LLM Legal Practice Course

Program Overview

LJMU's Legal Practice Course (LPC) is a practice-based program designed to develop essential skills for Trainee Solicitors. Emphasizing analysis, application, and workplace simulation, the LPC prepares students for the professional demands of legal practice through core modules in business law, litigation, property law, professional conduct, and legal skills. Graduates have excellent career prospects and are highly valued by the legal profession.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

LJMU's Legal Practice Course (LPC) is designed to produce highly skilled, commercially aware, and effective Trainee Solicitors, prepared for the demands of a Training Contract. The program is practice-based, focusing on analysis, application, and workplace simulation to develop the skills and competence required for day one of legal practice.

Objectives:

• To equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and adhere to the core duties of professional conduct, professional ethics, and the Solicitors' Accounts Rules.
• To develop a thorough and critical understanding of the skills that underpin the practice of law at a professional level.
• To prepare students for employment in a solicitors' practice, focusing on civil and criminal litigation.
• To foster a strong understanding of Business Law and Practice, focusing on primary source materials, constitutional documents, and relevant agreements.
• To enhance career prospects through acquiring vocationally relevant knowledge and making a significant and measurable contribution to the body of legal knowledge in a chosen subject.

Outline:

The LPC is a one-year, full-time program that starts in September. It is divided into two stages:

Stage 1:

• Core Modules:
• Business Law and Practice incorporating Tax (20 credits)
• Litigation (20 credits)
• Property Law and Practice (20 credits)
• Professional Conduct and Regulation Incorporating Solicitors’ Accounts (10 credits)
• Written Legal Skills (10 credits)
• Oral Legal Skills and Probate (10 credits)
• Elective Option Modules (choose three):
• Advanced Criminal Litigation Law and Practice (10 credits)
• Advanced Personal Injury Law and Practice (10 credits)
• Employment Law and Practice (10 credits)
• Family Law and Practice (10 credits)
• Private Client Law and Practice (10 credits)

Stage 2:

• Dissertation (60 credits): A supervised piece of independent study that runs from January to June.

Assessment:

• Core and Option Modules: Assessed primarily through open-book examinations.
• Skills: Assessed through coursework for drafting, practical legal research and writing, or by live role play assessment for advocacy and interviewing and advising.
• Dissertation: Assessed in two parts: an initial 2000-word research proposal followed by a 10,000-word dissertation.

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods: Small group skills-based teaching (maximum group size 20), supplemented with large group sessions, directed reading, self-study exercises, and preparation.
• Faculty: Highly experienced team of tutors, including current practitioners.
• Unique Approaches:
• Established links with the local legal profession, leading to job opportunities for graduates.
• Commended pastoral support during studies, with personal tutors and subject tutors offering an open door to deal with issues quickly and appropriately.
• Generous funding scholarships available for home and overseas students.
• Enhanced work experience via the Solicitor Mentor Scheme.

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths: Trainee Solicitor, Legal Professional, Legal Researcher, Legal Advisor, Legal Consultant, and other roles within the legal profession.
• Opportunities: The LPC is a prescribed stage in qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales.
There are a very broad range of opportunities for employment within the legal profession.
• Outcomes: LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of its postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation.

Other:

• The School of Law is dedicated to enabling its students to become highly effective trainee solicitors through its well-respected Legal Practice Course (LPC).
• The LPC is trusted by the legal profession as a real predictor of your ability to meet the demands of legal practice.
• The Solicitors Regulation Authority's introduction of the SQE now changes the route individuals must take to qualify as a solicitor.
• The School is based in the Redmonds Building, in the heart of the bustling Mount Pleasant Campus and Liverpool's growing Knowledge Quarter.
• The building is home to high quality lecture theatres and seminar rooms, social spaces, and a cafe.
• It is only a short walk from LJMU's Aldham Robarts Library, which contains all the resources you will require for your studies.

• Home fee: £11,790
• International fee: £13,230