Legal Practice Course

Awards

Target Award

Award Description:Master of Laws - ML

Alternative Exit

Award Description:Postgraduate Diploma - PD

Award Learning Outcomes:Research and apply knowledge of the law and legal practice accurately and effectively. Identify client objectives and different means of achieving those objectives and be aware of: the financial,commercial and personal priorities and constraints to be taken into account, and the costs, benefits and risks involved in transactions or courses of action. Understand the rules of professional conduct and be able to apply them in context. Demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills in the areas of: Professional Conduct and Regulation; the core practice areas of Business Law & Practice, Property Law & Practice, Litigation and the areas of Wills and Administration of estates and Taxation; the course skills of Practical legal Research, Writing, Drafting, Interviewing & Advising, and advocacy and their choice of elective subjects. Identify and analyse legal issues raised by complex and novel problem situations, applying relevant legal principles to produce logical, appropriate and creative solutions. Identify, and utilise an appropriate range of printed and electronic legal information sources to identify key legal information Apply detailed knowledge of relevant law and practice to progress transactions to achieve client objectives in accordance with the rules of professional practice. Demonstrate the ability to act autonomously in planning and implementing strategies to progress transactions to achieve client objectives . Demonstrate a clear understanding of the organisation, regulation and ethics of the solicitor’s profession in England and Wales Demonstrate a clear understanding the purpose, scope and regulatory framework of financial regulation and the legislation and circumstances encountered regarding money laundering. Identify client goals and alternative means of achieving those goals, and deal appropriately with client care including reasonable expectations as to quality and timeliness of service. . Communicate orally and in writing and draft and amend documents in a form, style and tone appropriate for the recipients and the context. Demonstrate sensitivity to issues of culture, diversity and disability in communication with clients, colleagues and others. Carry out effective self-analysis and reflection on their learning and experience and take responsibility for the continuing development of their personal education and competence. Utilise information technology efficiently and as appropriate in their professional practice. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with other people, treating others with courtesy and respect and identifying, selecting and, where appropriate, managing external experts or consultants Initiate, plan, prioritise and manage work activities and projects to ensure that they are completed efficiently, on time and to an appropriate standard,

Accreditation

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

Programme Offerings

Part-Time

F2F-JMU-SEP

Educational Aims of the Course

The Masters Degree in Legal Practice is designed to provide learners with a programme of study that satisfies Stages 1 and 2 of the Legal Practice Course Outcomes prescribed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It is structured to provide opportunities for students to build upon the knowledge and skills learnt during academic study to develop the high level of professional expertise and skills required for legal practice as a solicitor in England and Wales. The course is focussed on work-based activities including case study based role-play. In addition, the dissertation module on the programme allow students to undertake independent research in an area of law they would like to specialise in even though not necessarily taught on the programme. This LLM is a hybrid taught and research Masters Degree that will enable you to make a significant and measurable contribution to the body of legal knowledge in your chosen subject. The programme is designed for students who have a law degree or equivalent who wish to qualify as a solicitor by giving them the means of acquiring legal practice and skills.

Learning Outcomes

Research and apply knowledge of the law and legal practice accurately and effectively.

Demonstrate a clear understanding the purpose, scope and regulatory framework of financial regulation and the legislation and circumstances encountered regarding money laundering.

Identify client goals and alternative means of achieving those goals, and deal appropriately with client care including reasonable expectations as to quality and timeliness of service. .

Communicate orally and in writing and draft and amend documents in a form, style and tone appropriate for the recipients and the context.

Demonstrate sensitivity to issues of culture, diversity and disability in communication with clients, colleagues and others.

Carry out effective self-analysis and reflection on their learning and experience and take responsibility for the continuing development of their personal education and competence.

Utilise information technology efficiently and as appropriate in their professional practice.

Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with other people, treating others with courtesy and respect and identifying, selecting and, where appropriate, managing external experts or consultants

Initiate, plan, prioritise and manage work activities and projects to ensure that they are completed efficiently, on time and to an appropriate standard,

10.

Demonstrate critical awareness of current academic and professional controversy and debate in the areas of law studied

11.

Show creativity in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry may be used to create and interpret knowledge in relevant areas of law

12.

Identify client objectives and different means of achieving those objectives and be aware of: the financial, commercial and personal priorities and constraints to be taken into account, and the costs, benefits and risks involved in transactions or courses of action.

13.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding and critical awareness of relevant contemporary legal issues

14.

Analyse, assess methodologically, and communicate, information and published empirical research findings in relation to legal studies

15.

Identify a range of different strategies and methods and use appropriate research tools in relation to legal problems

16.

Understand the rules of professional conduct and be able to apply them in context.

17.

Demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills in the areas of: Professional Conduct and Regulation; the core practice areas of Business Law & Practice, Property Law & Practice, Litigation and the areas of Wills and Administration of estates and Taxation; the course skills of Practical legal Research, Writing, Drafting, Interviewing & Advising, and advocacy and their choice of elective subjects.

18.

Identify and analyse legal issues raised by complex and novel problem situations, applying relevant legal principles to produce logical, appropriate and creative solutions.

19.

Identify, and utilise an appropriate range of printed and electronic legal information sources to identify key legal information.

20.

Apply detailed knowledge of relevant law and practice to progress transactions to achieve client objectives in accordance with the rules of professional practice.

21.

