Summary LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE (‘LPC’) PROGRAMME HANDBOOK

LEGAL PRACTICE COURSE (‘LPC’) PROGRAMME HANDBOOK 1 POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LEGAL PRACTICE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK Welcome by Director of Programmes The LPC is an innovative and professional programme designed to prepare you for work-based learning and as a general foundation for legal practice. To ensure the programme is relevant to the current needs of firms and businesses it is designed in conjunction with a number of leading law firms and you are taught by experienced practitioners using high-quality materials and facilities. At the end of the programme you will be able to advise a client in relation to their legal problems, comply with professional standards and codes and develop commercial awareness. All students will leave the programme with relevant knowledge for practice, practical skills and professional attitudes. The LPC is delivered using a combination of face to face and online teaching. Classroom work is enhanced and supported though the use of e-learning technologies. All programme materials are designed to create realistic exercises within the context of principal case studies which are transactional in nature and which replicate the kind of tasks that a trainee may be required to carry out in practice. These materials will, in addition, assist you to develop professional attitudes (organisation, maturity, awareness of the demands of practice and professional ethics). You are encouraged to approach the programme with a strong work ethic and to view the programme as ‘day one’ of your professional career as a solicitor. This is supported by the professional culture adopted by all members of the LPC teaching and management team. You will also be able to complement your studies on the LPC with extra-curricular activities, including the ‘High Street Extra’ programme, the Preparing for Practice module or the ‘Law Firm as a Business programme’. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a legal advice clinic and other pro bono work. In summary, we have designed a distinctive, flexible, practical and relevant programme of legal education, in the broadest sense, to equip you for legal practice. We wish you the best of luck in your studies with us. Jane Houston and Jo-Anne Pugh (Joint) Directors of LPC Programmes 2 POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LEGAL PRACTICE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK Contents 1. Programme outcomes and overview 2. Programme content, structure and teaching methods 3. Assessments 4. The Award 5. Pastoral care Appendices I. Solicitors Regulation Authority Learning Outcomes II. LPC Programme Regulations III. LPC Learning and Teaching Strategy IV. Study guide – how to prepare for your sessions V. Study planners for each mode VI. Key contacts VII. Further Assessment information a. Overview b. Assessment strategy c. Assessment dates for each mode d. Assessment map VIII. Further Module information a. Curriculum map b. Module outlines for • Core Practice Areas • Course Skills • Other modules • Electives • Non credit-bearing modules 3 POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LEGAL PRACTICE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK 1. LPC Programme Outcomes The LPC prepares you for work based learning and helps you to develop the core cognitive, professional and general transferable skills necessary for modern legal practice. At BPP we have designed our LPC within the masters framework as prescribed by Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (the ‘QAA’). The majority of the LPC programme is accordingly taught at ‘masters’ level. The BPP LPC programme outcomes are set out below. This sets out what you should be able to do by the time you complete the programme. The Legal Practice Course is governed by the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (the ‘SRA’), which has outlined the minimum outcomes for the content of any provider’s Legal Practice Course. These are set out in Appendix 1 to this Programme Handbook. The programme outcomes for BPP’s LPC, as set out below, incorporate these requirements. The SRA also sets specific outcomes for the different elements of the course. How these are met in BPP’s LPC is more specifically set out in the relevant module outlines (in Appendix VIII to this Programme Handbook). Knowledge and Understanding Ref A. Students should be able to: K1 Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the principles, transactions and procedures in prescribed areas of law and their application in current professional legal practice. K2 Demonstrate critical awareness of current issues and developments in substantive law and practice in prescribed areas of law and how these impact on advising a client. K3 Demonstrate awareness and the application of the ethical principles and professional codes that inform behaviours within prescribed areas of legal practice. K4 Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the techniques appropriate for a range of professional skills including legal research, writing, drafting, advocacy and Interviewing & Advising and apply those skills in a range of commercial and client facing contexts. Cognitive Skills Ref A. Students should be able to: C1 Analyse and synthesise a wide range of information, documentation and data relevant to a client’s case in order to resolve complex legal issues, advance transactions and deliver effective legal advice demonstrating an awareness of both legal and non-legal factors. C2 Evaluate critically the application of precedents and authorities in the context of a client’s case and the strengths and weaknesses that this reveals. 4 POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LEGAL PRACTICE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK Professional Skills and Attitudes Ref A. Students should be able to: P1 Provide sound legal advice to a client taking in to account their financial, commercial and personal priorities and constraints and the costs, benefits and risks involved in transactions or courses of action. P2 Communicate solutions to legal problems coherently both orally and in writing to a range of clients and other professionals P3 Demonstrate a competent, ethical and proactive approach when advising clients or advancing client transactions. P4 Monitor, identify and adapt to changes in the law and procedure. General Transferable Skills Ref A. Students should be able to: T1 Use their initiative and creativity in addressing and solving problems in a range of legal and commercial contexts recognising when information or supervision is appropriate. T2 Communicate complex information and recommend solutions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences, adapting the style of communication to the needs of the audience. T3 Demonstrate the ability to study autonomously and the self direction for continued professional development. 5 POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LEGAL PRACTICE PROGRAMME HANDBOOK 2. Programme Content, structure and teaching methods 2.1 What will I study on the LPC? The LPC is composed of 2 distinct but interconnected stages, Stage 1 and Stage 2. Together, these 2 stages comprise 13 modules in total. The modules are benchmarked against the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications set by the QAA. As mentioned previously, the majority of BPP’s LPC modules are accordingly taught at level 7 (i.e. masters level). Detailed module outlines can be found in Appendix VIII to this Programme Handbook. Here you will find the aims, learning outcomes, detailed curriculum information and assessment for each module. You will also find the module outlines together with module materials on the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) so you can access your materials wherever you have an internet connection. This section of the Programme Handbook aims to provide you with general information about what and how you will be taught. A copy of the full teaching and learning strategy for the programme can be found in Appendix III. 2.2 Stage 1 Modules The LPC is regulated by the SRA. The SRA stipul