Full-time students will typically be expected to attend university two days a week and part-time students one day per week. Note that assessments and the module electives may be held on different days throughout the week.

There will be an additional seven days of teaching dedicated to research methods on a monthly basis throughout the Autumn and Spring terms. You will then be expected to submit a research proposal at Easter following which you will be allocated a supervisor for the Summer term to complete your research project, with submission at the end of August.

Otherwise, the LPC subjects are taught in two stages: Stage One begins in September and finishes in February. Stage Two begins in February and ends in May.

You will undertake a research project based on LPC subjects or a reflection based upon your legal practice experience. We may be able to offer you a placement in our Legal Advice Clinic for the purposes of completing this element of the LLM course.

You will complete core subject and skills modules and three optional electives. On successful completion of the taught stage of the programme, you will submit a legal practice research project or reflective portfolio.

Modules for full-time LLM students
Legal Practice Research Project – 60 credits
Business Law and Practice and Taxation – 20 credits
Property Law and Practice – 20 credits
Litigation and Advocacy – 40 credits
Skills for Legal Practice (incorporating Practical Legal Research, Interviewing and Advising, Writing, Drafting, Wills and Administration of Estates, Professional Conduct and Regulation and Solicitors’ Accounts) – 60 credits
Three elective modules* – 10 credits each

Modules for part-time LLM students

Year One

Business Law and Practice and Taxation – 20 credits
Property Law and Practice – 20 credits
Skills for Legal Practice (incorporating Drafting, Practical Legal Research, Interviewing and Advising and Writing) – 60 credits
Elective modules* (part time students must study a total of three electives over the two years of study) – 10 credits each
Year Two

Legal Practice Research Project – 60 credits
Litigation and Advocacy – 40 credits
Skills for Legal Practice (incorporating Wills and Administration of Estates, Solicitors’ Accounts and Professional Conduct and Regulation) – 60 credits
Elective modules* (part time students must study a total of three electives over the two years of study
* Elective modules typically include Family Law and Practice, Employment Law and Practice, Commercial Property, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Litigation, Advanced Business and Corporate Law and Practice, Wills and Estate Planning, Advanced Criminal Litigation

Teaching
The taught element of the Legal Practice Research Project requires student to attend for one day per month (6 hours per day, a total of 42 hours) for seven months between September and March. Each day will entail a series of lectures and seminars which will outline the various legal research methodologies available to you for your Legal Practice Research Project, how to develop a research proposal and research project, and will also look to develop your research, critical thinking, referencing and academic writing skills.

Stage One and Two is taught through briefing sessions and practice sessions, completing practical law file exercises and replicating real-life legal scenarios. If you study full-time, you will attend approximately 16 hours of classes each week. LLM part-time students have approximately eight hours of classes delivered on one day per week.

Outside these formal sessions, all LLM students are expected to carry out preparatory work and research for file exercises. In order to maximise the time devoted to practical exercises and provide optimum flexibility for personal study, the majority of lectures and briefing sessions are delivered online using Panopto software.

Law Research
The Law Research Group at the University of South Wales comprises staff with a wide range of academic and practice experience. Their research interests span diverse subject areas, including: constitutional law; criminal law; employment law; equality law; family law; intellectual property law; international human rights; legal education and media law. These interests are showcased in our monthly blog.

Assessment
For the Legal Practice Research Project, you are expected to produce a research proposal and a dissertation or reflective portfolio.

For Stage One and Stage Two, you will be assessed by written examinations and practical skills assessments, which will include recorded role play in our moot courtroom and client interviewing room.