The Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at Dundee Law School

Dundee Law School has an excellent reputation as a Diploma Provider. We have three decades of experience of delivering the legal practice programme in collaboration with dedicated members of the local legal profession who bring their enthusiasm and expertise to the enterprise. We pride ourselves on the accessibility of our staff and the fact that students are treated as individuals and valued members of our legal community.

The new style Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at Dundee (the Diploma) was accredited by the Law Society of Scotland in June 2011 ran from September 2011. For more about the structure and content of the new programme see the Law Society's website information for students.

All teaching of the Diploma is based on achieving the outcomes set by the Law Society. These outcomes emphasise the development of practical legal skills within a backdrop of ethical and professional behaviour. As a student you will be supported and encouraged to develop the knowledge and skills demanded by each of the compulsory and mandatory outcomes of your training and to reflect upon and record your professional development as part of that process.

In the first semester you engage with the compulsory core subjects which the Law Society prescribe as central to the training process. In the second semester you are able to choose from a range of elective subjects to suit your individual interests and career aspirations.

You will consolidate and build on the black letter law and the research and analytical skills that you acquired as undergraduates and apply them to practical situations through interactive learning. You will be assigned to a law firm, elect a senior partner, and develop your group and team-building skills as part of the learning process. You will be trained in video-recording so that you can electronically record your progress in many of the key skills of lawyering, such as interviewing, negotiating and advocacy. The assessments are continuous and the focus is on learning by doing, receiving feedback, giving feedback to your peers, practising to improve, and reflecting on your progress.

We aim to give you confidence that when you leave Dundee Law School, you will be professionally trained to cope with real situations that you will encounter in practice.

Professor Fiona Raitt

Director of the Diploma programme.