Legal Practice

Snapshot

Overview

The Diploma in Legal Practice is a postgraduate, vocational qualification which must be obtained by students who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession in Scotland, either as a solicitor or advocate.

In the 2009 Good University Guide Dundee Law School was placed 9th in the United Kingdom law school rankings. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise Dundee Law School was one of only two law schools in the United Kingdom to achieve a 100% international standard classification, with half of our submissions being graded internationally excellent or world leading. Our commitment on is to provide high quality instruction, with a focus on matters of practical relevance, to prepare students for a successful legal career, whether at home or abroad.

Aims of the Programme

The Diploma aims to bridge the gap between the conclusion of undergraduate study with its emphasis on academic study and the start of practical, hands-on experience in a solicitor's office.

Programme Content

The Diploma consists of eight separate modules:

• Civil Court Practice
• Conveyancing
• Criminal Court Practice
• Financial Services and Accounting
• Practice Management and Legal Skills
• Private Client
• Professional Ethics
• Your choice of Company/Commercial or Public Administration

These are taught by a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops. The type of work in each module will depend on the nature of that module.

Methods of Assessment

Students are required to reach a satisfactory standard overall in the Diploma modules which they are taking. All aspects - attendance, completion of coursework, participation in tutorials, performance in examinations - are taken into account in judging student performance.

Entry Requirements

You should have, or expect to have LLB in Scots Law to include all subjects required by the Law Society of Scotland. Entry to the programme is restricted to approximately 80 places determined by the academic merit of applicants. The main criterion for academic merit is the average mark obtained at first sitting in the subjects required by the Law Society of Scotland.

English Language Requirement: IELTS of 6.5, with minimum of 6.0 in the writing component (or equivalent), if your first language is not English. Please check our Language Requirements page for details of equivalent grades from other test providers, and information about the University of Dundee English Language courses.

Sources of Funding

Information about the School of Law scholarships can be found on the School of Law scholarships webpage.

Other sources of funding for postgraduate students can be found on our Scholarships webpage.

Contact

Programme Director	Diploma Secretary
Mrs Betty Bott School of Law University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN Scotland Telephone: 01382 384453 (from the UK) Telephone: +44 1382 384453 (from outside the UK) Fax: 01382 386737 (from the UK) Fax: +44 1382 386737 (from outside the UK) Email: b.bott@dundee.ac.uk	Mrs Vikki Watson School of Law University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN Scotland Telephone: 01382 384459 (from the UK) Telephone: +44 1382 384459 (from outside the UK) Fax: 01382 386737 (from the UK) Fax: +44 1382 386737 (from outside the UK) Email: v.a.watson@dundee.ac.uk