LLM Law and Practice

Program Overview

LLM Law and Practice

Overview

The LLM Law and Practice offers you the opportunity to prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination SQE 1, develop competency in the practical legal skills necessary for SQE 2 and acquire some Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). On successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Master's qualification.

Why choose this course?

If you started your Undergraduate degree after 31 December 2021 your route to qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales will be the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). This is a centralised assessment set by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This course will provide you with the opportunity to gain the knowledge and assessment skills necessary for SQE 1 and to evidence the development of practical legal skills which you will need when sitting the SQE2 assessments. The SQE 1 and SQE 2 are external exams provided by the SRA and the cost of these examinations is not included in the cost of this course.

The course will be relevant to anyone seeking a career in professional legal practice who is a law graduate or has completed University of Wolverhampton’s LLM Law Conversion or a similar course.

What's unique about this course?

The course combines the expertise and support of staff within Wolverhampton Law School and the intuitive technology and SQE 1 assessment specialist knowledge of our external partner, Barbri.

You will study in a supportive and collaborative environment which combines face to face teaching, group activities, independent study and online learning.

University staff will act as Learning Coaches to assist you with any problems you may encounter on the course and to check that you are maintaining the level of engagement required to provide you with the best possible chance of success in the SQE 1 assessments.

The completion of the two practical legal skills modules will result in an eportfolio showing evidence of your competence in these skills, your improvement during the module and your reflection on the acquisition of the skills. This eportfolio can be shared with prospective employers as part of the job application process. External research has identified that employers of law students value practical legal skills very highly.

The practical legal knowledge and practical legal skills acquired on this course will prepare you for your Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).

You will have the opportunity to participate in the Wolverhampton Legal Advice Centre providing you with an chance to interview members of the public, conduct research into the issues raised and provide written advice to the client. This will be done under the supervision of legal practitioners and law academics who are currently working in practice and/or experts in specific areas of law. Time spent participating in Wolverhampton Legal Advice Centre can count towards your period of QWE.

What happens on the course?

You will study four modules, one provided by our external partner which will prepare you for the SQE 1 assessments, the remainder of the modules will be delivered by university staff. The two practical legal skills modules include the six areas of practical legal skills assessed at SQE 2 and the assessments on these modules will follow the format of the SQE 2 assessments. The skills modules are designed to equip you with essential practical legal skills through a combination of theoretical learning, practical exercises, and student collaboration. You will develop appropriate legal skills essential for success in the legal profession. The legal skills will be taught as two case studies, consisting of complex authentic client scenarios, allowing each skill to feed into the next skill as would be required in legal practice.

The dissertation module will provide you with the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary through a series of interactive workshops, covering research design, quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis and writing up the research. The taught sessions will be supported by the addition of blended learning opportunities through interactive and explanatory activities on Canvas.

You will be supported in the research and writing process of the module by the inclusion of writing retreats at regular intervals during the academic year. The writing retreats will give you the opportunity to have dedicated time to write in an environment which is conducive to productivity and where you can share, with peers and supervisors/module leader, at the beginning of the day what you intend to do and at the end of the day report back to explain your progress. The writing retreats will encourage you to be autonomous learners and encourage self confidence in your ability to work independently while providing support where necessary.

Course Modules

• Law Research Project
  • Module: 7LW083
  • Credits: 60
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
• Legal Skills for Practice 1
  • Module: 7LW081
  • Credits: 30
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
• Legal Skills for Practice 2
  • Module: 7LW082
  • Credits: 30
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
• Solicitors Qualifying Examination 1 Preparation
  • Module: 7LW084
  • Credits: 60
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core

Potential Career Paths

• Solicitor
• Academic
• Civil Service
• Financial Sector
• Researcher
• Trading Standards
• Police

Additional Information

• Why Wolverhampton?
  • This course has a strong emphasis on employability through the development of practical legal skills evidenced by the eportfolio and the opportunity to participate in Wolverhampton Legal Advice Centre
  • The course is taught by qualified solicitors, published researchers in Law and Legal Education and by an external partner who is a market leader in SQE preparation
  • Innovative writing retreats support the research module
  • Dedicated Learning Coaches to support you throughout the course
• What skills will you gain?
  • Practical legal skills essential for working in the legal profession
  • Enhanced legal research skills
  • Professional communication skills, both oral and written
  • Teamwork through collaborative activities involving both staff and students
  • Independent and critical thinking skills
  • Self-reflection as evidenced by a reflective log to be included in an eportfolio
• Course Fees and Finance
  • Location | Mode | Fee | Year
  • Home | Full-time | £11836 per year |
  • Home | Full-time | £12203 per year |
  • Home | Part-time | £5918 per year |
  • Home | Part-time | £6102 per year |
  • International | Full-time | £15950 per year |
  • International | Full-time | £16950 per year |
• Entry Requirements
  • An LLB (Hons) Degree with at least 2:2 classification or a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examination (CPE) LLM Common Professional Examination (CPE), or LLM Law Conversion or equivalent.
  • Applicants with a lower Degree classification or with equivalent qualifications may be considered on an individual basis.
  • Non-native speakers are required to hold IELTS with an overall band score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each element or equivalent.
  • International applicants should refer to the following link: Language entry requirements
• Funding
  • Postgraduate Loan(Home Fee Status):
    • You may be able to get a postgraduate student loan from Student Finance England of up to £12,858 to help pay for a Master’s degree. Applications are made through Student Finance England and more information on the regulations and eligibility criteria can be found at Masters Loans gov.uk.
  • Changes for EU students:
    • The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as Overseas (International) students for fee purposes. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:
  • Postgraduate Loyalty Discount:
    • You can get 20% discount on a taught on-site postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.
  • Self-funded:
    • If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April. More information can be found by clicking here.
  • Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:
    • Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.
  • Financial Hardship:
    • Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.
  • Charitable Funding:
    • You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts. Please contact Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Aid. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.