Legal Practice Top-up (distance learning) LLM drafted

Program Overview

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This LLM Legal Practice Top-up (distance learning) course is designed for individuals who have completed the UK Legal Practice Course (LPC) or equivalent professional certifications in non-UK jurisdictions. The course allows students to "top up" their qualifications with a dissertation or article, studied and completed by distance learning, to gain the LLM degree. The course is fully delivered online and is designed to be flexible, allowing students to complete the top-up element over a recommended one-year period, with an option to continue for a further year.

Program Outline

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What you’ll study

This course is equivalent to 600 hours of study and includes a manageable assessment task of either a traditional dissertation or the production of a focused article of high quality. Please note that this is course is fully delivered online. The expectation is for students to be autonomous and motivated in the way that they work and to access supervision when they need it.

This course is designed to allow completion of the top-up element over a recommended one-year period, with an option to continue for a further year. This would allow students to undertake study immediately following the completion of the LPC or BPTC and complete the course quickly, but also offers more flexible time frames for completing the self-study module while already in professional practice working full-time.

Those who have successfully completed the LPC and BPTC (or their equivalent) at any time are eligible for admission, as are those with equivalent legal practice qualifications in foreign jurisdictions, and those who have been certified by the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS). Accredited Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) may also be accredited at the sole discretion of the Course Leader for those who can verifiably demonstrate at least two years of professional legal practice experience.

The course will be extremely attractive to practitioners as it also satisfies CPD requirements.

Course structure

Online Induction

The induction materials are online presentations that cover the nature of the course, guidance on legal academic writing and methods, and the available on-line post-graduate resources.

Dissertation

In line with our existing LLM courses, students have a wide discretion in the selection of their dissertation topic, subject to the capacity of the Law School to provide expert academic supervision. The Law School has academic staff with wide-ranging expertise across diverse areas of law. However, students are encouraged to consider areas of law that are particularly pertinent to their anticipated or actual area of practice when selecting their chosen topic. You will prepare a research proposal of a maximum of 2,500 words and the dissertation which is 12,000 words in length.

Article

As an alternative to the dissertation, students can, with guidance from an experienced academic, produce an article of publishable quality. A research proposal of up to 2500 words will be required in order for your supervisor to assess whether the topic is adequately focused to achieve the requisite quality. It is recommended that students select a target journal at the beginning of the research process and to comply with that journal’s style requirements. The word limit is by default set at 7,000 words, but journal requirements will take precedence.

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How you’re taught

Personalised guidance on research methods and legal writing is provided as part of the supervision process. Support is also available on the course learning room in online lectures, presentations, and through ample guidance in the course handbook on the online learning room.

The dissertation is 12,000 words in length. As an alternative to the dissertation, students can produce an article of high quality of around 7,000 words. This is of shorter length as it is focused on a particular point of practice or law.

In line with our existing LLM courses, students have a wide discretion in the selection of their dissertation topic, subject to the capacity of the Law School to provide expert academic supervision.

Please note that choosing a niche legal area or law solely from a non-UK/EU jurisdiction may mean that you are asked to amend your project idea so that it meets our staff expertise or that you are assigned a supervisor with broad rather than specific knowledge of your chosen topic area. All our supervisors are capable of advising on legal academic research and writing and can help you to structure your project, regardless of the topic you have chosen.

Learn a new language

Alongside your study you also have the opportunity to learn a new language. The University Language Programme (ULP) is available to all students and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have.

Find out more about the University Language Programme.

Access to Resources

Nottingham Law School is delighted to announce that it will continue to provide access to the Oxford University Press (OUP) online resource - Law Trove.

Law Trove provides online access to a range of online resources, including over 200 textbooks published by OUP, and covers core and optional subject areas. Students on all courses will be provided with unlimited access to the resources within Law Trove in order to further enhance your experience during your time with us.

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Research informed teaching

By daring to think differently our research is tackling real-world issues. The subjects you will study with us are informed by our research so you can be sure your knowledge will be cutting-edge in your field. In the last Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) - the UK's system for assessing the quality and impact of research in universities - we’re proud that 100% of NTU's Law submission was assessed to be world-leading or internationally excellent.

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Careers and employability

This course will demonstrate your academic ability and showcase your knowledge of more specialised aspects of legal practice.