Professional Legal Practice (Taught)

Embark on your journey to becoming a solicitor with full SQE 1 and 2 preparation.

This LLM in Professional Legal Practice will prepare you for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination, both in terms of the functional legal knowledge needed for SQE1, and the professional legal skills you will need for SQE2.

Delivered in collaboration with the College of Legal Practice and taught by mix of professional academic staff and practising solicitors, students will be provided with everything they need to pass their SQE assessments, and to further develop their legal and professional knowledge and skills over a variety of practical and future facing topics.

The modules are designed to suit you and your SQE Preparation sessions are delivered in both traditional workshop sized groups and large group sessions. You'll also benefit from guest lectures and high levels of personalised supervision to ensure you are supported throughout your SQE journey.

As one of our LLM students you will have access to thousands of College of Legal Practices' SQE Multiple Choice Questions, multiple SQE Assessment simulations, and ‘SQE Ready Reviews’ with supervisors. Alongside this expert teaching, you will have the opportunity to study modules delivered by Solent University across topics such as Commercial Law, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, AI, Intellectual Property Law and beyond.

You will also, of course, be a part of our Law School, meaning you will have access to tailored events such as workshops, Q&As, mock trials and mock mediations delivered by legal professionals, as well as career and networking events.

These professional development activities give you the opportunities you need to achieve your career goals and take the next steps in your professional journey

We also understand that every student’s career path is unique, and this course is designed to recognise that. With a mix of hybrid sessions and block teaching, the course will meet your needs regardless of personal circumstance, and with Solent’s and College Of Legal Practice’s industry links and careers support - this course offers more than simply SQE preparation; it offers you a bridge into the professional world.

SQE 1 Preparation
This module is designed to prepare you the first of your SQE assessments; SQE 1. SQE 1 is comprised of two Functional Legal Knowledge assessments (FLK 1 and FLK 2). You'll be taught by practitioners and academics from the internationally renowned SQE training provider, the College of Legal Practice (COLP). Using COLP’s virtual learning environment and attending occasional on-site collaborative sessions at Solent University, you'll be prepared for your SQE 1 assessments as you work through FLK 1 and FLK 2 modules, learning how to apply legal principles in the format SQE 1 requires. You'll have the opportunity to engage in mock SQE 1 styled assessments on all SQE 1 FLK topics and will also receive an “SQE Ready” check in from COLP to provide updates on your SQE 1 readiness.

SQE 2 Preparation
The Module is designed to prepare you for your SQE 2 Assessment. SQE 2 builds upon SQE 1 in that students will develop and be tested on fundamental legal skills within areas of Functional Legal Knowledge. The skills include areas such as drafting, research, interviewing, advocacy etc. These skills are tested within specific areas of knowledge developed whilst studying the SQE 1 Preparation Module (Criminal Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Property Practice, Wills and Probate, and Business Organisation). Underpinning theoretical learning, you will find yourself engaged in drafting activities, mock mediations, mock advocacy in our Courtroom, mock interviews and so on. All designed to make you SQE 2 Ready. Again, students will have access to COLP materials for up to 10 months after completing this Module.

• Optional modules

Legal Risk Management, Compliance and Artificial Intelligence
Legal risk management is one of the high-priority risk types for every business. You will learn the process of identifying, assessing, and controlling legal, strategic, and compliance risks of an organisation. How to reduce internal operational risks, such as fraud, and external legal risks such as lawsuits.

Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
You will learn the difference and suitability of several kind of alternative to court dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation, negotiation and arbitration. You will learn the strategy and tactics required for a successful outcome.

Commercial Law
In this module, you will be provided an introduction to English commercial law as a whole, combined with an in-depth coverage of some contemporary aspects. You will become familiar with the fundamental principles of commercial law, and you will be able to apply these principles to a wide range of transactions, centred on contracts and the usages of the market, between merchants.

Intellectual Property Law
You will focus on the UK and EU substantive law in relation to copyrights, and you will consider the impact of international and European policy on the scope of these rights in the UK. You will investigate the economic justifications for copyright protection and a comparison with the USA in addition to the Hargreaves review and its potential implications.

Dissertation
In this module you have the opportunity to select a topic area of interest within your chosen discipline. Drawing on knowledge from other modules, you will design, plan and conduct research in an area related to your academic interest and discipline field. You will learn about the processes and academic debates around doing research, planning, applying for ethics, collecting data, analysing data and writing your research project into a dissertation.

Internship
This is your opportunity to reflect upon, and to actively implement, the knowledge and skills you have gained from previous studies in a professional environment. The specific areas of study will depend on the context of the internship. This module will allow you to enhance and document achievements in a range of skills and knowledge areas.