Legal Practice Course Explained

Legal Practice Course should not be confused with Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.

The Legal Practice Course (LPC)also known as the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practiceis a postgraduate course and the final educational stage for becoming a solicitor in England, Wales and Australia (where it is commonly known as "practical legal training" or "PLT"). The course is designed to provide a bridge between academic study and training in a law firm. It is a one-year, full-time (or two-year, part-time) course, and tuition fees range from £8,000-£17,300 a year. A small proportion of students may have their fees and some living expenses paid for by future employers under a training contract.

The course is usually taken after a law degree, but a large minority take the course after studying a different subject at university and taking a conversion course called the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL/CPE). The LPC is regulated through the Law Society of England and Wales and replaced the Law Society’s Final Examination (LSF) in 1993.^[1] Like the GDL/CPE, the LPC can be applied to through the Central Applications Board.

The LPC is also offered to LLB graduates at some Australian universities, as an alternative to an articled clerkship. In Scotland, the equivalent is the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.

Course content

The course content can be broadly classified into three phases of learning. These are (a) "Core" compulsory modules, (b) "Elective" modules and (c) practical skills. Skills comprise advocacy, interviewing and advising, writing, drafting and research, solicitors' accounts, wills and administration and taxation.

Generally taught in the first (and longest) part of the course, the compulsory modules are generally Criminal Litigation, Business Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice, and Civil litigation. In the shorter second part of the course, students select their "Elective" modules from a list chosen by the providing institution.

Topics vary from institution to institution, but those widely available include advanced courses in the compulsory modules, along with: personal injury, family law, employment law, housing law, immigration law, probate and private client, commercial law, welfare law and commercial property law. Some topics recur throughout the teaching of all course topics and can come up in all examinations. These include: professional conduct, restricted activities under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, business accounts and taxation.

Eligibility and length

Different institutions require different grades before accepting candidates onto their course. Institutions will often interview students with third class degrees before accepting them while only some will interview before accepting a candidate with a lower second. The course generally lasts nine months and has substantially less holiday than an undergraduate course. Emphasis is placed on class room teaching alongside independent study.

Quality of different institutions

LPC providers are inspected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, commonly referred to as the SRA, with the intention of maintaining high standards throughout the sector. Some providers are notably more expensive than others^[2] and will often be able to spend more money on both staff and facilities.

Pass rates

In 2005, a total of 6,554 people passed the LPC, an overall rate of 84%, representing a 3% rise from the previous year. It is possible to sit all LPC exams three times before failing the course. It is necessary to pass all subjects.

9,337 students enrolled on the LPC in 2008/09. Quite a few deferred their exams or dropped out altogether, leaving 7,759 to take the exam; 5,824 of those passed the exams that year (75% of those who entered), just over the number of training contracts on offer (5,809).^[3] Training contracts with big firms tend to start recruitment 2 years in advance i.e. 2 years before completion of the LPC.

Funding

The Law Society has a bursary scheme, this is available for some candidates who have already taken the LPC. Upon securing and commencing a training contract the recipient individual gets their fees paid through Law Society funds.

It is not uncommon for law firms to provide sponsorship to LPC students^[4] as part of a job offer. Generally sponsorship is only offered by wealthy commercial practices, although a limited number of legal aid sponsorship packages (funded by the Law Society of England and Wales) do exist.

Banks do offer preferential bank loans to post-graduate students in employment. This is an expensive option with loans of up to £25,000 being available. Alternatively, information on professional career development loans run by the National Careers Service^[5] can be found on the National Careers Service website,^[6] or in Job Centres.

Criticism

• Relevancy: The LPC has been criticised by some professionals as being too broad. All students have to take the compulsory subjects detailed above, regardless of whether they want a 'high street' career or a 'commercial' one. The broad basis of the course could be seen as bringing increased legal awareness to future professionals.^[7]
• Redundant Components: Certain components, such as the Interviewing and Advising skill assessment, have been criticised as being redundant. The Interviewing and Advising skill assessment creates a highly artificial scenario in which a trainee solicitor interviews a client and then proceeds to render impromptu legal advice.
• Length: The process of becoming a solicitor has been described as, 'lengthy, demanding and academically difficult.^[8] The LPC adds an extra year (or 7 months, if one is on an "Accelerated" course) onto the process of qualifying.
• Commercial bias: Commercial legal practices are far more likely to be able to provide financial sponsorship for the LPC, this means that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have a strong financial incentive not to go into legal aid work such as crime, family and civil liberties - as legal aid firms cannot afford to sponsor the LPC. Commentators such as Clare Dyer (journalist at The Guardian) have spoken of a legal aid 'crisis' in regard to trainees.^[9]
• Elective element: The elective element of the LPC has been criticised as 'unnecessary,' as it lengthens the course and burdens students with extra costs.^[10] The elective element is the part of the course that allows students to specialise in line with their future career.
• Number of places: There have been criticisms that the number of places offered each year by LPC Providers massively outstrips the number of vacancies for training contracts (According to the latest Law Society Annual Statistical report there were 5,411 new training contracts registered and just over 8,000 students sitting the LPC). Taking the LPC can cause many students considerable debt and no return on their investment whatsoever.^{[11] [12]}

