LLM (Professional Legal Practice)

LLM (Professional Legal Practice)

Mode: full-time

Preparing you for practice

An LLM on your CV shows an employer your commitment to a career in law. It is internationally recognised and could open up opportunities for legal work overseas.

Our LPC and BPTC/BVC are taught at masters level, so once you have completed one of these you have already completed 120 (two thirds) of the 180 credits required for an LLM. You can attain the remaining 60 credits at BPP to obtain an LLM (Professional Legal Practice) by completing two additional modules. This can be done full-time in four months, so you could do it during the summer after you complete your LPC or BPTC/BVC and before you begin your training contract or pupillage.

Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment

BPP Law School has been designated by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) as a 'Centre of Excellence' in the field of investment regulation and compliance. This means that if you do the Financial Regulation and Compliance module from the LLM (Financial Regulation and Compliance) you will be eligible for full student CISI membership and will qualify for the award of the CISI Diploma in Investment Compliance* in addition to the LLM.

Programme content

You can choose to complete two practice-based projects or one practice-based project and one module from any of our other masters degree programmes i.e. LLM (Commercial Law), LLM (Financial Regulation and Compliance) or LLM (International Business Law).

You produce one/two practice-based project/s, proposed by you, based on your previous studies or your intended area of practice. You could use the subject of an LPC elective or BPTC/BVC option, for example family law or debt finance. It is not essential that you have studied your chosen subject before, although we do recommend that you have done so.

Alternatively, a practice-based project can be done in the context of pro bono or work-based matters that you have undertaken.

You can negotiate the content of your project/s with your tutor, so topics can be wide ranging. However your projects must apply law to legal practice and not purely academic investigations.

How is the programme taught?

The practice-based project/s part of the programme begins with the Preparation and Planning module (PPM). The module is delivered in two three-hour sessions in either the day or the evening.

After completing the Preparation and Planning module you will write and submit either one or two practice-based project proposals* depending on your chosen route of study. Once these proposals have been approved you will be allocated a supervisor and can start work on your practice-based project/s. Your supervisor is available to advise you on your studies in face-to-face meetings, by telephone and/or via email.

If you choose to do one practice-based project and a module from one of the other LLM programmes your subject timetable will be as per your chosen module.

*Please note that you need to have successfully completed all LPC or BPTC/BVC assessments before you can submit proposals for the practice-based proposals. If you are unsuccessful in any of these examinations you can defer your LLM (Professional Legal Practice) to a later date.

Modes of study

The modes of study for the LLM (Professional Legal Practice) are flexible so you can fit the programme around your personal commitments such as study, work and family. You can complete it at a speed and in the order that suits you - in four months or up to seven years after you register on the LPC or BPTC/BVC.*

If you wish to complete it during the summer after you finish your LPC or BPTC/BVC you must do two practice-based projects, because the LLM modules can only be done in term time as per your chosen LLM module timetable. However, if your training contract or pupillage starts in September or October and you want to do one practice-based project and one LLM module you could study the LLM module in the evening**.

There are several different dates each year when you can attend the Preparation and Planning module. Once you have completed this module you will be given dates when to hand in your proposal/s and final project/s. These can be adjusted to suit your needs.

*Available to alumni who completed their LPC or BPTC/BVC in 2006 or later.
**Subject to availability.

Assessment

The method of assessment depends on what route of study you choose. The practice-based projects are 6,500 words each and you do either one or two. If you opt to do a taught LLM module, this will be assessed by a memorandum of advice and an unseen examination.