Are you a law graduate, or have you done a GDL or CPE, and want to train to work in professional legal practice? We can help you transition from the classroom to the courtroom.

Our LLM Professional Legal Practice course aims to develop the academic and legal knowledge required for the SQE assessment and professional practice.

This course has been designed to build and develop your legal knowledge. It will prepare you for the external assessment methods used in the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) in September 2021. The SQE is a two-part national assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.  The course is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge to sit stage 1 of the SQE assessment (SQE1) through integrated preparation modules. It also lays the foundations to help you achieve your employment goals and go on to sit the second stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE2) after work experience and/or further study.

You can see the SQE Website for more information on the exams, including the costs and fees involved to sit the exam.

The programme will provide knowledge of how the law is applied in practice. In addition to this, it will also provide you with a critical understanding of how to respond professionally to different legal scenarios. You will be expected to think creatively and understand how to interpret and use legal rules to support arguments.

The final dissertation module will allow you to focus your interests through your chosen topic area. You will further develop techniques used in academic research and the professional skills needed for practice. It will improve your ability to undertake effective legal research and further your analytical and reflection skills in practice and policy. You will be encouraged to reflect on your progress and application of legal professional values and ethics throughout the programme.

In addition to achieving a Masters in Law degree, you will also have the opportunity to enhance your profile and experience by gaining an internationally recognised LLM qualification. In an increasingly competitive market, this offers you the means to set yourself apart from other graduates and enhance your future employability.

There will also be the opportunity to work with legal advice agencies. This will allow you to experience working on real legal cases and work with professionals to tackle legal issues.

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.

Northumbria University's LLM in Professional Legal Practice will be delivered through a mixture of lectures, podcasts, small group sessions and web-based learning.

This course contains two forms of assessment, formative and summative. Formative assessment is an essential learning tool and includes seminar discussions, informal peer review and online exercises. Banks of online multiple-choice questions reflecting the SQE 1 assessment will provide you with individual feedback on your progress throughout the programme. For summative assessment, the standard Master’s level Northumbria Law School marking criteria will be followed, enabling you to understand what is expected and how you will be judged on your performance.

The graded assessments embrace a variety of assessment formats to reflect the learning for each module. This will include; coursework, presentations and a dissertation. The assessment scheme ensures you are tested upon the full range of skills and knowledge that you will develop through the programme. You will have access to detailed assessment instructions and grade descriptors to understand how your work is assessed and help you deliver what is required.

The SQE 1 is set and assessed externally by the Solicitor Regulation Authority (SRA), in accordance with professional body requirements. To prepare you for this, SQE 1 preparation modules are embedded within the programme structure. You will be further supported by submitting practice answers and tests through our eLearning Portal.

The LLM is assessed by a final dissertation of between 10,000 – 15,000 words. You will be supported by the appointment of an individual dissertation supervisor, based typically on subject expertise. In semester one, you will be required to make a presentation on your subject area and submit a detailed proposal. You will then obtain extensive feedback, enabling you to work on your dissertation throughout the year. This will run alongside a legal research module to better prepare you for writing your LLM dissertation.

Full details on the modules for this course can be found below.

Northumbria Law School is one of the largest law schools in the UK, with a national and international reputation for excellence in legal education for those interested in studying law.

The teaching team on this course blends expertise in teaching, professional practice and academic and practical legal research. You will be taught by scholars from various backgrounds, each sharing their industry and/or academic knowledge to help enhance your learning experience.

The programme leader and module tutors are always willing to offer advice to support you in successfully completing your programme of study.

You will have access to a range of learning support services in addition to direct academic assistance. These will include workshops facilitated by library staff teaching you how to reference correctly and improve your academic writing abilities.

Northumbria Law School is based in City Campus East, located on a modern state-of-the-art £70 million development in central Newcastle.

Technology is utilised throughout the programme to support you and enable flexible learning. Your legal knowledge will be enhanced through our eLearning experience. You will be able to access online podcasts, sample questions and extra learning materials designed by our leading academics. All lectures are Panopto-recorded. This enables you to review lectures at your own pace and catch up on any you may have missed.

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 reflect 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.

Throughout the course, you will develop your own skills as a researcher. You will learn how to critically evaluate your own work and reflect on your feedback to improve your performance.

Learning and teaching methods are tailored to each module. There will be an emphasis on interactive and research-rich learning. This will help prepare you to analyse complex problems and propose solutions both in professional practice and academic setting.

The Legal Research Project in semester one is your opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of legal research on a topic that you are truly passionate about, guided by a tutor with relevant expertise. This will then feed into your dissertation module, which will run concurrently.

Our LLM Professional Legal Practice course is designed to be practical and directly applicable to your future career goals. It will focus on equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to be a solicitor. The skills you learn will be transferable to other non-legal professions, should you wish to choose a different career path.

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 and share their experiences of working in local and national law firms. Our annual Careers Fair also presents the opportunity for you to meet a variety of employers and the chance to secure a graduate role.

You will be supported to find and encouraged to pursue work with legal advice agencies, where you will have the opportunity to experience real legal cases and work with professionals across a range of legal areas.