List of course providers

• Anglia Ruskin University^[13]
• Birmingham City University^[14]
• Bournemouth University^[15]
• BPP Law School, with 8 branches in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Holborn and Waterloo)^{[16] [17]} and Manchester
• Bristol Law School^[18]
• Cardiff Law School (formerly part of the University of Wales)^[19]
• Central Law Training^[20]
• City Law School, London^[21]
• Derby, School of Law and Criminology, Derby^[22]
• De Montfort University^[23]
• Inns of Court School of Law^[24]
• Leeds Beckett University^[25]
• Liverpool John Moores University^[26]
• London Metropolitan University^[27]
• Manchester Metropolitan University^[28]
• Northumbria University^[29]
• Nottingham Law School^[30]
• Southampton Solent University^[31]

• Staffordshire University^[32]
• Swansea University (formerly part of the University of Wales)^[33]
• The University of Law, Birmingham^{[34] [35]}
• The University of Law, Bristol^{[34] [35]}
• The University of Law, Chester^{[34] [35]}
• The University of Law, Manchester^{[34] [35]}
• The University of Law, Guildford^{[34] [35]}
• The University of Law, London (Bloomsbury and Moorgate)^{[34] [35]}
• The University of Law, Leeds^{[34] [35]}
• University of Central Lancashire^[36]
• University of Exeter (will run at the University of Plymouth from September 2006)^[37]
• University of Glamorgan^[38]
• University of Hertfordshire^[39]
• University of Huddersfield^[40]
• University of Plymouth^[41]
• University of Sheffield^[42]
• University of West London^[43]
• University of Westminster^[44]
• University of Wolverhampton^[45]

Future of the Legal Practice Course

In May 2017, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced the establishment of a new “super exam” called the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which would gradually replace the LPC and the Graduate Diploma in Law.^{[46] [47]}

In August 2018, the SRA announced that Kaplan had been granted the contract to develop and run the exam for eight years.^[48] The SQE will be a two-part national assessment, SQE1 costing £1,558 and SQE2 costing £2,422, and will come into force from 1 September 2021, subject to approval from the Legal Services Board (LSB).^{[49] [50] [51]}

See also

• Articled clerk
• Law Society of England and Wales
• Legal education
  • Common Professional Examination (CPE) - conversion course for non-law graduates
  • Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) - equivalent course for intending barristers
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) - equivalent course in Hong Kong
  • Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) is a series of tests for the licence to practise as solicitor in England and Wales designed for foreign licensed attorneys.
• List of areas of law
• List of largest UK law firms
• Solicitor
• Trainee solicitor

External links

• Law Society of England and Wales- Solicitors' Professional Body
• Law Society Gazette - Jobs and Articles

