Professional Legal Practice University of Glasgow

Overview

The aim of the  Professional Legal Practice programme of the University of Glasgow  is that the Glasgow Diploma comes to be regarded as the trademark of excellence, ensuring that you are not just employable but actively sought after by employers. It will equip you with the hands-on skills necessary to practise law as a “day one ready trainee”, as well as excellent opportunities to develop your own professional network to support you throughout your career.

Key facts

• Our programme aims to bridge the gap between academia and professional legal practice. Designed and taught by practising lawyers, it replicates the work you will do as a trainee.

• Our extensive network of highly experienced professionals, drawn from all sectors of the legal industry, support you through mentorship, as well as attendance at our networking events.

• We work with employers to ensure that our programme meets their requirements, enabling you to commence your traineeship with the skills and knowledge these employers' value.

• Tutorial groups are small (12 students maximum), enabling you to become assured and confident in communicating, orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences. You will receive one-to-one, in-person feedback from tutors on every course.

• We employ around 150 tutors, all of whom are highly experienced legal practitioners. They are dedicated, enthusiastic and keen to share their knowledge with you, the next generation of lawyers.

• You will benefit from our library of filmed resources, developed in collaboration with the judiciary and our tutors. Filmed scenarios include numerous civil and criminal court hearings, judicial review, mediation, negotiation and collaboration.

• You will attend Glasgow Sheriff Court and appear before a sheriff to deliver a plea in mitigation.

• We run internal heats and deliver training for students to participate in various national and international competitions throughout the year.  These range from client interviewing to negotiation and mediation, to help you enhance these skills as well as your CV.

Career prospects

Upon successful completion of the Diploma, you will be eligible to progress through your traineeship to work as a solicitor or advocate in Scotland. The Diploma is not only a requirement for entry into these roles in the legal profession, but it also provides employment opportunities in related legal disciplines. As well as working with colleagues in the School of Law and the University’s Career Service, we strive to increase your employability through our strong links across the legal profession by liaising with human resources and training partners in our tutors’ organisations and beyond. In addition, we run a series of networking events where you can meet lawyers from all areas of the industry and at all levels, from trainee to partner. Our goal is not only to prepare you for life as a trainee and to help you be as attractive to employers as possible, but to support and guide you to make the right career choices.