Our Legal Practice Course (LPC) develops the legal skills and knowledge needed for a successful law career.

60 leading law firms exclusively send their trainee solicitors to study the LPC with us and we are the preferred choice for over 150 organisations. We work with firms across the law profession to develop the best possible education for future solicitors, enhancing your employability through dedicated support and placement opportunities. So you can be confident that our LPC will help you launch a successful legal career.

Preparing you for practice

The BPP University PGDL is designed to help you make a smooth transition from being a non-law graduate into a career in law. We don't just give you an excellent qualification, we give you an insight into life in practice, so you enter the next stage of your training more informed, more prepared and more effective, and able to demonstrate a higher competency when applying for training contracts and pupillages.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Law is awarded by BPP University and is recognised as completion of the academic stage by the SRA and BSB.

When you have passed your PGDL, you can proceed to our LPC, the next step to becoming a solicitor. Or you can apply for our BTC, the next step to becoming a barrister. 

How the programme is taught

We assume you have no prior knowledge of law when you start your PGDL, so you get a full induction programme and a high level of support from day one. This includes outstanding learning materials and online resources. All study materials are included in the fee. All resources have online equivalents.

You'll be taught by our experienced legal professionals and academics with time split evenly between interactive live workshops as well as regular consolidation sessions and a wealth of online resources. For full details view our Locations tab.

What you will experience in the classroom

BPP University's ethos is learning by doing. Classes are designed with an interactive focus, based on discussions, debates and resolving practical case studies. You will learn the academic knowledge, but as importantly you will learn how it's applied in practice, with a logical approach, presenting your arguments persuasively and in a structured manner.

You will study up to 21 hours a week consisting of live and online lectures and classes dependent on location and start date. Tutorials are taught in groups of around 18 students, giving you a high level of student/tutor contact time.

All our students also have a Personal Tutor and access to a Student Advisor, should you need any guidance or additional support outside of class time.

Independent research essay options

We offer a wide range of titles, and will always consider individual topics suggested by students. Current options include intellectual property, succession, company law, family law, housing law, medical law and public international law.

Study Options

Personalise your PGDL timetable

BPP gives you more control over the way you study with face-to-face, online distance learning, or a combination of both available. Classes are offered morning, afternoon, evening and weekends. Face-to-face PGDL classes are taught on two set days per week during the core teaching term, at the following centres, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge and Liverpool.

You can start in January or September. For full-time study, both options take nine months. Or if you choose part-time and start in January, you'll finish in 18 months – ready to start the LPC or BTC in September. If you start part-time in September the programme takes two academic years.

Optional modules

With the BPP PGDL, you're given access to an unrivalled range of additional modules, designed to get you ahead and give you the edge in interviews. Highlights include:

• Company law module
• Further specialist law modules – start specialising early in areas such as Intellectual Property or Public International Law, so you can demonstrate more expertise than other graduates.
• Professional Skills modules developed with leading city firms – Featuring areas like legal writing and legal research
• Mandarin Chinese – Gain an insight into the language used in one of the world's most important markets with free Mandarin Chinese lessons (London only).

Specialist careers advice

From the moment you accept your place until you secure your first legal position, you can use our careers service. With our one-to-one support, we aim to give you the edge when it comes to getting a training contract or pupillage. You'll have everything from access to our vacancies database to advice on filling out application forms, intensive interview coaching, employer research and networking opportunities with top firms.

Part-time PGDL

Our part-time programme is designed to fit around your other commitments such as work and family. BPP offers a variety of part-time modes:

• Evenings: taught between 6.00pm and 9.00pm. Each module is taught by a one-hour tutorial per week. All our lectures are recorded and made available to students online for flexibility of study
• Weekends: one Saturday every fortnight, consisting of tutorials. Lectures delivered online
• Day: taught on one half-day per week from 9am - 1.30pm in year 1 and from 9am - 2.40pm in year 2. Lectures are delivered online
• Distance learning: weekly online lectures and tutorials with optional face-to-face tuition.

Modules

Course structure

The LPC is divided into two stages.

• Stage One – study the core practice areas of Business Law and Practice, Property Law and Practice and Litigation (Civil and Criminal). The emphasis is on practical application, using specifically designed client portfolios and simulated transactions.
• Advocacy
• Business Law and Practice (including taxation)
• Drafting
• Interviewing and Advising
• Litigation (Civil and Criminal)
• Practical Legal Research and Writing
• Professional Conduct and Regulation (PCR) (including Solicitors' Accounts (SA))
• Property Law and Practice
• Wills and Administration of Estates
• Stage Two - select three elective modules from a choice of 16 in areas as diverse as Corporate Finance, Commercial Law and Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law or Immigration Law.
• Advanced Commercial Litigation
• Advanced Commercial Property
• Advanced Criminal Litigation
• Commercial Law & Intellectual Property
• Corporate Finance
• Debt Finance
• Employment Law
• Equity Finance
• Family Law
• Immigration Law
• Insurance Law
• International Trade and Transactions
• Media and Entertainment Law
• Medical Negligence and Personal Injury
• Private Acquisitions
• Private Client (Wills, Probate and Estate Planning)
• Fourth elective (optional) - as all of our LPC teaching is also available in an online format, you will also have the opportunity to access the online materials for an additional elective for free,   to further enhance your specialist legal knowledge. This elective is not examined, and non-credit bearing.

New Module - Legal Technology Innovation and Design*

An area at the forefront of new skills sought by recruiters, this optional online module will focus on building the innovation skills that future solicitors will be expected to demonstrate.

• Understand legal technology (e.g. AI, Blockchain, Big Data, and Automation)
• Develop project management skills and techniques
• Learn skills to design technology that responds to problems 
• Engage in design thinking and process mapping vital in the legal workplace

Please note: all modules run subject to demand and may differ across all locations. *This optional module is non-credit bearing and not examined. It can be studied in addition to any of the modules on the LPC and LLM Legal Practice (Solicitors).

Exemptions

BTC graduates applying for the LPC may be eligible for exemptions and discounted fees when applying with Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). For more information, speak to our admissions team.

Entry requirements

Educational background

• Qualifying law degree minimum 2.2 or above

• Non-law degree minimum 2.2 or above and a PGDL, CPE, or similar qualification such as CILEx

• If you wish to study our fast-track LPC, you will be required to hold a 2.1 at degree level

English language requirements

If English is not your first language and you do not hold an honours degree that was delivered in English, you will be required to provide certified proof of ability in written and spoken English to, at least, IELTS 6.5 (overall) or equivalent.

How to apply

We recommend you apply as soon as you're ready – if you apply it earlier, you will have higher chance to get admitted to the programme.

Paying for your Legal Practice Course (LPC)

Distance Learning

Full-time and Part-time Legal Practice Course (LPC) programmes

Study in the UK

Full-time Legal Practice Course (LPC)