LLM Legal Practice

Why choose Herts?

Professional Accreditation: This Legal Practice Course (LPC) meets the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This is the established pathway into a career as a solicitor.
Work-Related Learning: LPC students gain client-facing casework experience working in legal services within our award-winning pro-bono Law Clinic providing community-based legal services.
Teaching Excellence: You will be taught by experts, including practising solicitors and barristers who will train you to work on authentic, real-life scenarios at our £10m Law Court Building inclusive of a full-scale replica Crown Court Room.

As this course is approved by the SRA, you must also apply through the Central Applications Board (LawCAB). Their application requires you to submit a personal statement and you can apply to up to three institutions.

Apply through LawCAB

You should have either a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD), usually with a minimum 2:2 classification, or have successfully completed an undergraduate degree in a subject other than law and have successfully completed the GDL qualification.

The Legal Practice Course is designed for applicants who are currently studying or have obtained their Qualifying Law Degrees (QLD/LLB) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) in the UK or for those who have been admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (FILEx).

Find institutions that offer Qualifying Law Degrees on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) website. You can also review the award titles of the qualifying degrees.

The LPC is not designed for students who have studied law degrees outside of the UK unless the degree has been recognised by the UK QAA and has been awarded in collaboration with a UK institution such as the University of London.

Please contact our Admissions Tutor at lawadmissions@herts.ac.uk to discuss entry requirements further.

Application Guidance

You'll be required to upload evidence of your QLD or GDL; if your degree result is pending, note this in the qualification section of the application form (i.e. pending result TBC).

We do not require references or a detailed personal statement so you can put N/A in that field. If you do have one you can upload it.

Please note, any offers made (even if you already meet the academic entry requirements) will be conditional on you submitting your LawCAB application.


Institution code	H36
School of study	Hertfordshire Law School
Course length	Full Time, 1 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Employability

Careers

At Hertfordshire Law School we take a genuine interest in your career aims. We will do all we can to guide and support you in your steps towards your career goals.

As well as embedding key professional skills into your modules, we work closely with the University’s Careers Team to organise career talks and events to support you in gaining the relevant knowledge, skills and experience needed to enhance your employability in the legal profession and other graduate roles. For example, we have a series of ‘conversation with’ sessions involving alumni and other speakers who share their career journeys and tips for success. We run and participate in graduate and law fairs, as well as hosting our annual law ‘speed-networking’ event with local employers.

We have a dedicated Law School ‘Employability and Career Enhancement’ site with a large number of career resources and up to date information about events and opportunities. We also have a LinkedIn group for Hertfordshire Law School students and alumni. Our University Careers platform ‘Handshake’ gives you access to wide range of support, events, job vacancies and skills enhancement resources. One to one support is readily available with our Director of Employability and the University’s Careers Team, as well as your own Academic Support Tutor.

Professional Accreditations

The course meets the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and is the established pathway into a career as a solicitor.

As a course approved by the SRA, you must also apply through the Central Applications Board (LawCAB).

Apply through LawCAB.

About the course

If you want to be a solicitor and work in the legal profession, the full-time one-year LLM Legal Practice offered by the University of Hertfordshire is the course for you! Our course not only offers an established route into the legal profession but also enables you to obtain a prestigious LLM.

In Semesters A and B, you will study Stages 1 and 2 of the Legal Practice Course (LPC), both of which are required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA):

Stage 1 includes compulsory modules on Professional Conduct and Regulation, Wills and Administration of Estates, Solicitors' Accounts, Legal Writing, Legal Drafting, Practical Legal Research, Advocacy, Interviewing and Advising, plus 3 core practice areas of Business Law and Practice, Litigation (both Criminal and Civil) and Property Law and Practice.
Stage 2 elective modules (choice of 3) include Employment Law, Family Law, Immigration Law, Personal Injury, Private Client and Estate Planning, Commercial Law, Commercial Property Law and Private Acquisitions.

Finally, in Semester C, you will complete an extended project over the summer. You will leave us with the knowledge and skills required by the legal profession - skills that are highly valued by potential employers.

Why choose this course?

The University of Hertfordshire is well known for its great links with industry and the professions, its first-class teaching, high-quality facilities and dedicated staff. Naturally, this course is no different. Taught by experts, including practising solicitors and barristers, it will equip you with all the up-to-date, transferable, interpersonal and practical skills you will need for your career in the legal profession.

Our innovative teaching methods utilise experiential learning to prepare you for practice, including our state-of-the-art courtroom where you will develop advocacy skills – a core component of the LLM Legal Practice. You will also have many opportunities to undertake co-curricular activities to strengthen your skills in areas such as commercial awareness, adjudication and family mediation and to participate in a range of pro-bono projects, including our award-winning Law Clinic.

We limit class sizes to ensure that you receive the best teaching and pastoral support. This also enables the teaching to be flexible and focused on the needs of the individual students, setting them on their chosen pathways into highly successful legal careers.

You may be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England, so you can focus entirely on your studies to maximise your potential. Find out more about a Postgraduate Master's Loan on the Government website.

Hertfordshire Law School has helped graduates forge successful careers for 40 years. You’ll benefit from our reputation for being forward thinking, innovative, and responsive to the world around us.

