Legal Practice Course PgD

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Course starts: 12 October 2020Apply now

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

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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?

  • Internationally excellent research in Law according to the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF)
  • 95.3% of our graduates are in employment or further study within six months of graduating, according to DLHE 2016/17 (based on UK postgraduate students)
  • Gain real-world experience in the Sunderland Student Law Clinic, a professionally supervised service, offering free legal advice and assistance to the general public
  • This course is approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

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.

Semester 1

Core modules

  • Advanced Legal Practice (25 credits)
  • Business Law & Practice (25 credits)
  • Property Law & Practice (20 credits)

Optional modules (choose one):

  • Commercial Contracts (10 credits)
  • Family Law & Practice (10 credits)

 

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

Read more

Semester 2

Core modules

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

Optional modules (choose two):

  • Commercial Property (10 credits)
  • Employment Law & Practice (10 credits)
  • Housing Law & Practice (10 credits)
  • Advanced Personal Injury Litigation (10 credits)
Read more

  • You can access free Wi-Fi throughout the University campus, so you can work from anywhere. If you don't want to carry a laptop around, just use one of the University’s PCs or Apple Macs. We have hundreds of computers for you to use in the Murray Library, St Peter's Library, and the David Goldman Informatics Centre. If you ever have any technical problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.

    IT provision

  • Sunderland Student Law Clinic provides quality, free legal advice and assistance to local members of the public and start-up businesses. All work is carried out by students who are supervised by nine qualified solicitors with over 140 years experience between them. Students can choose to study in Sunderland Student Law Clinic in their final year of their undergraduate studies and all students studying to become a solicitor on our LLM Legal Practice LPC spend at least half a day each week in clinic, meaning that some of our students leave us with two years' live client work experience. Students can work voluntarily for work experience in Sunderland Student Law Clinic each summer, regardless of their stage of study.

    Law Clinic

  • The Law Library, which is located within the St Peter’s Library, offers an excellent selection of books. There is also a range of electronic sources of information such as Lexis and West Law. We’ll help you make the best use of all the resources that are available, with a series of sessions during the induction week and throughout your first year.

  • Our specially designed courtroom allows you to develop your advocacy skills and apply legal knowledge in a realistic environment. The mock court is also used for mooting competitions: our students compete nationally and if you make it through to the final of our mooting competition you may have the opportunity to compete at the Supreme Court in London.

  • Map and directions

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 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.

Fees and finance

The annual fee for this course is:

  • £7,600 if you are from the UK or EU

If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK, EU or international student, find out more in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

Use our scholarships calculator to see what you may be entitled to.

Scholarships calculator

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This information was correct at the time of publication.

Student at the graduation ceremony

Employment

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.

Meet the team

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: 05 November 2019

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