LPC Update
Last updated 22 July 2008
Introduction
A Legal Practice Course information pack (PDF 380K) is now available. It sets out the SRA's requirements for providers offering the LPC from September 2009.
While the existing LPC can be delivered on a full-time or part-time basis (over one or two academic years, respectively) or as part of an exempting law degree, the new arrangements will allow greater flexibility, with courses being tailored to suit individual needs and those of firms. Therefore, you will need to check whether a particular provider is delivering a course relevant to your requirements.
What has changed?
- LPC outcomes (see the information pack) will replace the existing written standards (PDF 139K), giving clearer guidance, more certainty and greater flexibility on the content and delivery of the course.
- The course will still be known as the Legal Practice Course. But, in future, it will be delivered and studied in two stages:
- Stage 1 covers the three essential practice areas of Business Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice, and Litigation, and the course skills, Professional Conduct and Regulation, Taxation, and Wills and Administration of Estates.
- Stage 2 will be made up of three vocational electives.
How will the course be offered?
- To assist you in making a choice, providers (including firms of solicitors) can become authorised to offer Stage 1, Stage 2 or both stages.
- You must complete Stage 1 with one provider only.
- You can take Stage 2 with your Stage 1 provider or with one or more other authorised Stage 2 providers. Therefore, you can take the three vocational electives at three different authorised providers.
- You must complete three distinct vocational electives. Each elective will be allocated to an elective group, and you will be required to complete electives from at least two groups to ensure that you cover different aspects of practice.
- Separate transcripts will be provided for Stage 1 and Stage 2—four transcripts in total.
- You will still be allowed to have three attempts at each assessment.
- All assessments of Stage 1 and Stage 2 must be successfully completed and passed within a five-year period. The five-year period starts from the date you attempt the first assessment—whether or not you are successful. The date of the first assessment will be specified on the relevant transcript.
- It is expected that the course will continue to be delivered over the traditional academic year (i.e. over 10 months), on a full-time or part-time basis, or as part of an exempting law degree. But it is also likely that accelerated programmes or, possibly, programmes that are delivered over a longer period of time will be available.
- It may also be possible for there to be delivery and/or assessment of the course by more than one organisation (collaborative arrangements).
What is happening now?
Several existing providers and prospective providers intend to deliver the new LPC from September 2009, but there will also be some existing LPCs running alongside the new course until August 2010.
Authorisation and validation events will take place from October 2008 to December 2008. A list of authorised providers will be published in February 2009.
If you want to enrol on a new full-time LPC in September 2009, you will need to make an application through the Central Applications Board (CAB) after 1 October 2008. The initial selection and allocation process at the CAB will run from early December 2008 through to late March 2009.
You should be aware that, when you apply for a place on the new LPC, all providers will be "subject to validation" until the list of authorised course providers is published in February 2009. You should contact providers directly for more information.