Study Master of Laws Solicitors' Practice

Course Highlights

The route to qualifying as a solicitor is changing, with the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). Following a transitional period, the SQE will eventually replace the existing LPC route to qualification.

The University of Hertfordshire's LLM Solicitors' Practice is designed to help you prepare for the SQE assessments, as well as to excel in professional legal practice.

The University of Hertfordshire is well known for its great links with industry and the professions, its first-class teaching, high-quality facilities and dedicated staff. Naturally, this course is no different. Taught by experts, including practising solicitors and barristers, it will equip you with all the up-to-date, transferable, interpersonal and practical skills you will need for your career in the legal profession.

Our innovative teaching methods utilise experiential learning to prepare you for practice, including in our state-of-the-art courtroom where you will develop your advocacy skills. We utilise a combination of blended learning techniques and assessment styles to mirror the different assessment styles of the SQE 1 and SQE 2 assessments, as well as helping you develop the skills you will need in professional legal practice. We limit class sizes to ensure that you receive the best teaching and pastoral support. From our friendly small-group Functioning Legal Knowledge sessions, where you have opportunities to ask our experienced practitioner teaching staff all your questions, to our coaching-style skills development sessions in our Qualifying Work Experience and Reflection and the Law modules, enabling flexibility and focus on the needs of the individual students.

In many cases work undertaken in the Law Clinic may count towards QWE hours, as well as being recognised as part of your LLM award, depending on which stream of the Solicitors’ Practice Project you choose to undertake.

Course Modules

Learning Structure

Teaching

• The course is practice-focused, with live interactive workshops in which you will apply your growing legal knowledge to realistic client scenarios. You will receive consistent feedback from a teaching staff of experienced practitioners, many of whom continue to practise as solicitors themselves. Lectures, recorded by our staff to help you prepare for the live workshops, are online, giving you flexibility to study these where and when you want.
• The course fees include access to OUP's specialist SQE preparation resources, including online manuals and practice questions to help you perfect your assessment technique for the SQE 1 assessments. There is also a strong emphasis on reflection as well as receiving individualised feedback from your tutors and peers. This will help you develop the legal and other professional skills that make candidates so attractive to law firms and other potential employers.

Assessment

• The programme has a variety of assessments including single best answer tests, oral assessments, written coursework and reflective journals.  Wherever possible assessments have been designed to mirror tasks that you might undertake in professional legal practice, whilst closely reflecting the SRA's SQE assessment strategy, in order to prepare candidates for the centralised SQE assessments.

Entry Requirements

• A 4-year Honours degree (or equivalent) in a law degree recognised by the SRA as a Qualifying Law Degree provider with CGPA 2.75 or 55% of marks (or above) from recognised institution.
• Or, have successfully completed the GDL qualification

English Language Requirements

IELTS Academic

Overall 6.5

With minimum 5.5 in each components

TOEFL iBT

Overall 79

Minimum in Listening: 17, Reading: 18, Speaking: 20, Writing: 17

PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic

Overall 59

With minimum 59 in each components

LanguageCert Academic

Overall 70

With minimum 60 in each bands

OIETC (Oxford International English Test Centre)

Overall C1

With minimum B2 in each bands

Duolingo

Overall 120

With minimum 92 in each bands

Study Gaps

For applicants with an academic or professional gap of up to 5 years, admission is generally considered acceptable. If the gap exceeds this period, applications may still be successful but will typically be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

To strengthen your profile, it is important to:

• Provide a clear explanation of how you spent the gap period (e.g., employment, further learning, personal responsibilities).
• Emphasize the skills and experiences you developed during this time that are relevant to the program.
• Demonstrate that your academic qualifications continue to meet the course entry requirements.