Demonstrate the ability to act autonomously in planning and implementing strategies to progress transactions to achieve client objectives .

22.

Demonstrate a clear understanding of the organisation, regulation and ethics of the solicitor’s profession in England and Wales.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Acquisition of subject knowledge is achieved primarily through student centred transactional workshops supplemented by interactive large group sessions and supported with extensive learning materials. The approach to teaching and learning is informed by the LJMU Learning Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Strategy 2017-2022. Testing of the knowledge base is through a combination of unseen written examinations, assessed coursework in the form of drafted legal documentation and research reports, and live skills assessments. Learning outcomes in respect of core, skill and pervasive subjects are prescribed in the Legal Practice Course Outcomes 2011 published by Solicitors Regulation Authority https://sra.org.uk/documents/students/lpc/LPC-Outcomes-Sept2011.pdf The format of the assessment is appropriate to the individual skill. The advocacy assessment is set in the context of criminal practice and students are required to present a bail application or plea in mitigation set in the context of the magistrates court. The drafting assessment is set in the context of business law and practice and students are required to critique a business document and draft appropriate amendments. The interviewing assessment is a 30 minute role play client interview with an actor playing the client. It is set in the context of a probate scenario ' and students are assessed on areas including questioning, analysis and advising. The Practical Legal Research assessment requires students to analyse a factual scenario, identify and analyse relevant legal authorities, and report their findings in an appropriate manner. The writing assessment is set in the context of wills and administration of estates and students are required to draft a letter of advice to clients. There will also be a final dissertation module which includes a pass/fail element of the submission of a dissertation proposal amounting to 10% of the assessment of the module (7416LAWLP) following taught sessions on legal research methodology. The remaining 90% being the dissertation.

Opportunities for work related learning

The programme is wholly transactional with all activities based on aspects of legal practice. In addition, there is a well-developed solicitor mentor scheme providing opportunities for students to undertake placements in local organisations. This solicitor mentor scheme is set up so that students undertake 1 or 2 days unpaid work placement within a solicitors firm within their own time in a legal area of their choosing as far as possible after liaison with legal clinic co-ordinator. This is a voluntary scheme that students may opt into and runs outside of the programme. There are also a number of opportunities to gain experience via pro-bono projects. Part-time students are often already working in the legal profession and are encouraged to share their experience with fellow full-time students as they are taught alongside each other and so can give advice about legal practice and job opportunities. There is a pro bono clinic operated within the law school, which is offered to law students at all levels. Students can be involved in matters arising in areas such as family law, employment and business law contexts.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure Description

The course is subject to assessment regulations outside the Academic Framework and approved by the SRA. Students are permitted a maximum of three attempts at every assessment. Students have a 5 year period to complete the course from the date of their first assessment. The inclusion of a single 60 credit module to include a pass/fail element of the submission of a dissertation proposal amounting to 10% of the assessment of the module (7416LAWLP) following taught sessions on legal research methodology. The remaining 90% being the dissertation. Departure from the two semester delivery pattern is approved so that Stage 1 can run from September to February. Where the LLM LPC course regulations are silent the Academic Framework Regulations will apply. The programme is studied over two years. In year 1 students will be enrolled on core modules 7400LAWLP Business Law and Practice incorporating Tax, 7405LAWLP Professional Conduct and Regulation Incorporating Solicitors’ Accounts (a two year module) and 7414LAWLP Written Legal Skills plus a choice of one or two option modules from 7409LAWLP Employment Law and Practice, 7410LAWLP Family Law and Practice, 7411LAWLP General Commercial Law and Practice and 7313LAWLP Private Client Law and Practice. In year 2 students will be enrolled on core modules 7401LAWLP Litigation, 7402LAWLP Property Law and Practice, 7415LAWLP Oral Legal Skills and Probate and 7416LAWLP Dissertation plus a choice of one or two option modules (to make three in total) from all option modules offered. For those students who do not obtain the full 180 credits on the programme, they may obtain a PG Diploma upon obtaining 120 credits from all the core modules (except 7416LAWLP) and 3 of the elective (option) modules. If they obtain 60 credits from the core modules (except 7416LAWLP) and three option modules, they can be awarded the PG Certificate.

Structure

Level 7

Level 7 Core

Level 7 Optional

Approved variance from Academic Framework Regulations

Compensation cannot be awarded on the programme. (Approved 05/06/24). All assessment components must be passed independently in order to achieve the credits for module 7405LAWLP. (Approved 05/06/24). 1. Two referral opportunities are standard for all assessments. We term them first and final referral. 2. Students are permitted a period of … For more content click the Read More button below.

Compensation cannot be awarded on the programme. (Approved 05/06/24).

All assessment components must be passed independently in order to achieve the credits for module 7405LAWLP. (Approved 05/06/24).

1. Two referral opportunities are standard for all assessments. We term them first and final referral. 2. Students are permitted a period of five years from the date they take their first assessment to complete the course. This means that they can choose when to take resit assessments once they have completed their course of study. 3. A single 60-credit module to include a pass/fail element of the submission of a dissertation proposal amounting to 10% of the assessment in that module following taught sessions on legal research methodology. The remaining 90% being made up of the dissertation. 4. A variance to the usual semester pattern of teaching and assessment to continue with our successful pattern of assessment of Stage 1 in February/March and Stage 2 in June. The dissertation module will then be assessed in August.

Course Catalogue