Legal Practice Course PgDip

About the course

We have offered a very successful Legal Practice Course (LPC) Programme for over fifteen years. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has recently concluded a consultation exercise relating to of the professional stage of training and in light of this we have revalidated our LPC to a full-time (one year) mode of study. These changes will allow you to complete Stages 1 & 2 of your training at the University within one year and also provides you with the opportunity to obtain a full masters Degree through our LLM in Legal Practice.

The Programme is divided into two Stages:

Stage 1

Stage 1 covers all the core modules you are required to study to obtain your LPC. This means you will study: Business Law and Practice, Business Accounts, Criminal and Civil Litigation, Property Law and Practice, Wills and Administration of Estates and Solicitors Accounts. Embedded throughout the programme are core sessions relating to: Professional Conduct and Regulation, Taxation and required skills elements (including Interviewing and Advising, Legal Writing, Advocacy, Drafting and Practical Legal Research).

Stage 2

Stage 2 is the elective stage and allows you to diversify and tailor-make your degree by choosing three electives from a wide range of eleven choices. These electives respond to the demands of corporate and commercial law firms, private client relationships and also branches out to consider alternative methods of dispute resolution and our Programme allows you to obtain specialisms in some of these areas. We offer electives in Commercial Law, Securities and Insolvency, Employment Law, Commercial Property, Family Law, Personal Injury, Private Client, Advanced Litigation, Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Mediation. The Intellectual Property elective will support those students who wish to seek partial exemptions to the Patent and Trade Mark Attorney Examinations, while the Mediation elective is the first within the United Kingdom supporting students to become fully-accredited Mediators and will be based in the School's new Mediation Centre on the de Havilland Campus, which will be the training hub for the region's mediators.

 

Why choose this course?

Our full-time (one year) Legal Practice Course (LPC) has recently been validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and offers a dynamic teaching approach and an innovative range of electives. It is a genuinely hybrid programme that allows you considerable flexibility in managing your studies. Classes will be delivered through a mixture of traditional face-to-face teaching (including Large Groups Sessions and Workshops) and distance learning through our bespoke intranet system StudyNet. Once you successfully complete your LPC you can proceed on to our LLM in Legal Practice. You will be able to join our successful LLM Programme and obtain a full Masters-level qualification by undertaking an Internship.

The Programme covers all the requirements set out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for both Stage 1 and Stage 2. We are justly proud of the range of electives we offer, which allows you to specialise in a particular area. We offer four specialisms in Corporate Finance, Commercial Law, Private Client and Dispute Resolution. If you would rather ensure you study a range of electives to provide a broad base you can select any three modules of interest.

Study routes

• Full Time, 1 Years

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

Once you have successfully completed your LPC, the LLM in Legal Practice provides a mechanism by which students can differentiate themselves from others in the employment market by means of an additional qualification and relevant experience. Students will be able to critically reflect on their practices, work out their strengths and improve their weaknesses, which in turn will allow you to demonstrate your development as a reflective practitioner - a key attribute for an employee in the 21st century. It will ensure that when students attend interviews they will be in a position to demonstrate that they have undertaken relevant and assessed expertise in the legal field - essential for individuals looking for a training contract or even promotion. Additionally for those already in longer term employment this Programme will be able to provide the necessary continuing professional development (through the master class series) required by your employment.

You will need to be in a form of legal work (this could include a training contract, or a legal department) and you will also need the consent of your employer to undertake the programme. You will then be assessed based on the work that you produce stemming from your internship. This will include a portfolio, extended essays on a series of master classes and reflective exercises.

The University has an extensive careers service (Graduate Futures) available to all students, while the School has two academic members of staff, former solicitors, who hold regular 'surgeries' providing careers advice including CV writing, interview skills and suggestions for obtaining training contracts during your studies at the School.

Teaching methods

Face-to-face sessions will normally be held on a Wednesday (there are some exceptions to this, including foundation weeks, skills sessions and assessments) and the remaining seminar work can be undertaken online through the University's bespoke intranet system StudyNet at a time of your choosing. As well as all programme manuals and handbooks, we provide all our students with their own wireless-enabled laptop to ensure they are resourced to fully participate in the online seminars.

Professional Accreditations

The full-time Legal Practice Course is fully validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• Advocacy

  The module introduces students to the techniques and ethics of advocacy. The skill is formally assessed in Litigation. Students have informal assessment opportunities in face to face workshops and a formal formative assessment (mock) which is video recorded and provided to the student with feedback prior to the summative assessment.

• Business Law and Practice

  The module considers the role of commercial organisations and their legal regulation. It analyses in detail the structure and powers of companies, partnerships and sole traders and considers their relationship to organisations and individuals with whom they have dealings. Students are also introduced to the concept of Business Accounts and the processes of construction of balance sheets and profit and loss accounts.

• Drafting

  The module introduces students to the skill of legal drafting in the context of property law and practice with particular reference to the development of effective legal drafting. Students are expected to develop the skill of drafting using appropriate resources and precedents and to present their findings in an effective and clear format.

• Interviewing & Advising

  The module introduces students to the techniques and ethics of interviewing and advising a client. The skill is formally assessed in Business Law and Practice. However as an essential skill it pervades Stage 1 core modules. Students have informal assessment opportunities in face to face workshops and a formal formative assessment (mock) which is video recorded and provided to the student with feedback prior to the summative assessment.

