Law Conversion Course — Legal Studies Common Professional Exam (CPE)

With over 30 years of expertise, LSBU Law has shaped the professional futures of thousands of law students. Study law in the heart of the capital - connected and convenient, with excellent transport options and a short walk from the Royal Courts of Justice.

Steps to becoming a solicitor or barrister

On successfully completing the CPE you are eligible to enter the Legal Practice Course (for intending solicitors) or the Bar Professional Training Course (for intending barristers), which has some additional entry requirements including an aptitude test and English language proficiency.

Experienced tutors

The course is taught by an experienced team of tutors most of whom are solicitors or barristers which provides you with invaluable insight into the details of legal principals and real case examples.

Employability

Solicitor or Barrister

This course can lead to one of many careers in law from a professional qualification as solicitor or barrister to a wide variety of careers in both public and private sectors.

While our graduates may go on to join professional courses leading to qualification as a solicitor or barrister, the Diploma is also useful for numerous jobs that value skills in analysis, clear communication, efficient organisation and reasoned persuasion.

BSB and SRA

This course is fully recognised by the Bar Standards Board and Solicitors Regulation Authority and constitutes completion of the Academic Stage of Training for the purposes of further study on either the Legal Practice Course (for intending solicitors) or the Bar Professional Training Course for intending barristers (with additional entry requirements including an aptitude test and English language proficiency).

LLM Progression

Unlike a Graduate Diploma in Law our PgDip Legal Studies plus CPE is a postgraduate level qualification. After successfully completing the course you'll accumulate sufficient postgraduate credits to be eligible to submit for the further award of LLM by dissertation.

The LLM is an optional qualification additional to your Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies. To obtain the LLM you must successfully complete a supervised 15,000 word dissertation for which preparation has already been undertaken by your successful completion of the project module forming part of the programme leading to the PgDip Legal Studies plus CPE. The Masters dissertation is usually submitted in the semester following completion of the PgDip Legal Studies plus CPE. You'll not be required to attend classes when researching and writing your dissertation and you'll therefore be able to enrol on the Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course in the September following the successful completion of the PgDip in Legal Studies.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

Modules

You'll study seven modules required by the professional bodies for students intending to apply for the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC):

• Introduction to the English legal system
• Law of the European Union
• Obligations 1 (law of contract)
• Obligations 2 (law of tort)
• Public law
• Land law
• Criminal law
• Equity and trusts
• Project module

Dissertation for the award of LLM

• Dissertation (LLM only)

Assessment

Most modules are assessed by exams, exams plus coursework or presentations.

Award

X8 modules = PgDip + CPE
X8 modules and dissertation = LLM

Lecturers

• Louise Andronicou

Faculty/Department: / Job title: Principal Lecturer

• Mic Jeeves

Faculty/Department: / Job title: Course Director - LLM/Postgraduate Diploma Legal Studies + CPE

• Mike Molan

Faculty/Department: / Job title: Pro Vice Chancellor (Enhancement), Dean of the School of Business, (Acting) Dean of the School of Law and Social Sciences

Any undergraduate degree from a UK or Irish university or its equivalent in any discipline with a minimum of a 2.2 classification or its equivalent and that you are considered to be suitable to undertake the course.Exceptionally, favourable consideration will be given to those with a third class honours undergraduate degree or its equivalent, after having taken into account the applicant's work experience, other relevant experience and circumstances together with the applicant's commitment to the course. Please note however that by virtue of the regulations of the Bar Standards Board, students with a third class honours degree or its equivalent are not eligible to undertake the Bar Professional Training Course.If you do not have an undergraduate degree from a UK or Irish university and:1. You wish to become a barrister, you must have a Certificate of Academic Standing (CoAS) issued by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) proving your eligibility to join the LLM/PGDLS+CPE. Without this CoAS, progress to the next stage Bar course (BPTC) will be blocked – even though you were admitted to a CPE course and passed the CPE.2. If you wish to become a solicitor, your eligibility to join our LLM/PGDLS+CPE course is decided solely by this University considering your academic qualifications and work experience. If you already have a CoAS from the SRA (who no longer issue them), we will consider it if still within its expiry date.3. You are not required by this University to have a CoAS from the BSB to join the LLM/PGDLS+CPE. However, unless you are certain you will never want to become a barrister, you should consider obtaining one before your CPE course commences.Competence in the English language is required to be offered a place on the course.If you are not a national of the UK or Ireland or of a majority English-speaking country, you may have to demonstrate proficiency in English. This can be evidenced by an IELTS score of 6.5 or Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced Grade C. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

---

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

We offer students considerable financial help through scholarships, bursaries, charitable funds, loans and other financial support. Many of our scholarships are given as direct Tuition Fee discounts and we encourage all eligible students to apply for our Vice-Chancellor Scholarships.

Read more about key postgraduate scholarships below and find out more about scholarships and fee discounts for postgraduate students.

Vice-Chancellor Scholarships

Students holding an offer of a place on a postgraduate course will be invited to apply for a Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship. The Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship programme offers a range of rewards from £1,000 bursaries to a full fee waiver.

LSBU Graduate Loyalty Scheme

This scheme gives eligible undergraduate students and alumni a discount of their taught postgraduate tuition fees when they enrol on one of our postgraduate taught courses starting this year. All final year LSBU undergraduates, achieving a 2:1 or higher, who process directly onto an LSBU postgraduate taught course receive a 25% discount off their fees.

International Scholarships

As well as being potentially eligible for our postgraduate scholarships, International students can also benefit from a range of scholarships just for them.