The Legal Practice Course – also known as the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal
Practice – is the final vocational stage for becoming a solicitor in England and
Wales. The course is designed to provide a bridge between academic study and
training in a law firm. It is a one-year, full-time course, and tuition
fees range from £8,000-£14,550 a year. A small proportion of students may have
their fees and some living expenses paid for by future employers under a training
contract. The course is usually taken after a law
degree, but a large minority take the course after studying a different
subject at university and taking a conversion course called the Graduate
Diploma in Law. The LPC is regulated through the Law Society of England and
Wales and replaced the Law Society’s Final Examination in 1993. Like the
GDL/CPE, the LPC can be applied to through the Central Applications Board.
The LPC is also offered to LLB graduates at some Australian universities, as an
alternative to an articled clerkship. In Scotland, the equivalent is the
Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. Course content
The course content can be broadly classified into three phases of
learning. These are "Core" compulsory modules, "Elective" modules and
practical skills. Skills comprise advocacy, interviewing and advising,
writing, drafting and research, solicitors' accounts, wills and
administration and taxation. Generally taught in the first part of
the course, the compulsory modules are generally Criminal Litigation, Business
Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice, and Civil litigation. In the
shorter second part of the course, students select their "Elective" modules
from a list chosen by the providing institution.
Topics vary from institution to institution, but those widely available
include advanced courses in the compulsory modules, along with: personal
injury, family law, employment law, housing law, immigration law, probate
and private client, commercial law, welfare law and commercial property law.
Some topics recur throughout the teaching of all course topics and can
come up in all examinations. These include: professional conduct,
restricted activities under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000,
business accounts and taxation. Eligibility and length
Different institutions require different grades before accepting candidates onto
their course. Institutions will often interview students with third class
degrees before accepting them while only some will interview before accepting a
candidate with a lower second. The course generally lasts nine months and
has substantially less holiday than an undergraduate course. Emphasis is placed
on class room teaching alongside independent study.
Prestige of different institutions LPC providers are rigorously inspected
by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, commonly referred to as the SRA with the
intention of maintaining high standards throughout the sector. Some providers
are notably more expensive than others and will often be able to spend more
money on both staff and facilities. University providers generally allow
their students access to university libraries, IT resources as well as
societies, fitness facilities and the student union.
Pass rates In 2005, a total of 6,554 people passed
the LPC, an overall rate of 84%, representing a 3% rise from the previous
year. It is possible to sit all LPC exams three times before failing the
course. It is necessary to pass all subjects.
9,337 students enrolled on the LPC in 2008/09. Quite a few deferred their
exams or dropped out altogether, leaving 7,759 to take the exam; 5,824 of those
passed the exams that year, just over the number of training contracts on
offer. It should also be noted that training contracts with big firms tend
to start recruitment 2 years in advance i.e. 2 years before completion of the
LPC. Funding
The Law Society has a bursary scheme, this is available for some candidates
who have already taken the LPC. Upon securing and commencing a training
contract the recipient individual gets their fees paid through Law Society
funds. It is not uncommon for law firms to
provide sponsorship to LPC students as part of a job offer. Generally
sponsorship is only offered by wealthy commercial practices, although a limited
number of legal aid sponsorship packages do exist.
Banks do offer preferential bank loans to post-graduate students in employment.
This is an expensive option with loans of up to £25,000 being available.
Alternatively, information on professional career development loans
run by the National Careers Service can be found on the National Careers Service
website, or in Job Centres. Negative criticism
Relevancy: The LPC has been criticised by some professionals as being too
broad. All students have to take the compulsory subjects detailed above;
regardless of whether they want a 'high street' career, or a 'commercial' one.
The broad basis of the course could be seen as bringing increased legal
awareness to future professionals. Redundant Components: Certain
components, such as the Interviewing and Advising skill assessment, have been
criticised as being redundant. The Interviewing and Advising skill
assessment creates a highly artificial scenario in which a trainee solicitor
interviews a client and then proceeds to render impromptu legal advice. This is
highly unlikely to occur in practice, if at all, but remains a compulsory
component of the course due to antiquated SRA requirements.
Length: The process of becoming a solicitor has been described as,
'lengthy, demanding and academically difficult. The LPC adds an extra year
onto the process of qualifying. Commercial bias: A further controversy
surrounds the fact that commercial legal practices are far more likely to be able
to provide financial sponsorship for the LPC, this means that students from
disadvantaged backgrounds have a strong financial incentive not to go into legal
aid work such as crime, family and civil liberties - as legal aid firms cannot
afford to sponsor the LPC. Commentators such as Clare Dyer have spoken of a
legal aid 'crisis' in regard to trainees.
Elective element: The elective element of the LPC has been criticised as
'unnecessary' - as it lengthens the course and burdens students with extra
costs. The elective element is the part of the course that allows students to
specialise in line with their future career.
Number of places: There have been criticisms that the number of places
offered each year by LPC Providers massively outstrips the number of
vacancies for training contracts. Taking the LPC results for many students in
massive debt and no return on investment whatsoever.
List of course providers See also
Articled clerk Law Society of England and Wales
Legal education Common Professional Examination -
conversion course for non-law graduates Bar Professional Training Course -
equivalent course for intending barristers
Postgraduate Certificate in Laws - equivalent course in Hong Kong
Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme is a series of tests for the license to
practice as solicitor in England and Wales designed for foreign licensed
attorneys. List of areas of law
List of largest UK law firms Solicitor
Trainee solicitor References
External links Law Society of England and Wales-
Solicitors' Professional Body Law Society Gazette - Jobs and Articles