Award-winning: Best Contribution by a Team of Students helping vulnerable people at risk of homelessness in Hertfordshire (Law Works Student Pro Bono Awards, 2022). Ranked 4th for law in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, Advance HE, 2023).

What will I study?

This one-year intensive full-time course consists of two face-to-face teaching days per week, and in addition, you will be required to complete guided study on your non-teaching days. Assessments may fall on any day of the week. In Semester B, depending on your elective choices, you may be required to attend classes on more than 2 days per week.

The focus of our teaching model is interactive workshops supported by online lectures. Assessment is carried out via a range of methods in accordance with the SRA requirements including oral assessments and open book examinations. Small class sizes and dedicated support from tutors will encourage you to give your best to your studies.

Level 7

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Practical Legal Research LPC	0 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Business Law and Practice (LPC)	30 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Litigation (LPC)	30 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Property Law and Practice (LPC)	15 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Wills and Administration of Estates (LPC)	0 Credits	Compulsory
The module is a core requirement and introduces students to the law and practice of wills and administration of estates. 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.
Solicitors Accounts (LPC)	0 Credits	Compulsory
This module will introduce students to the role of the Solicitors Regulation Authority to secure compliance with the Solicitors' Accounts Rules. Students are introduced to the range of accounts required, the rules relating to the 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.
Professional Conduct and Regulation (LPC)	0 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Interviewing and Advising LPC	0 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Legal Writing LPC	0 Credits	Compulsory
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.
Advocacy LPC	0 Credits	Compulsory
The module introduces students to the techniques and ethics of advocacy.
Drafting LPC	0 Credits	Compulsory
The module introduces students to the skill of legal drafting in the context of Civil Litigation 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.
Marketing and Business Development for Legal Professionals	60 Credits	Compulsory
This module allows students to focus on key issues that are relevant to professional legal practice with the emphasis on marketing, business development and client relationship management in the legal profession. It will allow students to develop commercial and business awareness in relation to the legal sector and develop key skills of research, knowledge and discernment of the legal profession generally as well as in a variety of specialised practice areas. The Research Project is an independent piece of work incorporating research, study and evaluation. Students will devise their own hypothesis and research questions. Each student is allocated an individual supervisor and will have regular meetings to discuss their research progress.
Commercial Law LPC	15 Credits	Optional
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 (LPC)	15 Credits	Optional
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.
Personal Injury (LPC)	15 Credits	Optional
The module considers Personal Injury and relevant statutory regulation. It examines the process of personal injury claims and how to solve these through litigation and negotiation, together with the litigation procedures which underpin these legal issues. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.
Private Client and Estate Planning (LPC)	15 Credits	Optional
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.
Employment Law (LPC)	15 Credits	Optional
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 (LPC)	15 Credits	Optional
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.
Immigration Law	15 Credits	Optional
The module considers Immigration Law and relevant statutory legal regulation. It examines the process of immigration disputes and how to solve these through litigation and negotiation, together with the litigation procedures which underpin these legal issues. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of professional conduct in advice given to clients.
Private Acquisitions	15 Credits	Optional
This module considers the legal and practical aspects of the acquisition and disposal of companies and businesses. It examines transaction process, transaction structure (including factors influencing the choice of structure) and the tax implications of such transactions, as well as practical aspects of carrying out due diligence, risk allocation and the drafting and negotiation of contractual provisions commonly used in this context. It also considers related professional conduct and financial services issues.
Employability Skills and Career Planning	0 Credits	Optional
Students will be able to access employability and enterprise resources including workshops, online materials and books in order to help them formulate a career or post"graduate study plan. Students will have the opportunity to hear speakers from a variety of areas give advice and guidance as to how to enter those fields. Students will be required to undertake a certain number of activities and reflect on what they have learned in order to complete the module successfully.

Key staff

Christopher Menzies
Programme Leader
Find out more about Christopher Menzies

Further course information

Course fact sheets
LLM Legal Practice	Download

Programme specifications
LLM Legal Practice	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	n/a
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare. Together we'll ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and building your career.

Find out about how we support our students

If you need support, we’re here for you. Hertfordshire Law School is a warm, welcoming community where you’ll find plenty of people to encourage you through your studies. You’ll have your own academic support tutor for the whole time you’re here, and our friendly cohort leaders are always happy to talk things through. If you need some personal support, we’ve also got our own wellbeing leader, and many of our academics are trained and accredited in mental health first aid.

For additional free help with study skills, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions and online tutorials. Both our LRCs (Learning Resources Centres) run drop-in study skills sessions.

You can also read our student blogs to find out about life at Herts.

Funding and fees
Other financial support

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

Fees 2024
UK Students

Full time
- £14805 for the 2024/2025 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £14805 for the 2024/2025 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £14805 for the 2024/2025 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

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

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
07/09/2024	31/08/2025	Apply online (Full Time)

2025

Start Date	End Date	Link
07/09/2025	31/08/2026	Apply online (Full Time)

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LLM Legal Practice

Why choose Herts?

Application Guidance

Careers

Professional Accreditations

About the course

Why choose this course?

What will I study?

Key staff

Further course information

Student experience

Other financial support

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Living costs / accommodation

2024

2025