School Of Law. The Sheffield Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Shape your future.

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1 School Of Law. The Sheffield Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice Shape your future.

2 Welcome The University of Sheffield is one of only two Russell Group Universities to offer a Legal Practice Course (LPC). At Sheffield we offer an emphasis on practice and commercial awareness, embedding these within different teaching and learning methods. All our LPC tutors are qualified solicitors: enabling us to ensure that the files you work on and materials used reflect current practice. Our well regarded and established course sits within our research-led School of Law and our students benefit from the facilities and resources offered by the University voted number one for student experience Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey With 1:1 support on careers and employability offered for up to three years after completion of the course we support your ambition of becoming a valued member of the legal profession. Join us on the LPC at Sheffield and shape your future CLARE FIRTH DIRECTOR, LPC

3 The Sheffield LPC Our Diploma in Legal Practice will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to practice law in today s legal profession. Why Sheffield is the first choice for your LPC study Our LPC is a quality course which is both respected by the profession and recommended by notable leading national firms. We offer a range of options and electives which allows you to tailor the course to your interests. Average class size is 15 ensuring support and guidance as you need it Teaching staff are all qualified solicitors who are instrumental in the design and delivery of materials. A high proportion of our students secure training contracts and careers in the legal sector. We are the only Russell Group University in England to offer the LPC giving you a first-class legal education with all the benefits of a university environment. Previously studied with us? You can enjoy a 10% fee discount when taking the LPC. Our student community As a Sheffield LPC student, you are part of our student community. A dedicated postgraduate support team offers practical support and information throughout your studies. You ll meet staff and students at the welcome reception and then enjoy a programme of social events throughout the year until the final Summer Ball. Not only does this give you the chance to meet new people but also supports development of your professional network to launch your future career. Our sponsors We are delighted to work closely with major international law firms on a number of sponsorship initiatives. These include provision of funds and facilities for the School such as our Slaughter and May Moot Court, student mentoring schemes, sponsorship of courses or modules and cash prizes and scholarships for individual student excellence. Addleshaw Goddard Allen & Overy DLA Piper Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Herbert Smith Freehills Irwin Mitchell Nabarro Slaughter and May

4 Careers and your employability Working with members of the public and local charities in our FreeLaw voluntary law clinic. You could gain valuable work experience in a professional environment, honing your legal skills and working under the supervision and guidance of practicing solicitors. Not only does Sheffield have a good reputation for getting students through the LPC, they also have an excellent reputation for careers advice and helping students acquire a training contract, and that s the main reason I actually why I chose to do it at Sheffield Advice from a dedicated law careers service allows you to produce your CV in a professional way and to gain access to careers and employment information, as well as advice on training contract applications and interviews. Our law careers adviser is based within the School of Law and is a member of the LPC teaching team and a practising solicitor. We also run employability and skills sessions throughout the academic year to help you stand out in the competitive job market by improving your commercial awareness. These are workshops and seminars led by members of local, regional, national or international law firms, or barristers chambers, who will meet you and teach you how to engage in professional networking, how to choose a law career to suit your strengths, how to develop a career in commercial law. Other recent topics have included how to excel in telephone and face-to-face interviews and what changes and developments are taking place within the legal profession. Adam Tankard, LPC student A specialist teaching team All the teaching staff on the Legal Practice Course at Sheffield have significant experience of private practice. Over a third of the teaching team practised at partnership level and the team s collective experience of practice from national commercial firms to high street practices to local authority work will inform your learning with some continuing to practice. With an average class size of 15 you can be assured of the best possible academic support from tutors who will work with you as an individual to meet your needs. Teaching and Learning The LPC at Sheffield is very much a hands-on course, using cases studies and files based on those used in practice. We ask you to research and acquire knowledge, put that into context, identify issues and place the client at the centre of the problem. The emphasis on the LPC at Sheffield is on learning by doing. Most of the time spent in teaching sessions will require you to put your legal skills and knowledge into practice in a series of practical tasks and activities. Teaching on the LPC is in workshop sessions of up to 18 students. Typically, you will work in small groups to undertake such tasks as brain-storming, team-working, problem-solving, role-playing and presenting. We believe this ensures you achieve the requisite knowledge and understanding to be able to do the job of a day one trainee. You will be assessed through examinations, written reports and practical assessments including role-play scenarios to assess your interviewing skills.

