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.

We have designed our LPC to fit in with your life and plans - you can study full-time, part-time or take an accelerated course. Whichever you choose, these routes are designed to offer you the best possible preparation to practise law. 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 the new route to becoming a solicitor, being gradually phased in 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 will be offering two more intakes for the LPC, in September 2025 (attendance on a full-time basis, or online on a part-time basis) and September 2026 (online on a part time basis only). Please note that it will not be possible to start the LPC after September 2026 and you must complete your programme by July 2028.  

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 new SQE path - find out more about the route available to you over on our SQE hub. 

If you’re not sure whether you can study the LPC based on these requirements, get in touch with our friendly team. We’ll advise you based on your own ambition and previous studies. 

Email [email protected] or call +44 (0) 800 289 997

Should students choose to study the LPC or SQE?

With the reduction in availability of training contracts, we recommend that you only choose the LPC if you already have a training contract or have a realistic prospect of obtaining one. It is important to appreciate that most larger firms are requiring their trainees starting from 2025 (or earlier) to do the SQE rather than the LPC. Whilst many firms will still accept the LPC route of qualification, you should check before you enrol to satisfy yourself that there are firms both in the location and the practice areas that you would like to work in who are still offering training contracts. If you are not confident of getting a training contract, you may be better enrolling onto one of our SQE programmes.  

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 will be offering a final full-time attendance course in September 2025 and part-time online courses in both September 2025 and 2026. Students should be aware that it will not be possible to join an LPC course at the University after September 2026 and you must complete the study on your programme by July 2028. Resit assessments will be available until August 2030. If you have not completed all assessment attempts by that date you will not be able to complete the LPC. 

Attendance courses in September 2025 are dependent on sufficient students enrolling. A course will run as long as there are 20 or more students enrolled at the campus. Online programmes will run as advertised up to and including the September 2026 intake. 

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, the LPC is the route we would recommend. If you don’t have a training contract arranged already, then the SQE may be more suitable for you because it is more flexible in terms of options for work experience.

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 and deliver training to 91 of the top 100 law firms, with exclusive relationships with 61 of the top UK law firms and many of the most prestigious US firms. Our aim is to prepare you fully for life as a trainee solicitor so that you move easily into your first role.

With a clear focus on your future career, we’ve designed our LPC to help you strengthen your prospects by learning the essential professional skills that legal employers are looking for, including commercial awareness and critical thinking.

This is why we have a 96% employment rate for full-time LPC students***. And with a wide range of elective modules to choose from, you can truly tailor your course to your specialist areas of interest.

You’ll be taught by qualified lawyers who have extensive practice experience, and through learning resources that allow you to access your study materials anytime from anywhere

Why choose ULaw for your LPC?

You’ll receive:

• 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. Students starting the LPC in January 2025 can study the LPC LLM in Professional Legal Practice.
  
• Flexible study – We understand that everyone’s circumstances are different. That’s why we offer a range of study modes (full-time, on campus, or part-time online) for our courses to provide you with the greatest choice and flexibility you need to succeed in your studies. 
  
• Access to award-winning careers support to help you with your training contract applications with over 3,000 pro bono opportunities as soon as you accept your place.

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.

***96% of full-time UK LPC graduates in work were in highly skilled employment 15 months after graduating (2021/22 Graduate Outcomes data). Contains HESA Data: Copyright Jisc 2024.

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 on all modes are subject to demand and timetabling constraints, and we cannot guarantee that all subjects will be available at any campus, including the online campus. To enable us to run appropriate transactional style workshop activities the minimum number of students required for a class is usually 10.
3.  It may be necessary for attendance students to study some electives online if there are insufficient numbers to run a class on campus. Online classes may either be delivered using streaming or at the online campus. In streamed classes students from different campuses all attend a timetabled class which is conducted 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 at the online campus 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 the online campus 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 being phased in to become the new centralised way to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales

Find out more

Course Start Dates

September 2025

• Legal Practice Course (LPC)
  • Full-time: Birmingham, Leeds, London Moorgate and Manchester

Online

Study LPC Online starting September 2025 or September 2026