Course summary
This course is for those who wish to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales with the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) pathway and have already passed SQE1 (or are exempt from sitting it). This course combines our well respected SQE2 Preparation Course with our SQE Plus programme to equip you with the practical legal skills required to pass the SRA’s centralised SQE2 assessment and additional knowledge from studying the SQE Plus content. The SQE Plus content contains a choice of three modules in key practice areas that law firms highly value, including elective modules in corporate and commercial or commercial and private client. In addition, you may choose to study our well regarded Business of Law module which focusses on the commercial realities of being a lawyer and developing relevant professional skills, or a Professional Research Report focussing in depth on one of your chosen key practice areas. This course is designed for those who have completed SQE1 training, such as our SQE1 Preparation Course, and successfully passed the SRA's SQE1 assessments. Why choose the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (SQE2 and SQE Plus)?
- Adaptive and personalised learner journey, using our dynamic learning model: Prepare, Engage, Consolidate (PEC).
- Confidence for the assessments, with plenty of practise in the exact type of oral and written skills assessments you’ll face in the SRA’s SQE2 assessments. Our intelligent revision app, ULaw SQE, will help you revise functional legal knowledge practice contexts within which the SQE2 assessments are assessed, so you’ll feel prepared and know what to expect.
- Benefit from our extensive experience in helping students develop the skills that will be assessed in SQE2, and additional knowledge required for a career as a solicitor with our suite of modules in the SQE Plus.
- In depth lecturer guidance and support from our experienced lecturers, who are all practitioners. Your lecturer will monitor your progress and provide you with feedback, so you will know where to focus.
- Enjoy flexibility - We understand that everyone’s circumstances are different. That’s why we offer a full-time or part-time version of this course to provide you with the greatest choice and flexibility you need to succeed in your studies.
- Brand new resources, developed specifically for SQE2 and SQE Plus by our expert lecturers. You’ll be provided with all course materials, including SQE2 practice questions, our intelligent revision app to revise the practice areas in which the SQE2 assessments are assessed, and bespoke online study manuals.
- Experience of working in a virtual law firm. You’ll learn in the context of our virtual law firm, ULaw LLP. ULaw LLP replicates the working environment of a law firm and students perform real world tasks on simulated cases, deals and transactions, as if they were in the office.
- Support for your career. You’ll have access to our award-winning Employability Service, for information, advice, practical experience and links to the profession to help you to succeed in your career. Available at all of our campuses, the Employability Team will help you achieve your career and work experience goals.
- We have a vast network in the legal industry and deliver training to 91 of the top 100 law firms, with exclusive relationships with 61 of the top UK law firms and many of the most prestigious US firms.
Modules
SQE2 (30 credits) : • Interviewing – planning for and conducting an interview with a client, producing an attendance note recording a client interview and initial legal analysis. • Advocacy - planning for and conducting a piece of advocacy before a judge. • Case and Matter Analysis – producing a written report to a partner giving a legal analysis of a case and providing client-focused advice. • Legal Research – conducting legal research from a variety of paper and electronic resources, producing a written report. • Legal Writing – producing a letter or email as the solicitor acting in a matter, which clearly and correctly applies the law and is appropriate to the recipient. • Legal Drafting – drafting full or part legal documents, use of precedents. SQE Plus (90 credits): 3 x Key Practice Areas (KPA)s (15 credits each) selected from a range of modules in one of the two pathways: corporate/commercial or commercial/private client; 1 x Preparation for Practice Module (15 credits) and it is separately assessed; and one of either The Business of Law Module (30 credits), or The Professional Practice Report Module (30 credits). Students studying the LLM LP (SQE1&2) as an attendance mode programme will be able to select a maximum of one Key Practice Area Module for online delivery. Online students may attend a short scheduled Live Subject Support Session (LSSS) which is akin to a drop in session. The corporate/commercial pathway KPAs include (will only run subject to student numbers - all Visa sponsored students must remain with same campus): Corporate: • Mergers and Acquisitions • Debt Finance • and Equity Capital Markets Commercial: • Advanced Dispute Resolution • Advanced Real Estate • Commercial and International Trade • Employment • Intellectual Property and Data • Insurance And the commercial/private client pathway KPAs