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Notes and References

1. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/law-transforming-knowledge-into-knowhow-the-law-societys-finals-are-to-be-replaced-with-a-oneyear-training-scheme-that-will-emphasize-practical-skills-writes-sharon-wallach-1541673.html The Independent Newspaper, 21 August 1992
2. Web site: Lawyer 2B Law School Comparison Tool - Lawyer 2B. l2b.thelawyer.com. 23 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20150306171151/http://l2b.thelawyer.com/3026504.article#/. 6 March 2015. dead.
3. http://www.the-art-of-law.co.uk/?cat=15 The Job Market: Solicitors | The Art of Law
4. http://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/law-solicitors/305519-which-law-firms-will-fund-your-lpc-and-gdl-course-fees-and-pay-maintenance-costs LPC Sponsorship
5. https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans/overview Professional Career Development loan on gov.uk
6. https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/courses/funding/Pages/loans.aspx Professional Career Development loan on National Career Development Loan
7. Web site: The state of the LPC. www.spr-consilio.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20050411234053/http://www.spr-consilio.com/artlpc1.html . 11 April 2005.
8. http://www.he.courses-careers.com/law.htm
9. http://www.brennancenter.org/programs/lse/pages/view_elerts.php?elert_id=&s_date=&e_date=&category_id=28&end_date=&page=4&search_text= Oops, Looks like we found a bad link | Brennan Center for Justice
10. Web site: 27 September 2007. Response to the Law Society's Consultation Paper on "Qualifying as a Solicitor - a Framework for the Future". dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927141038/http://www.citysolicitors.org.uk/_word/trnqualsol.pdf. 27 September 2007. 23 April 2018.
11. Web site: Newsletter - Chambers Student Guide. Chambers Student. 23 April 2018.
12. http://www.younglegalaidlawyers.org/file/Releases_ResponsesYLALResponsetoLSConsultationonMinimumSalary-170107.pdf Young Legal Aid Lawyers
13. http://www.apu.ac.uk Anglia Ruskin University
14. Web site: Birmingham City University. www.bcu.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
15. Web site: Bournemouth University. www.bournemouth.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
16. http://www.bpp.com/law BPP Law School
17. Web site: BPP Law School - True Picture - Chambers Student Guide. 39-41 Parker. Street. London. WC2B 5PG 0207 606. 8844http://www.chambers. partners.co.uk. Chambers Student. 23 April 2018.
18. http://bls.uwe.ac.uk Bristol Law School at UWE
19. Web site: Cardiff University. cf.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
20. Web site: Title of the article. www.clt.co.uk. 23 April 2018. 23 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180423232551/http://www.clt.co.uk/Legal-Practice-Course-LPC. dead.
21. Web site: The City Law School. City, University of London. 23 April 2018.
22. Web site: Derby Law School - University of Derby. username. www.derby.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
23. Web site: De Montfort University - Leicester, UK. www.dmu.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
24. Web site: About The City Law School. City, University of London. 23 April 2018.
25. Web site: Leeds Law School - Leeds Beckett University. www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
26. Web site: Liverpool John Moores University. livjm.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
27. Web site: London Metropolitan University. London Metropolitan. University. London Metropolitan University. 23 April 2018.
28. Web site: Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester Metropolitan University. Manchester Metropolitan. University. www.mmu.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
29. Web site: Northumbria University Newcastle #TakeOnTomorrow. www.northumbria.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
30. Web site: Nottingham Law School. ntu.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
31. http://www.solent.ac.uk/law/LPC.aspx Southampton Solent University
32. Web site: University of Stafford School of Law. Staffordshire Law. School. www.staffs.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
33. Web site: Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law. www.swan.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
34. Web site: Law College reviews - Find out the best-rated law school college in the UK - Free Legal Advice. college-of-law.co.uk. 23 April 2018.
35. Web site: University of Law - True Picture - Chambers Student Guide. 39-41 Parker. Street. London. WC2B 5PG 0207 606. 8844http://www.chambers. partners.co.uk. Chambers Student. 23 April 2018.
36. Web site: Innovative Thinking for the Real World -. Jaishila Dabhi Thorpe. [e-mail]. uclan.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
37. Web site: Home - University of Exeter. www.ex.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
38. http://www.glam.ac.uk University of Glamorgan
39. Web site: Home - University of Hertfordshire. www.herts.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
40. Web site: University of Huddersfield. www.hud.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
41. Web site: Welcome to the University of Plymouth. plymouth.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
42. http://www.shef.ac.uk/law/lpc University of Sheffield
43. Web site: The Career University - University of West London. www.uwl.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
44. Web site: University of Westminster, London. www.wmin.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
45. Web site: University of Wolverhampton. www.wlv.ac.uk. 23 April 2018.
46. Web site: Reidy . Tess . What does the new solicitor super-exam mean for trainees? . The Guardian . 2 May 2017 . 2 May 2017.
47. Web site: The Solicitors Qualifying Exam: everything we know so far . LawCareers . 7 April 2020.
48. Web site: Simmons . Richard . Kaplan gets contract to run SRA super-exam – but no word yet on cost . The Lawyer . August 2018 . 1 August 2018.
49. Web site: Hussain . Aishah . SRA reveals SQE exam cost of £3,980 as it extends transitional arrangements in response to COVID-19 . Legal Cheek . 30 July 2020 . 30 July 2020.
50. Web site: Understanding the SQE and what it means for me . The University of Law.
51. Web site: Solicitors Qualifying Examination . Solicitors Regulation Authority. 12 December 2017 .