Program Overview

Legal Practice PgDip

Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma Legal Practice (PgDip) is for graduates who want to qualify as a solicitor through the new Solicitor Qualifying Exam route. Develop skills that employers are seeking and enhance your academic knowledge while preparing for life in legal practice.

Course Details

Core Modules

• Law Clinic
  • Gain practical experience offering pro bono advice to members of the Teesside community. Under the supervision of a qualified solicitor, work on live client cases involving family law, employment law or civil disputes, enabling you to develop practical legal skills and competencies. Your choice should reflect your chosen area of practice post-qualification. You may also work on other legal projects.
• SQE 2 Preparation
  • This module aligns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority assessment specification for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination 2. Apply fundamental legal rules and principles at the level required of a competent newly qualified solicitor, exploring client interview and attendance note/legal analysis, advocacy, case and matter analysis, and legal research, writing and drafting.
• SQE Preparation 1 Part A
  • This module aligns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority assessment specification for Functioning Legal Knowledge 1 of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination 1. Apply relevant core legal principles and rules to realistic client-based and ethical problems and situations, exploring business law and practice, legal services and dispute resolution.
• SQE Preparation 1 Part B
  • This module aligns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority assessment specification for Functioning Legal Knowledge 2 of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination 1. Apply relevant core legal principles and rules to realistic client-based and ethical problems and situations, exploring property practice, wills and the administration of estates, solicitors accounts and criminal practice.

How You Learn

• Learn through interactive lectures, workshops, computer lab sessions and smaller group seminars. You are expected to prepare in advance of these sessions by actively researching (with increasing levels of autonomy) relevant materials for group discussion.
• You interpret and apply your research-informed knowledge to a variety of individual and group tasks, including group debates about contentious issues, problem-based exercises, real-world learning situations, reflective activities, multiple choice questions, and self-directed research projects. Learning is facilitated through the use of digital technologies and our Future Facing Learning Toolkit), ensuring you are digitally empowered, future ready and globally connected.

How You Are Assessed

• Progress is measured by both formative and summative assessments.
• Formative Assessment
  • Formative work and assessments are given as an aid to learning. Feedback is provided to assist you in preparation for summative assessments.
• Summative Assessment
  • Summative assessments refer to assessed work that counts towards your degree award. You receive feedback on these assessments and you should consider how that feedback can help you with other work you complete.
• The assessment strategy mirrors, as closely as possible, the assessment you are required to undertake as part of the Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE1 and SQE 2).
• Key assessment methods include:
  • Problem solving tasks of increasing complexity
  • Personal and group reflections
  • Digital and live presentations (group and individual, with and without appropriate aids)
  • Multiple choice best answer questions
  • Personal development plans
  • Short answer responses to ethical problems arising in a professional context, multi-phased assessments and a self-directed research project
  • Exams based on multiple choice best answer questions in preparation for SQE1.

Entry Requirements

• Typically a 2:1 LLB or an equivalent law conversion course. You must be able to evidence successful completion of the foundations of legal knowledge of the English legal system. We consider applications from those with an 2:2 LLB, on a case-by-case basis.
• International students require IELTS 6.0 (no band less than 5.5) or equivalent.

Employability

Career Opportunities

• You graduate with the relevant knowledge and skills to progress to the Solicitors Qualifying Exams.
• In addition to the recognised subject-specific knowledge, you develop understanding, cognitive, intellectual, practical, professional and generic key skills and qualities, which have a directly beneficial effect on your future employability, whether in the legal profession or in subject-related disciplines, including academia.

Information for International Applicants

Qualifications

• International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.

Fees

Full-time

• Fee for UK applicants: £5,130 a year
• Fee for international applicants: £16,150 a year
• Length: 1 year
• Start date: September

Part-time

• Not available part-time

Choose Teesside

• Stand out from other job applicants with your higher level qualification, specialist knowledge and expanded networks.
• Improve your project management, critical thinking, research skills, time management, presentation skills and teamwork.
• The median salary for working-age postgraduates (£45,000) was £6,500 more than for working-age (those aged 16 to 64) graduates (£38,500) in 2022. (Graduate labour market statistics, tees.ac.uk/source)
• Study in our friendly town-centre campus with £280m of recent investment.
• Study at Europe's first Adobe Creative Campus and develop your creative and digital skills.