Legal Practice LLM
Overview
Students undertaking the Legal Practice Course (LPC) can convert their LPC into an LLM in Legal Practice. Our LPC is delivered at Master's level rather than degree level, which allows you to gain an LLM by completing an additional dissertation either during or after their LPC.
This LLM satisfies all the requirements of a traditional LLM, but has a primary focus on practice. In addition to the taught classes on the LPC, this course gives you the opportunity to focus on an area of professional legal practice of your own choice while strengthening your knowledge and understanding of legal professional practice.
Undertaking this LLM can be linked to practice by underlining your commitment to a particular area, or it can be used more generally to strengthen your CV and improve your employability prospects.
This LLM satisfies all the requirements of a traditional LLM, but has a primary focus on practice. In addition to the taught classes on the LPC, this course gives you the opportunity to focus on an area of professional legal practice of your own choice while strengthening your knowledge and understanding of legal professional practice.
Undertaking this LLM can be linked to practice by underlining your commitment to a particular area, or it can be used more generally to strengthen your CV and improve your employability prospects.
Why the City LLM?
- Develop the knowledge and skills gained from your LPC
- Benefit from ongoing one-to-one specialist support and expert supervision
- Explore a chosen specialist area of law with practitioners in that field
- Enhance your long-term career prospects and attractiveness to employers
- Gain an instant competitive advantage in a crowded recruitment market
Entry Requirements
Applications for this LLM conversion course may only be made by students who have registered to take their full LPC with The City Law School within the last five years. It is not possible to apply for the LLM conversion before registering for your LPC, but we provide places for all students who put forward dissertation proposals of a sufficient quality.
Visa Requirements
City University London retains Highly Trusted Status from UKBA, enabling us to sponsor international students to study in the UK.
The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course at City, there are different rules for:
- Students on courses of more than 6 months
- Students on courses of less than 6 months
- Students on a pre-sessional English Language course
For more information see our main Visa page.
When and Where
- Duration:
- 1 year
Course Content
You will be asked to put forward a proposal for the dissertation that you would like to complete. It needs to be based in an area of legal practice, procedure, or skill, and is required to demonstrate originality.Course Structure
The choice is wide but your proposal could include:
- An in-depth examination of a particular area of procedure, or evidential requirements and tactics
- A critical consideration of an aspect of practice in a specialist area, such as the use of alternative dispute resolution optionsin commercial cases
- An analysis of how a particular skill is developed and applied in legal practice, such as techniques in questioning a client or a witness
- A topic linked to your work experience or Pro Bono work
Previous students have worked on a broad range of topics including the implications of European free movement, cultural attitudes to domestic violence and ADR in commercial cases.
Read the full programme specification.
Teaching and Assessment
Teaching
The classes that you have already completed on the LPC provide the taught element of the course. To complete your dissertation you will need to work independently, using practitioner sources and applying law at an advanced level to solve problems, with an awareness of current practice issues.
You will be allocated a supervisor who will provide you with one-to-one guidance throughout the dissertation process. The supervision meetings are flexible to meet your needs and can be undertaken remotely via email or telephone.
In support of your work on dissertation we provide:
- One-to-one structured supervision
- Face-to-face and web-based guidance on research, planning and writing a dissertation
- Support for small-scale empirical research
- Research classes run by the Library
- Continued full access to all The City Law School and City University London
facilities, including: library services, IT support and careers advice services.
Assessment
You will need to research, write and submit a dissertation of 15-20,000 words. This is a highly flexible course and the dissertation can be completed within the same academic year as your LPC, or part-time over about 18 months in order to fit in with work, family or other personal commitments.
Opportunities
We hold regular careers events with guest speakers from the profession where there will be additional opportunities for networking and career development. There are also opportunities for students on our LLM programmes to meet socially.
Read the full programme specification.
Fees
- Full-time EU: £3,500
- Full-time Non EU: £3,500
Funding
For up-to-date information about tuition fees, living costs and financial support, visit Undergraduate Fees and Finance or Postgraduate Fees and Finance.
Career Prospects
The course has been developed specifically to assist students in achieving their career aspirations. Students who have a training contract can use work on their dissertation to show their commitment to an area of practice. Students seeking a training contract or going into other areas of legal work can use the dissertation to strengthen their CV.Find out more about City University London
To apply, please download, complete and return the application form and equal opportunities monitoring form by email to lpc-llm@city.ac.uk