5 Shape your future The practical approach adopted on the LPC has ensured I made a smooth transition into my training contract. The lecturers promote an open door policy and help is always on hand if you need it I think this is what differentiates Sheffield University from other law schools Chelsie Thompson, LPC Graduate 2014 and now Trainee Solicitor, Nabarro LLP. We re proud to work with the University of Sheffield for the quality of their LPC course and the graduates it produces. We re always pleased to welcome LPC graduates to Nabarro and are delighted when they choose to build their career with us Martin McKervey, Partner, Nabarro LLP

6 Course structure. The full-time LPC is taught in two stages and lasts one year if you take Stages 1 and 2 together. The course starts at the beginning of September until June including assessments. You can expect to have approximately nine hours per week of formal contact hours in workshops. We also expect you to spend time on independent study preparing for workshops and assessments throughout the year. Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 1 consists of the core practice areas of: Business Law and Practice Property Law and Practice Litigation and Advocacy Within the core practice areas you can choose options to tailor your LPC to meet the requirements of the size and type of practice you want. In addition to the core practice areas, you will also cover: Practical legal research Interviewing and advising Writing Drafting Advocacy Solicitors Accounts Professional Conduct and Regulation Wills and the Administration of Estates This consists of three elective subjects from a choice of ten. The electives have been designed to introduce you to the needs of specialist practice. There is a wide range of electives so you can enter the size and type of practice you want. The electives are grouped under four broad headings: Advisory Individuals & their problems Advocacy Commercial Full details of the full-time and part-time pathway structures and elective modules are on our website at Flexible study options We offer flexible study options for LPC students and you can choose from either full-time or part-time study. You can also choose to take either Stage 1 or 2. Our electives are also offered on a standalone basis for those wishing to learn a new area of practice, or to update their knowledge. Full-Time Pathway The full-time LPC is taught in two stages and lasts one year if you take Stages 1 and 2 together. The course starts at the beginning of September and runs until June including assessments. You can expect to have on average ten hours per week of formal contact time in workshops. We also expect you to spend time on independent study preparing for workshops and assessments. Part-Time Pathway If you decided to take the course part-time you will study for both stages 1 and 2 over the two years. You will be required to come in for one day each week allowing you the rest of the week to gain valuable work experience to enhance your CV and employability. The part-time course also runs from early September to June. MA in Legal Practice Successful graduates will be offered the chance to upgrade the LPC to a MA in Legal Practice. This leads to a Masters degree qualification and allows you to develop an excellent understanding in an area of law and practice, whilst also providing you with the qualification to progress to qualification as a solicitor. I went to Sheffield University for my undergraduate studies so knew the level of support the university already gave but whilst on the LPC the support was even more helpful as the course numbers are relatively small and the staff can give much more detailed and individual support. Everyone was very approachable and you never felt you couldn t ask for help or advice. Now as a trainee I rely heavily on the training given on the LPC and feel the course is well tailored to preparing you for working life as a solicitor. Anne Burridge, LPC Graduate 2014

7 The University of Sheffield You re not just a member of our School community, you ll become a member of our University student community in Sheffield. You can enjoy 24/7 library services, WiFi across campus, practical help and careers advice, and an excellent range of clubs and societies to join as well as opportunities to engage with the local community through volunteering projects and student representation. With outstanding facilities to support your studies and a great place to call home, Sheffield is a university like no other. Sign up for one of our Open Days at to visit us and find out why. Living in Sheffield Edinburgh Manchester SHEFFIELD Choose the University of Sheffield and you re not just choosing one of Britain s finest universities. You re choosing a place to live that s the best in Britain for student life. Whatever you re into, from outdoor activities to arts and culture, Sheffield does it brilliantly. A few of the benefits include: Cost of living is 90% of the national average England s safest major city Award-winning student accommodation (Number 1: Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, 2014) More than a third of the city is in the Peak District National Park, an area of outstanding national beauty Admissions procedures. There are different application procedures for the full-time and part-time pathways. London Location Sheffield is in the heart of the UK and is well-connected by road, rail and air. You can reach London in just over two hours. To apply you will need: a second class honours degree; or a good non-law degree, together with CPE/Postgraduate Diploma in Law; or to be a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. We offer places based on applicants merit and satisfactory references. We may wish to interview you before offering you a place. We do guarantee offers of places to some students from some Universities. You need to enquire with your careers officer or tutor to find out if such a guarantee is given and the terms of that guarantee. The fact that it s part of the university is a real advantage, it means you have access to all the university facilities and not just the ones provided for the LPC. Sarah Hendley, LPC student Full-Time Pathway You should apply for Stages 1 and 2 of the full time LPC or Stage 1 only through the Legal Practice Course Central Applications Board. Details of how to apply are on the Central Applications Board website at We prefer you to put us as your first choice in your list of LPC providers. Part-Time Pathway We have a separate application procedure for this option and can provide information and guidance to support you throughout the process. Further guidance on how to apply is on the School s website at Individual Elective Subjects Further guidance on how to apply is on the School s website at If you would like guidance on your particular situation please lpc@sheffield.ac.uk

8 School of Law The University of Sheffield Bartolome House Winter Street Sheffield, S3 7ND Tel: +44 (0) Web: /sheffieldlawschool