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Common Professional Exam (CPE) PgDip/LLM
Legal Studies*

Location
Southwark

Duration
1 year (full-time)
2 years (part-time)

Start date
September

Number of places
35 places full-time and part-time

Simple timetable info
Following an introductory period:
Full-time: 3 days per week
Part-time: 2 evenings per week

How to apply
Full-time: via www.lawcabs.ac.uk
Part-time: direct to LSBU

Course contact
Dr Mike Rodney
admissionscpe@lsbu.ac.uk – 020 7815 5725

Non-standard entry requirements
All applicants should visit www.lawcabs.ac.uk and follow the links to CPE Law Society and Bar for further information about entry requirements.

Course units

– Introduction/English Legal System

– Law of the European Union

– Obligations 1 (Law of Contract)

– Obligations 2 (Law of Tort)

– Public Law (Subjects above form Year 1 of the part-time mode, those below form Year 2)

– Land Law

– Criminal Law

– Equity and Trusts

– Project

*subject to validation


Course description

A conversion course for non-law graduates who wish to take up a professional career in law, satisfying all the requirements of the professional bodies (represented by the Joint Academic Stage Board). Students successfully completing the CPE are eligible to enter the Legal Practice Course (for intending solicitors) or the Bar Vocational Course (for intending barristers). From 2010 the Bar Professional Training Course with additional entry requirements including an aptitude test and English language proficiency.

The primary aims of the course are to ensure that students achieve a sound understanding of English Law covered in the seven ‘foundation’ subjects, and to provide students with a clear understanding of the structure and operation of the English legal system.

The course begins with an introductory unit covering the fundamental aspects of the English legal system. This is followed by a range of more specific units and a project dealing with an area of law, of the student’s choosing, that is not covered elsewhere in the course. The course is taught by an experienced team of tutors most of whom are solicitors or barristers. Classes consist of a mixture of lecture styles and smaller group meetings where exam technique and problem solving approaches are practised. The course is well supported by online materials and search resources which can be accessed off-campus.

Students successfully completing the PGDipLS are eligible to submit a dissertation for the award of LLM (subject to validation).

Career opportunities

This course can lead to one of many careers in law from professional qualification as solicitor or barrister to a wide variety of careers in both public and private sectors.

Typical background of applicant

Any non-law first degree from a UK university, or the equivalent (as certified by the relevant professional body).

Professional contacts/industry links

The course is fully recognised by the Joint Academic Stage Board and constitutes completion of the Academic Stage of Training for the purposes of further study on either the Legal Practice Course (for intending solicitors) or the Bar Vocational Course (for intending barristers).

Recent guest lecturers

– Imran Kahn, Solicitor

– Joel Bennathan QC

– Vera Baird QC, MP

– Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Human Rights Lawyer and Visiting Professor