include will only run subject to student numbers - all Visa sponsored students must remain with same campus): Private: • Family • Personal Injury Clinical Negligence • Private Wealth • Advanced Criminal Practice • Immigration • Advanced Criminal Practice Commercial: • Advanced Dispute Resolution • Advanced Real Estate • Commercial and International Trade • Employment • Intellectual Property and Data • Insurance The Preparation for Practice Module (which is a compulsory module underpinning the 3 KPAs) includes commercial and well-rounded lawyer skills content taught within the delivery of the KPAs. The Business of Law Module consists of one compulsory module: Business of Law 1 which covers Professional Effectiveness and Law Firms and Their Clients, and one elective Business of Law 2 module from the following: • Business of Law 2 - Advanced Dispute Resolution • Business of Law 2 - Commercial Law • Business of Law 2 - Employment Law • Business of Law 2 - Innovation, Technology and Legal Project Management • Business of Law 2 - Intellectual Property • Business of Law 2 - International Trade The Professional Practice Report Module consists of 3 hours of tutor supervision and the completion of an extended research report based on one of the student’s chosen KPAs. Choices of KPAs and Business of Law 2 options are subject to a minimum number of students asking to study them. The minimum number required is 5. If students wish to study an option where the minimum number has not been reached, they may study this subject online. Online study is different and involves them studying asynchronously using online materials and there is no taught workshop.
Assessment method
SQE2 is assessed internally by way of the following final assessments: *Written skills Students will receive one composite 48 hour takeaway coursework assessing the four skills of writing, drafting, legal research and case and matter analysis. This will be marked on a competent/not yet competent basis. *Oral skills Advocacy: Students will watch online in timed circumstances, a number of media clips in advocacy and be asked to complete a number of MCQs on that oral skill. Interviewing: Students will watch online in timed circumstances, a number of media clips in interviewing and be asked to complete a number of MCQs on that oral skill. In addition, there will be University assessments for the SQE Plus modules as follows: SQE Plus is assessed by a mixture of coursework, research reports and one oral presentation as set out below. Key Practice Areas • A 2,000 word technical black letter law coursework based on problem solving questions. The Preparation for Practice Module (P4P) • A 3,000 word research report (plus a 500 word reflective statement) on the development of the well-rounded lawyer skills and the commercial/legal practice/client contexts relating to the practice of law. The report is based on a title selected by each student linked to a KPA that they are studying. Students will also be required to produce and submit a slide deck. •One 20 minute oral assessment based on their P4P research report and related slide deck. The Business of Law Module • A 4,000 word coursework and a 500 word reflective statement on 'professional effectiveness' and 'law firms and their clients', and • A 2,000 word coursework on their Business of Law 2 option. The Professional Practice Report Module • A 7,500 word research report (plus a 500 word reflective statement). The report is based on a title selected by each student linked to a KPA that they are studying. SQE2 – The SQE2 assessments consist of 4 oral skills assessments in interviewing and advocacy spread over two half days and 12 written skills assessments in case and matter analysis, legal writing, legal drafting and legal research spread over three half days. 50% of the marks attributable to SQE2 are based on a student's demonstration of FLK. The estimated length for SQE2 assessments is 14.5 hours. The 16 SQE2 assessments are each set in one of five practice areas studied in SQE1. The practice areas are: • criminal practice (including advising clients at the police station) • dispute resolution • property practice • wills and intestacy, probate administration and practice • business organisations, rules and procedures (including money laundering and financial services). Ethics is assessed pervasively. Students must already have passed SQE1 to take the SQE2 assessment and should therefore already have the legal knowledge (FLK) required for the SQE2 assessments.
How to apply
International applicants
An English Language level equivalent to IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component.
Entry requirements
UK students: Students are required to possess a UK bachelors degree in any subject at 2:2 or above or equivalent qualifications. Students are required to confirm and evidence they have passed the SQE1 centralised SRA assessment, have an exemption for SQE1 or hold an LPC. A transcript from SRA will provide evidence of SQE1 pass. International students: An English Language level equivalent to IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
2025/6:
London - £13,900
Non-London - £11,000
Online - £11,000
All fees above include a deposit amount of £250
Provider information
The University of Law
2 Bunhil Row
London
EC1Y 8HQ