Are you a law graduate, or have you done a GDL or CPE, and want to train to be a Solicitor?

There is still time to take the traditional route to solicitor training with Northumbria University’s Legal Practice Course (LPC).

Northumbria’s Legal Practice LLM helps you make the transition from the classroom to the courtroom.

Acting as a bridge between the academic study of law and the practice of law, you will get the opportunity to apply the legal knowledge you gain on the programme in a practical way. Approved by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a training route, this LLM offers you the chance to gain an internationally recognised LLM qualification in addition to your LPC.

Our LLM in Legal Practice allows you to choose a specialism and to study the areas of law you are most interested in, whilst preparing you for a training contract and life as a solicitor. The LLM is also eligible for a Government Postgraduate Loan unlike a standalone LPC.

As an LPC LLM student you will get tailored careers support which will help give your career an edge.

Northumbria University works in partnership with Citizens Advice Newcastle and Support Through Court, legal charities providing advice, assistance and/or support to individuals and promoting access to justice. You will have the opportunity, subject to successful application, to volunteer with these organisations to develop your legal skills, enhance your employability and assist individuals with advice, assistance and/or support. You may also have the opportunity to work in Northumbria University’s multi-award winning Student Law Office (subject to available places), where you will provide legal advice to members of the public under the supervision of qualified solicitors/barristers.

Northumbria has been running Legal Practice Courses very successfully for many years. We have graduates working in practice and in house at all levels and in all practice areas. Please read some of our student and alumni testimonials about the course here.

We look forward to welcoming you on the course, any further information at this stage please contact Dr Lyndsey Bengtsson , Programme Leader, or Bethany A’Court , Deputy Programme Leader.

Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

Before September 2021 everyone wishing to qualify as a solicitor had to undertake the Legal Practice Course (LPC). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) in September 2021. The SQE is a national assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. It will provide a fair and consistent assessment for all candidates regardless of whether they have taken a law degree or qualified through new routes like the solicitor apprenticeship. The SQE will eventually replace the LPC entirely, but there is currently a period of transition.

Broadly, if you started your law degree or an exempting law degree or Common Professional Examination (CPE)/Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before the SQE was introduced, you should still be able to qualify under the LPC route. Find out more about the SQE.

Dr Victoria Roper, Associate Professor at Northumbria University, answers crucial questions about the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination in the BBC's podcast series; Not All Lawyers Have Law Degrees.

Discover more courses like this:

• Professional Legal Practice LLM
• Legal Practice Postgraduate Diploma

The LLM in Legal Practice is a vocational course and teaching and learning reflect the focus on preparation for legal practice.

On this full-time programme you will attend two days per week, each Tuesday and Wednesday. Please note that assessments can be timetabled on other days.

The LPC element of the programme is taught in two blocks which you will focus on from September to May:

Stage 1- the three core practice areas of Business Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice and Litigation are taught and assessed, along with Wills and Administration of Estates, Solicitors' Accounts and Professional Conduct. The skills of Legal Writing, Interviewing and Advising, Drafting, Research and Advocacy, are taught and assessed in the context of the core subjects.

Stage 2- you will choose three elective modules which you will decide on in consultation with your tutors, ensuring your LPC is tailored according to your interests and career goals. There are a wide range of electives modules available at Northumbria, which should suit all career aspirations. These usually include: Employment Law, Family Law, Child Care Law, Law & the Elderly Client, Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Finance, Mental Health Law, Sales & Acquisitions and Student Law Office.

You are encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning, with a focus on the development of professional attitudes and abilities, alongside the development of ethical responses to legal practice. All students study legal research as a pervasive subject; this skill is practised throughout the course, and assessed as part of the LLM.

LPC modules are assessed by examination or in context throughout the course.

After completion of your LPC assessments in May you will move on to complete your project or portfolio. You will learn through a combination of tutor-directed and independent learning, and through reflective practice. The module will contain enhanced taught elements of research skills to support you in your learning. Additionally, you will be allocated a project supervisor for your project, who will provide formative feedback on your project research and writing. Your summative assessment for the module is a 8,000-10,000 word research project which will be linked to an area of study under your LPC.

You can do it all - balance study with your life

Your workshops, seminars and lectures will all be timetabled on a Tuesday and Wednesday, making it easier to plan fitting in your study with your other commitments.

For a full-time Master’s programme we expect a commitment of around 35 hours per week (these include the above hours of study on campus/online learning). With our City Campus Library and the University Library Digital Commons open 24/7 during term-time, you are free to do your self-directed study when you choose and fit your studies around your life

You will have access to the very best facilities including Northumbria’s mock courtroom, extensive IT provision and dedicated Legal Practice Library. Close links with the North East legal profession, as well the option to study in our award-winning Student Law Office, mean that there are excellent opportunities to gain real life legal work experience.

We use technology to enhance your learning experience. Underpinning each module is an e-Learning Portal, which offers detailed learning materials including power point slides and self-evaluative tasks. All lectures are Panopto-recorded. This enables you to review lectures at your own pace and catch up on any you may have missed.

The skill of interviewing is taught in the context of criminal litigation as a police station interview, with actors playing the role of the suspect during the assessment.

Our specialist Law Practice Library contains practitioner materials as well as a wide variety of journals and law reports. The range and depth of resources reflects our position as the largest law school in the North East region.

Northumbria Law School is one of the largest law schools in the UK and is ranked 7th?amongst UK law schools for research power?in REF 2021.? We have?a national and international reputation for excellence in legal education, enriched by the research excellence and professional practice expertise of our staff. This enhances your learning experience, giving you the very latest understanding of key legal issues.

Northumbria Law School is home to the Centre for Evidence and Criminal Justice Studies and the award- winning Student Law Office.

You will also profit from the research environment at Northumbria University, with regular talks given by internal and external speakers, organised by the Centre for Evidence or one of the various Research Interest Groups (e.g. RIG Science and Justice).

Employability

We run an excellent careers programme with law specific careers events held throughout the year, including employer presentations and workshops. Specialist career professionals from our Graduate Futures team provide 1-2-1 careers information, advice and guidance to support you at each stage of your career planning.

This quality support includes assistance with developing your networking skills, enhancing your job search skills and providing feedback on your CV and job applications. The programme teaching staff have previous practice experience in a range of practice areas and are happy to speak with you/share their experiences of working in local and national law firms.

We also offer a Law School Practice Interview Scheme - every student can make an appointment with a member of staff to do a practice interview and receive feedback prior to a graduate interview. Our central careers support provides a dedicated student employability hub that provides law students with access to job vacancies, automated CV checking software, interview simulator experience, a psychometric testing platform and a variety of additional resources to help you plan and manage your legal career. You can also participate in employability workshops and attend our annual Careers Fair.

We offer an Employability Learning Fund to support those from Widening Participation (WP) student groups. The aim of the scheme is to provide funds to further support WP students with employment opportunities. Additional employability support may be available and more details can be provided on request.