Legal Practice Course (LPC)

Course Details

What is the LPC?

The LPC is the final stage of training to become a qualified solicitor. You study the LPC after successful completion of a qualifying law degree, or other recognised qualifications.

The LPC is recognised and well-respected and valued by law firms due to the level of practical preparation our students receive, beyond just theory. It’s a hands-on qualification and certifying means that you will be able to adapt to working life as a solicitor and thrive quickly.

At ULaw, we focus on the skills that employers are most interested in so that you can enhance your academic knowledge while preparing for the realities of life in legal practice.

Is the LPC the same as the SQE?

Not exactly. The SQE is now the main route to qualification as a solicitor, introduced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You can find useful, clear guidance and information surrounding the transition to the SQE on our SQE Hub or our free guide, An SQE Course for Everyone.

Am I still able to study the LPC?

If you started a qualifying law degree (QLD), GDL or MA Law by (in most cases) 31 December 2021 there are transitional arrangements in place until 31 December 2032 to qualify as a solicitor under the LPC route. However, due to the reduction in available training contracts, and the requirement to have started your degree, GDL or MA Law by 31 December 2021, fewer students will be eligible to use the LPC route each year moving forward. 

The University of Law is no longer accepting applications for the LPC. The final intake took place in September 2026 (part-time, online only).

There’s no need to worry if your experience doesn’t match the requirements for the LPC. You’ll be able to qualify as a solicitor by following the SQE route. Our LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) course prepares graduates to qualify as a solicitor via the SQE route while gaining a master's degree. 

Find out more about our LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2).

Should students choose to study the LPC or SQE?

The University of Law is no longer accepting applications for the LPC. If you're looking to qualify as a solicitor and are not eligible for the LPC transitional arrangements, the SQE is now the main route to qualification.

Our LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) course prepares graduates to qualify as a solicitor via the SQE route while gaining a master's degree. You'll build the knowledge and skills required to pass the SQE assessments, alongside the additional expertise employers are looking for to succeed in modern legal practice.

In more detail

You can still continue with the LPC route to qualify as a solicitor if you have completed, started, accepted an offer, or paid a non-refundable deposit for one of the following by 31 August 2021:

• Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) / Common Professional Examination
• MA Law
• Legal Practice Course (LPC)

For a qualifying law degree (QLD) and exempting law degree (ELD), such as our LLB, you must have completed, started, accepted an offer or paid a non-refundable deposit by 21 September 2021.

In most cases, for the QLD, ELD and CPE, the relevant course must have started at the latest on or before 31 December 2021.

What opportunities are there for me to study the LPC at The University of Law?

The University is no longer accepting applications for the LPC. The final part-time online course started in September 2026. Students who started the LPC on this final intake must complete their programme by July 2028. Resit assessments will be available until August 2030. If you have not completed all assessment attempts by that date you'll not be able to complete the LPC.

What else should I know?

• The LPC is eligible for financial support such as a postgraduate student loan, bursaries and scholarships.
• If you already have a training contract in place, and are eligible under the LPC transitional arrangements, you may still be able to qualify via the LPC route. If you're not eligible for the LPC transitional arrangements, the SQE is now the main route to qualification as a solicitor. Find out more about the SQE. 

More information about our LPC

As one of the longest standing providers of the LPC in the UK, we have continually evolved our course to meet the expectations of hiring law firms. We have a vast network in the legal industry, providing legal training for 90 of the top 100 law firms in the UK and exclusively delivering SQE training for over 65 leading UK and US law firms.

The LPC has a clear focus on professional skills and the areas that legal employers are looking for, including commercial awareness and critical thinking. Our LPC was designed to help students strengthen their prospects and prepare for life as a trainee solicitor.

This is why 93% of postgraduate law students in work were in highly skilled employment 15 months after graduating***. And with a wide range of elective modules to choose from, students on the LPC can tailor their course to their specialist areas of interest.

Students on the LPC are taught by qualified lawyers who have extensive practice experience, with learning resources that allow them to access their study materials anytime from anywhere.

Why choose ULaw for your LPC?

The LPC at The University of Law offered:

• A career-focused approach to learning, developing commercial awareness, critical thinking and the professional skills that legal employers are looking for.
• Course options to suit your own areas of interest through a choice of elective subjects.
• The opportunity to add a free Masters to your skills and achievements and you could be eligible for a postgraduate student loan.
  
• Access to award-winning careers support to help you with your training contract applications with over 3,000 pro bono opportunities available to students.

Our Employment Promise - get a job in nine months or your fees back, up to 50% as cashback and 50% as credit towards another course**.

LPC at-a-glance

There are two stages to studying the LPC. 

• Stage one: completing four compulsory modules;
• Stage two: choose from a selection of focused modules, depending on your areas of interest and which version of the course you’re studying.

**Terms and conditions apply. Visit our Employment Promise page for details.

***93% of postgraduate law students in work were in highly skilled employment 15 months after graduating (2022/23 Graduate Outcomes data). Contains HESA Data: Copyright Jisc 2025. Jisc cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data.

Important Information for international students

If you require a visa to study in the UK and wish to progress on to one of our on-campus vocational courses, please refer to our UK visa requirements page for information about applying for a Student Route visa.

Find out more ➔

Course structure - All LPC courses

Stage 1 modules

• Introduction to Professional Practice (Professional conduct within this module carries 15 credits) 
• Business Law and Practice Knowledge and Skills (30 credits)
• Dispute Resolution Knowledge and Skills, including Criminal Litigation (30 credits)
• Real Estate Knowledge and Skills (30 credits)

Stage 2 modules

Students choose 3 electives for the LPC, and students on the LLM LPC must study a 4th elective. The University offers the following electives which cover corporate, commercial and private client practice areas.

Electives available to students starting the LPC in or after January 2025

• Advanced Criminal Law and Practice*
• Commercial Law & Practice
• Employment Law & Practice
• Family Law & Practice
• Intellectual Property Law & Practice
• Mergers and Acquisitions Law & Practice*
• Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Law & Practice
• Private Client Law & Practice

Please note:

1. *Students cannot study both Advanced Criminal Law and Practice and Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Practice as the exams take place at the same time.
2. All elective choices are subject to demand and timetabling constraints, and we cannot guarantee that all subjects will be available. To enable us to run appropriate transactional style workshop activities the minimum number of students required for a class is usually 10.
3. Online classes may either be delivered using streaming or with ULaw Online. The tasks will be carried out in the same way as they would be in a physical classroom, with students working on tasks together at the same time. If you study with ULaw Online you work asynchronously on tasks over a one-week period. You still benefit from discussions with your fellow students, but these take place via discussion boards rather than in a face-to-face discussion. You can find more guidance about the learning method and model used by ULaw Online here.

Assessment – attendance course

Assessed through a range of assessments, including oral assessments in Interviewing and Advocacy, and open book exams. Students can choose whether to sit these exams on campus as traditional handwritten exams or to sit them online using remote proctoring.

If you choose to study your LPC with a Master’s you will also be assessed with a written report and an oral assessment.

LLM in Professional Legal Practice (optional)

To receive an LLM in Professional Legal Practice students will study an additional elective module of your choice. All LLM students will also undertake a self-study Professional Practice Research Report module.

If you choose not to complete the LLM in Professional Legal Practice you will be issued with a Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) and will still have completed the vocational stage of training requirements.

What about the SQE?

The SQE is now the centralised way to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales

Find out more