Legal Practice Course PgD

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Experience working in a live client professional environment. Manage your own caseload, whilst working in the field. Qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.

Scholarships available

Overview

This course will prepare you for qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales. Our part-time offer means you can combine study with work and complete the course before or alongside your training contract. You will study all the modules you need to complete your Legal Practice Course (LPC) for the purposes of the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Why us?

This course is approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
Taught by supportive and passionate staff with years of experience in practice

Gain real-world experience in the Sunderland Student Law Clinic, a professionally supervised service, offering free legal advice and assistance to the general public

Course structure

Teaching takes place on Mondays and Tuesdays only. If you study the course full-time, you will spend a further half-day, of your choice, working in Sunderland Student Law Clinic. We also offer this course on a part-time basis for those already on their Training Contract or in other legal employment, which leaves you free to work Wednesday to Friday.

The course begins with a week-long induction which will introduce you to the course and help prepare you for securing legal employment. It includes a two-day event in which you will apply for simulated training contracts offered by local firms whose staff will mentor you through a recruitment process to prepare you for the kinds of interviews you might encounter on your way to a solicitors' training contract.

Workshops are practical and your tutors are practising solicitors. All of your lecturers continue to practise law either in law firms or through Sunderland Student Law Clinic.

You will be allocated a personal tutor, who will also be your clinic supervisor, who will support you throughout the course and help you with your CV and interview preparation.

You will mostly be assessed through exams. Examinations are practical and ‘open book’ with the use of computers to mirror real-life legal practice. This ensures assessments are realistic, relevant and help you in preparation for your training contract.

Course modules

Semester 1

Core modules:

Advanced Legal Practice (25 credits)
Business Law and Practice (25 credits)
Property Law and Practice (20 credits)

Optional modules (choose one):

Commercial Contracts (10 credits)
Family Law and Practice (10 credits)

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Semester 2

Core modules

Litigation and Advocacy (20 credits)
Solicitors Accounts (5 credits)
Wills and Administration of Estates (15 credits)

Optional modules (choose two):

Commercial Property (10 credits)
Employment Law and Practice (10 credits)
Housing Law and Practice (10 credits)
Advanced Personal Injury Litigation (10 credits)

Facilities

You’ll be based at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, on the banks of the River Wear. The campus is within minutes’ walking distance from the coast. Here, you’ll have access to excellent library resources and comprehensive facilities.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

We require applicants to hold 2:2 in a Qualified Law Degree or equivalent, or a 2:2 in any discipline followed by successful completion of a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).

We also welcome applications from Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives (FILEX) or those with an appropriate level of relevant professional experience.

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

Fees are:

£8,500 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled

Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

A law student in a black robe standing at the front of the mock court engaging in conversation

Career ready

This course teaches you the knowledge and skills needed to become a Trainee Solicitor. You will practice the key skills required for legal practice and receive formative feedback on your progress. This, coupled with your live client experience in Sunderland Student Law Clinic, ensures that you will make an impact at interview.

Sunderland Student Law Clinic

The Sunderland Student Law Clinic offers a free and professional service focusing on areas where people may find it difficult to find or afford other legal services. At the same time, the Clinic provides an opportunity for students to gain valuable real-life experience and put theory into practice. Everything that the Clinic does is overseen by an experienced solicitor, ensuring a consistently high standard of legal advice throughout.

Student Mobility Project

We offer you the opportunity to spend a week in London at our Canary Wharf base and take part in programmes and experiences that will make you more employable including a visit to parliament, the law courts and a city law firm.

You will also be offered the chance to take part in an exchange, spending a month at the law clinic at Deakin University, Melbourne.

Related courses

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism.

Page last updated: 11 March 2024

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.