Northumbria University Newcastle - Master of Laws Professional Legal Practice LLM

Northumbria University Newcastle

Master of Laws Professional Legal Practice LLM

Are you a law graduate, or have you done a GDL or CPE, and want to train to work in professional legal practice? We can help you transition from the classroom to the courtroom. 

Our LLM Professional Legal Practice course aims to develop the academic and legal knowledge required for the SQE assessment and professional practice.

This course has been designed to build and develop your legal knowledge. It will prepare you for the assessment methods used in the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) in September 2021. The SQE is a two-part national assessment for anyone who wants to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.  The course is designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge to sit stage 1 of the SQE assessment (SQE1) through integrated preparation modules. It also lays the foundations to help you achieve your employment goals and go on to sit the second stage of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE2) after work experience and/or further study. We will be running a SQE 2 course from September 2023 to prepare you for the second assessment.

The programme will provide knowledge of how the law is applied in practice. In addition to this, it will also provide you with a critical understanding of how to respond professionally to different legal scenarios. You will be expected to think creatively and understand how to interpret and use legal rules to support arguments.

Entry Requirements

Applicants should normally have:

A Qualifying Law Degree awarded at a minimum of a 2:2 honours, or a GDL qualification, both awarded less than 7 years ago. Relevant professional qualifications or suitable experience will also be considered.

English language requirements:

International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

Career Prospects

Our LLM Professional Legal Practice course is designed to be practical and directly applicable to your future career goals. It will focus on equipping you with the skills and knowledge required to be a solicitor. The skills you learn will be transferable to other non-legal professions, should you wish to choose a different career path.

We run an excellent careers programme with law specific careers events held throughout the year, including employer presentations and workshops. Specialist career professionals from our Graduate Futures team provide 1-2-1 careers information, advice and guidance to support you at each stage of your career planning.

This quality support includes assistance with developing your networking skills, enhancing your job search skills and providing feedback on your CV and job applications. The programme teaching staff have previous practice experience in a range of practice areas and are happy to speak with you and share their experiences of working in local and national law firms. Our annual Careers Fair also presents the opportunity for you to meet a variety of employers and the chance to secure a graduate role.

Course Details

  • This course contains two forms of assessment, formative and summative. Formative assessment is an essential learning tool and includes seminar discussions, informal peer review and online exercises. Banks of online multiple-choice questions reflecting the SQE 1 assessment will provide you with individual feedback on your progress throughout the programme.
  • For summative assessment, the standard Master’s level Northumbria Law School marking criteria will be followed, enabling you to understand what is expected and how you will be judged on your performance.
  • The graded assessments embrace a variety of assessment formats to reflect the learning for each module. This will include; coursework, presentations and a dissertation. The assessment scheme ensures you are tested upon the full range of skills and knowledge that you will develop through the programme. You will have access to detailed assessment instructions and grade descriptors to understand how your work is assessed and help you deliver what is required.

Year One

Property Law and Practice (Core,20 Credits)
Business Law and Practice (Core,20 Credits)
Dispute Resolution (Core,20 Credits)
Criminal Law and Practice (Core,20 Credits)
Wills and Administration of Estates (Core,20 Credits)
Legal Research (Core,20 Credits)
LL.M Dissertation (Core,60 Credits)

*The information’s are correct at the time of publishing, however it may change if university makes any changes after we have published the information. While we try our best to provide correct information, It is advisable to call us or visit university website for up to date information.

Are you ready to start building your future?

Contact our admission counseller and get a free consultation.