If you want to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales you will need to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC)at University of Westminster – the vocational stage of training that bridges the gap between academic studies and life in a law firm.
Westminster Law School has a well established reputation for the delivery of solicitors' vocational training and our LLM in Legal Practice (which incorporates Stages 1 and 2 of the LPC) equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to be a successful 21st-century lawyer.
Distinctive features of the course include:
- Highly experienced and approachable lecturers who are all qualified solicitors or barristers.
- Small, interactive group work, allowing you to benefit from individual guidance and help.
- All sessions are set within a balanced timetable to replicate the tasks undertaken in practice.
- A broad range of Stage 2 electives, reflecting areas of practice from high-street to city firms.
- The opportunity to undertake real client legal work under the supervision of tutors working in the Student Law Centre. The focus is on experiential learning through reflection, analysis and planning.
- A mentoring scheme which pairs you with mentors working in an area you are interested in. Our mentors are predominantly former Westminster LPC students who are now working in an area of legal practice.
The course is taught at Westminster Law School's recently refurbished state-of-the-art premises in the heart of London's West End and within the vicinity of many law firms.
Westminster's LPC assessments meet SRA expectations. They are designed to be realistic and constructive by genuinely testing you and enabling you to demonstrate acquired knowledge and skills through a mixture of written examinations and practical assessments. Assessment takes place throughout Stage 1 of the LPC and at the end of Stage 2 electives. Generally the assessments are 'open book' and you are allowed to use both textbooks and your own written notes. You are timetabled to allow sufficient revision and preparation time for examinations and assessments.
To complete the Legal Practice LLM you will have to attend the 20 credits Social Research Methods: Principles & Practice module, which requires the formulation of a research question of relevance to legal practice to be addressed in the dissertation and accompanying methodology as approved by the module leaders/Dissertation Supervisor.
The 40 credits Legal Practice Dissertation module requires the submission of a dissertation of approximately 8,000 words. Assessment is entirely based on submission of this dissertation and you must attain a mark of 50% in order to pass the dissertation.
Professional Courses
CILEx Level 3 Certificate in Law and Practice Year 1, CILEx Level 3 Professional Diploma in Law and Practice Year 2, CILEx Level 3 Single Subject Certificate, CILEx Level 6 Graduate Fast-track Diploma, CILEx Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice Year 1, CILEx Level 6 Professional Higher Diploma in Law and Practice Year 2, CILEx Level 6 Single Subject Certificate, Human Rights, Legal Practice Course (LPC)
