To be eligible for the GDL, students must hold a degree from a UK university or an overseas institution recognised by the SRA. Alternatively, a student can hold academic and vocational qualifications which the SRA deems equivalent to a degree. Subject to various criteria, the following people may be eligible for exemption: mature students; chartered legal executives; assistant justices’ clerks; and those with professional qualifications equivalent to a degree (eg, obtained through the Institute of Chartered Accountants). If you think you might fall within one of these categories, you should contact the SRA (www.sra.org.uk/contactus or 0370 606 2555) or consult its “Equivalent means (exemptions)” page. Course content The GDL is an intensive, demanding programme focusing on the seven foundations of legal knowledge, which are: • contract; • tort; • criminal;
As an alternative to the GDL, a two-year, senior-status law degree can be studied. After this degree, students go straight on to the appropriate vocational stage of legal training (ie, LPC or BPTC). A number of UK universities offer senior-status degrees. To check whether your preferred university offers a senior status degree, contact the SRA, as above. Finally, it is worth taking into account the fact that many institutions teaching both the GDL and LPC will automatically offer you a place on the latter if you successfully complete the former. LPC The LPC is the vocational stage of training to be a solicitor. It aims to provide students with sufficient knowledge and skills to ensure that they are well equipped to undertake the work of a solicitor. It is a one-year, full-time (or two-year, part-time) course designed to bridge the academic degree and training contract. It is also possible to split the course into core and elective stages, enabling you to start your training contract sooner (ie, after having completed the core stage only) although in reality most students complete the LPC before their training contracts commence. Course content The LPC focuses on practical skills and the instilling of professional conduct and ethical standards. Teaching methods are no longer just academic: the emphasis is on workshops, continuous assessment, independent research and group discussions. The course also permits some specialisation through a range of optional subjects. In Stage One, the core subjects cover litigation, property, business, professional conduct and regulation, taxation, wills and the administration of estates. This stage also teaches students specific skills such as
• equity and trusts; • European Union*; • property/land; and • public.
*Subject to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and/or any agreement made on European Law in future, European Law will continue as one of the foundation subjects for the foreseeable future. Be aware that this stage of training is widely regarded as extremely difficult. Specific course content is set internally by individual institutions. However, for full-time students, the final examination will normally comprise a three-hour paper in each of the seven core areas. Although you have up to three years to complete the GDL, you will not be allowed to attempt any paper more than three times. Part-time and distance-learning GDL students must complete the course in not more than four years.
117 POSTGRADUATE TRAINING
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