variety of international experiences, including with our partner institutions across the world.
European Law Faculties Association (ELFA)
Coventry Law School is currently a member of the European Law Faculties Association with over 250 members from Europe and beyond.
British and Irish Law Education and Technology Association
Coventry Law School is currently a member of British and Irish Law Education and Technology Association, one of the largest Technology Law associations in Europe.
These memberships are renewed annually and there is currently no intentions for these memberships to laps. However if our membership is not renewed for any reason, we would notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
Collaborations
Central England Law Centre
Coventry Law School collaborates with the Central England Law Centre in order to offer a powerful professional element to your learning, through our Law Employment and Advocacy clinics. Students who participate in the clinics get involved with everything that the solicitors do at the Law Centre with supervisors who are currently working in practice and experts in specific areas of law. They get hands-on-experience doing reserved legal activities, providing supervised advice and assistance to members of the public.
Immersive learning: 3 faculties combine in mock criminal law case
Program Outline
Year one
Develop your knowledge and skills as you take the next step into your legal career.
Modules
Business Law and Practice – 20 credits
This module aims to provide you with the knowledge, understanding and skills to identify and deal with a range of legal and ethical issues likely to be encountered in business. The module covers business formation, including the types of business, funding and liability. It also explores the nature and function of various company structures, the rights and obligations of shareholders and directors, and how business may come to an end. You will examine how business law principles are applied in professional legal practice, as well as the fundamentals of business ethics, including decision-making, governance and corporate social responsibility in a global economy.
Compulsory
Dispute Resolution – 20 credits
Dispute resolution is wider than litigation and it has become common place for disputes, particularly those relating to contract and tort law, to be settled out of court through a variety of mediums. This module aims to look at the various types of arbitration and mediation that are used as a means of alternative dispute resolution. You are provided with the opportunity to learn and apply the rules and etiquette used in such forums to provide access to justice and resolve of legal disputes. This module will be highly practical in nature and will involve the development of key negotiation skills through exploration of authentic case studies.
Compulsory
Property Law and Practice – 20 credits
This module aims to provide you with the knowledge, understanding and skills to identify and evaluate a range of legal and ethical issues likely to be encountered in property law and practice. You will examine the types of title to land, commercial and residential tenancies and the conveyancing process. In addition to exploring how the key principles, theories and concepts of property law apply in professional legal practice, you will explore the various ethical dilemmas that individuals and organisations may face when dealing with property law issues. In particular you will explore the impact of professional ethics within land transactions including money laundering.
Compulsory
Wills, Administration of Estates and Trusts – 20 credits
This module aims to provide you with the knowledge, understanding and skills to identify and deal with a range of legal and ethical issues likely to be encountered when drafting wills and subsequently dealing with the estate when the client is deceased. This will include an examination of testate and intestate estates and related succession matters. You will cover the drafting of a will, what makes a will valid and the planning of the administration of the estate. You will then explore the rights, powers and duties of the parties involved and how the estate is distributed after the death of the client.
Compulsory
Solicitors Accounts and Tax – 20 credits
Through this module you will explore the accounting techniques used in legal practice and a range of legal issues likely to be encountered by solicitors when dealing with taxation. You will explore how accounts are compiled and analysed to enable professional legal practices to record all financial transactions and analyse these to make strategic and operational decisions relating to their business. You will examine how the ethical frameworks and accounting presumptions operate and consider the fundamentals of ethical decision making in relation to tax and the recording of financial transactions. The module will cover the main taxes in the UK i.e. income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporations tax and value
-
added tax. It also considers more specific taxes that only arise in certain circumstances e.g.stamp duty tax.Compulsory
Civil and Criminal Litigation – 20 credits
This module aims to develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of how criminal and civil law work in practice. You will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to understand how the criminal and civil law is applied in practical situations and is governed by the Criminal Procedure Rules and Civil Procedure rules respectively. You will have the opportunity to develop your advocacy skills through practical sessions that involve role-plays that reflect the representation of clients both in the criminal and civil courts.
Compulsory
