LLM LPC (Part-time)

Congratulations on receiving an offer to study on the LLM Legal Practice Course (LLM LPC) at Nottingham Law School (NLS). We’ve designed our LLM LPC to provide you with the qualifications and practical knowledge employers regard as essential in the current legal market. We offer you many opportunities to build on your interview techniques and analytical experience. Additional experience is available through our multi award-winning on campus law firm NLS Legal and our exclusive partnership with national litigant in person charity, Support Through Court, where you can get involved in pro bono work, working on real cases and offering legal advice to the public. Our part-time LLM LPC is designed to be delivered predominantly through weekend study over a two-year period, enabling you to study around work and other commitments.
Please be aware that as well as any conditions we have set out in your offer, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) also imposes requirements, which you must also meet in order to enrol on the LPC.
PLEASE NOTE: You may only complete the LPC if you fall within the SRA’s transitional arrangements. The transitional arrangements apply to anyone who, before 1 September 2021, had completed, started, accepted an offer of a place or paid a non-refundable deposit for one of the following:
- the Common Professional Examination / Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE)
- the Legal Practice Course
- a period of recognised training (also known as a training contract).
In the case of a qualifying law degree (QLD) and exempting law degree (ELD), these arrangements apply to anyone who completes, starts, accepts an offer of a place or pays a non-refundable deposit by 21 September 2021 (inclusive).
In most cases, for the QLD, ELD and CPE, the relevant course must start at the latest on or before 31 December 2021.
Anyone who falls within this group will have until 31 December 2032 to qualify as a solicitor under the LPC route, as long as courses still remain available.
If you do not fall within these transitional arrangements, you can only qualify as a solicitor under the SRA’s Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) route. For further information and to view the range of courses at Nottingham Law School to prepare you for the SQE please click here: All you need to know about the SQE
We look forward to welcoming you at enrolment.
Sian Hughes and Chris Ratcliffe
Course Leaders
Why choose us?
- Our LPC is enhanced so that successful completion of all its elements will result in you also gaining an internationally recognised Masters award.
- All academic staff are experienced lawyers.
- We have a strong network of professional contacts helping us to ensure that our courses reflect the latest theory and practice.
- Our multi award winning on campus law firm NLS Legal and our exclusive partnership with national litigant in person charity, Support Through Court, will provide you with outstanding pro bono opportunities.
- You will have a personal tutor who will assist and support you with your studies and employment applications.
- Our part-time route means you can study around work and other commitments.
- We regularly review our courses to ensure our students gain the qualifications and practical knowledge needed by employers.
- Scholarships are available and we offer progression discounts to our current students and alumni.
- If you work in a legal environment while studying, you may be eligible for a reduction of up to six months from your training contract
Accepting your offer
All details of your offer can be found on the Applicant Portal.
If you wish to accept your offer, log onto the Applicant Portal and follow the instructions set out in your offer email. We aim to acknowledge your acceptance straight away. If you don’t hear from us, please contact us via Ask NTU.
Starting your course
Once you’ve met all conditions you should enrol online. Please do this before the start of your course.
Course start date: Friday 15 September 2023
Useful course information
- Learning resources and timetables are online, so a laptop (with a working microphone and webcam) is essential for your studies. You will also need Wi-Fi at home.
- All lectures are made available for online viewing. You will attend some live lectures, but the majority will be viewed online, giving you flexibility in your studies.
- Please note that assessments take place throughout the year, and some will take place on Fridays.
- The majority of teaching takes place over one weekend each month, but teaching in November and May will take place over the course of a full week (Monday – Friday).
- You must attend all small group sessions. They are very different to traditional tutorials – your group will be divided into subgroups, and you will carry out practical legal tasks very similar to those you’d encounter in a solicitor’s office.
- If you work in a legal environment while studying, you may be able to apply for a reduction of up to six months from your training contract. If you’re able to secure a training contract at the start of the course, you will undertake a part-time study training contract. This allows you to qualify as quickly as a full-time student. See the SRA website for more information.
- It will help you if you do a limited amount of preparatory reading before the course starts. Information on this will be sent to you once you’ve accepted your place.
Course Adjustments
Our offer is based on the assumption that when you applied, you disclosed any disability that might affect the way in which we deliver the course or assess you. In such a case, we will either:
- agree with you that the disability will require no special facilities, or
- meet you to discuss what facilities will be necessary.
If you have a disability, we need to hear from you immediately so that we can evaluate your needs and determine what adjustments we’re able to make to accommodate those needs. Please contact Student Support Services by emailing Student Support.
Please note that if you’re an existing student at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and you already have adjustments through the Student Support Services from your undergraduate or GDL / Postgraduate Diploma in Law course, these adjustments won’t automatically be carried forward on to the LLM LPC. You’ll need to contact Student Support Services as soon as possible, so a fresh evaluation can be made to accommodate your needs for this course.
Your Electives
We work closely with our specialist careers advisers to ensure that the electives available are tailored to the needs and career aspirations of our students. Please refer to the course page for further details.
Some firms insist that their trainees study specific electives; others give their trainees a free choice. If you’ve already secured a training contract, you should first ask your firm if they have a preference as to which particular elective(s) you should select.
You should only choose LPC electives that support your choice of career. You should never choose elective subjects because you think they will look good on your CV. Selecting the wrong mix of electives will put you at a disadvantage when making training contract applications.
Elective modules will only run if sufficient numbers of students select them. You will study your electives during year 2, and you will be asked to select your choices part way through year 1.
Accommodation
As a postgraduate student, you can apply for University accommodation. To guarantee yourself a place, you should apply and pay your deposit before the end of May.
International students
International students are required to make an advance payment. Find out how and when to pay your fees.
Fees and funding
Nottingham Law School is delighted to offer a number of generous scholarships and loyalty schemes to students starting our LLM LPC in September 2023 including;
- Dean's Professional Courses Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- Progression and alumni discounts
- Postgraduate loans
For more information visit our funding page.
Visit us
Visit us at one of our Postgraduate open events, find out more about student life and meet our academics.
Employability
Your choice of electives is the first of many decisions you will have to make as you embark on your legal career. Nottingham Law School has a dedicated employability team that will help you choose your electives and identify the type of firm that’s right for you.
They offer the following services:
- workshops delivered by firms on a selection of recruitment topics such as online applications, commercial awareness, and psychometric testing;
- presentations from firms and other organisations that are seeking to recruit trainees;
- the opportunity to participate in our mentoring scheme, which includes firms such as Eversheds, Browne Jacobson, and Geldards;
- access to the FutureHub website, which allows students to keep in touch and receive notice of vacancies after completion of the course;
- individual advice on career strategy, CVs and covering letters; and
- practice interviews and assessment centres.
Our students consistently secure training contracts in a wide range of organisations, including city and regional corporate practices, high street practices, the Crown Prosecution Service, local authorities, the Government Legal Service, and in-house providers.
Find out more about your future career.
Any questions?
Contact us via Ask NTU.