• Litigation

  This module seeks to develop in students an appreciation of the nature of criminal and civil litigation, the ability to identify the critical steps in the process of litigation and to provide opportunities for the practice of some of those elements of litigation. Students also develop an understanding of the ethics of advocacy and will develop their skills through practice.

• Practical Legal Research

  The module supports students understanding of the significance of practical legal research in the context of Business Law and Practice. The capacity for Legal Research clearly underpins professional practice and it is therefore incorporated across all Stage 1 modules. The first assessment of this skill takes place within the commencing module of the Stage 1 programme

• Professional Conduct and Regulation

  The module pervades Stage 1 of the programme. It is a pivotal aspect of the whole programme due to its significance to the legal profession. It is considered in detail throughout all modules.

• Property Law & Practice

  The module aims to enable students to complete with confidence a domestic sale or purchase whether dealing with registered or unregistered land, freeholds, leaseholds, the part or whole, or new or existing properties. Students are expected to develop awareness of taxation issues, professional conduct and regulation including potential conflicts of interest and financial services legislation on advice given to clients.

• Solicitors Accounts

  This module aims to develop in students an understanding and appreciation of the conventions and regulations of solicitors accounts as governed by the Solicitors Accounts Rules and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Students are introduced to the range of accounts required, the rules relating to transfer of funds between accounts and client accountability. On a practical level, students acquire the ability to post entries in the double entry system reflecting common transactions between solicitors and their clients and learn how to draft a completion statement.

• Wills and Administration of Estates

  The module introduces students to the law and practice of wills and administration of estates with particular reference to the skill of effective legal writing. Students are expected to develop the skill of writing and drafting in the context of wills and administration of estates using appropriate resources and precedents and to present their findings in an effective and clear format.

• Writing

  The module introduces students to the skill of legal writing in the context of wills and administration of estates with particular reference to the development of the skill of effective legal writing. Students are expected to develop the skill of writing using appropriate resources and precedents and to present their findings in an effective and clear format.

Optional

• Advanced Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  The module extends students understanding of the detailed processes of civil litigation and dispute resolution. It offers additional expertise in the art of advocacy and negotiation to achieve dispute resolution and examines the processes of appeal and remedies. The module enhances the Litigation module studied in Stage 1 for the benefit of students intending to work in the area of civil practice.

• Commercial Law

  The module considers commercial activity and its legal regulation. It analyses commercial and consumer transactions and the legal framework in which they exist. It considers the law of agency and distributorship. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct and financial services legislation on advice given to clients.

• Commercial Property

  The module considers commercial property and its legal regulation. It examines drafting of commercial leases and advice on litigation in relation to the pursuance of a remedy. It considers the implications of planning law and compulsory purchase. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct and financial services legislation on advice given to clients.

• Employment Law

  The module considers the employment contract and its statutory legal regulation. It examines the legal requirements for the formation of a contract of employment, wrongful and unfair dismissal, discrimination and Employment Tribunal procedures and remedies. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Family Law

  The module considers Family Law and its statutory legal regulation. It examines the process of divorce and the drafting of divorce petitions, the protection of children in the family and approaches to the resolution of domestic violence, together with the litigation procedures which underpin these legal issues. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Information Technology

  The module considers the contractual framework for the protection of Information Technology rights. It examines the drafting requirements of each form of contract by which such rights may arise and the appropriate method of protection of these rights. It considers relevant intellectual property issues together with the enforcement processes by which IT rights may be protected. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Intellectual Property

  The module considers Intellectual Property rights and their statutory legal regulation. It examines the processes by which such rights may arise and the appropriate method of protection of these rights. It considers issues of confidentiality and data management together with the enforcement processes by which intellectual property rights may be protected. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Mediation

  The module offers students the opportunity to understand the mediation process as an alternative to litigation. Students are introduced to the underlying principles of mediation together the various stages required to complete a mediation. The module will allow students to develop the skill of assessment of the likelihood of success of the mediation process in given circumstances together with the opportunity to practise the mediation process to develop potential skills as a mediator. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Personal Injury

  The module considers the litigation process for personal injury claims. Developing upon students experience of Civil Litigation in Stage 1, the module introduces students to the specific requirements and procedures of personal injury litigation. Students are given the opportunity to practise these skills in the context of case studies in the workshops. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Private Client and Estate Planning

  The module examines commonly arising matters of private client work in small and medium sized practices. Consideration is given to will drafting and trust planning and administration, tax planning, the elderly client and incapacity and post death processes. Students study the legal and procedural processes of each matter and are given the opportunity to practise these skills in the context of case studies in the workshops. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.

• Security & Insolvency

  The module examines issues of real and personal security and insolvency proceedings in relation to individuals, partnerships or corporations. The module also considers measures which may be taken in insolvency proceedings, such as individual and corporate voluntary arrangements. Students study the legal and procedural processes of each matter and are given the opportunity to practise these skills in the context of case studies in the workshops. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct and financial issues in advice given to clients.

Fees & funding

Fees 2013

UK/EU Students

Full time: £10,200 for the 2013 academic year

International Students

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply