Solicitors Legal Knowledge Module (SQE1 preparation)

In this module you’ll learn to develop and apply core legal principles and rules in the context of 13 practice areas: Business Law and Practice, Contract, Criminal Law and Practice, Dispute Resolution, Land Law, Property Practice, Legal Services, Legal Systems, Solicitors Accounts, Public Law, Tort, Trusts, Wills and Administration of Estates. You’ll learn about Ethics throughout your studies. This module will prepare you for the SRA SQE1 Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) assessments.

This Solicitors' Legal Knowledge Module will be assessed at the end of the module, by one summative single best answer multiple-choice assessment lasting 2 hours 30 mins and consisting of 90 questions. The assessments will be online.

 

Structure of Learning

The module is fully online with all the materials you require on Canvas - The College of Legal Practice’s Learning Portal for each unit area. You will also receive a SLK Manual prior to the start of the module.

There are introductions within Canvas to guide you through how to set up your profile and how to access the different aspects of the portal.

You’ll approach each unit in the same way following these steps:

• View the introductory recorded presentation
• Complete the directed reading
• Work through the online interactive activities – you can do these as many times as you chose
• Work through the flashcard exercises – you can do these as many times as you chose
• Do the multiple choice questions (MCQs) – to test your learning on the unit. If you get the answers wrong, reflect on the feedback and try again.
  
  

Supervision and support

We support your learning in the following ways

• Townhall meetings for the whole cohort – to orientate you through the module
• Surgeries for the whole cohort – for discussion and consolidation of learning
• Supervisor/personal tutor support for you individually – where you’ll be able to chat with your supervisor about your progress

On Canvas, you’ll find a Calendar which will show scheduled townhall meeting and surgeries. You’ll also find information about the individual support meetings, and we will let you know your supervisor details at the start of the module.

The Calendar also indicates which units to study each week. This is designed to help you progress through the module to progress towards the SLK module assessment. You’ll build your knowledge as you progress through each unit and the surgeries are scheduled so that you can consolidate your learning throughout the module. To benefit fully, it is important that you keep up and the Calendar will help you to do that. We strongly recommend that you follow it.

 

Assessment Details

The module is assessed in the final week by a closed book single-best-answer multiple-choice assessment. This summative module assessment will contain 90 MCQs covering all of the SLK practice areas.

The pass mark for the module assessment is 50%. You’ll find more detail about grading in the Assessment Regulations.

There are also opportunities to practice MCQs via formative assessments during the module.

The SLK module assessments do not count in any way towards the SQE1 examination which is run exclusively by Kaplan for the SRA. However your performance in the SLK formative and summative assessments will give you a really good indication of your progress towards being ready for the SQE1 assessment itself. If you are taking SLK as part of the LLM in Legal Practice it is necessary to pass the module to accumulate the credits towards your LLM award.

 

What you need to know before starting

This module will build on the foundation/core subjects of your Law Degree or GDL and introduce you to new areas of law and practice. Its intensive and we very much hope you will enjoy it.

 

Qualifications you will earn upon completion

This module carries credits at FHEQ level 6 which will count towards the award of a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and the College’s LL.M in Legal Practice, subject to the permissible limits of credits at level 6 for the grant of such awards.

 

Last updated: 4th May 2023

Solicitors Legal Skills Module (SQE2 preparation)

The SLS module develops the legal skills needed for applying fundamental legal principles in legal practice. This module develops the following legal skills: Advocacy, Interviewing, Attendance note taking/legal analysis, Case and matter analysis (including negotiation strategies), Drafting, Research, Writing. These are transferable skills although in this module, you’ll develop the skills in the context of specific practice areas: Business Law and Practice (Business Organisations, Rules and Procedures) , Criminal Law (Criminal Litigation and Liability), Dispute Resolution, Property Practice, Wills and Intestacy, Probate Administration and Practice.

This module will prepare you for the SQE2 assessments in which you must demonstrate that you can perform the roles and tasks required by a newly qualified solicitor, using these skills in these specified practice areas.

 

Structure of Learning

The module is fully online with all the materials you require on Canvas - the College of Legal Practice learning portal – for each unit area.

There are introductions within Canvas to guide you through how to set up your profile and how to access the different aspects of the portal.

You’ll approach developing the skill in each unit in the same way following these steps:

• View the introductory video demonstrating the skill
• Complete directed activities to practice and build your confidence in the skill (initially with no time constraints and under timed conditions) – you can do these as many times as you choose
• Undertaking a formative or mock assessment which you’ll submit for feedback and you’ll then be able to reflect on your feedback before the final assessment for each unit.
  
  

Supervision and support

We support your learning in the following ways:

• Townhall meetings for the whole cohort – to orientate you for each week
• Surgeries for the whole cohort – for discussion and consolidation of learning
• Supervisor support for you individually – where you’ll be able to chat with your supervisor about your progress
• Personal tutor meetings – the first of which will be scheduled before the module starts
  
  

On Canvas, you’ll find a Calendar which will show scheduled townhall meeting and surgeries. You’ll also find instructions on how to book the individual support meetings, and we will let you have your supervisor details prior to the start of the module.

You’ll also find on Canvas a suggested Timetable. This is designed to help you progress through the module to progress towards the final assessments for all of the units of study. You’ll build your knowledge as you progress through each unit and the surgeries are scheduled so that you can consolidate your learning at regular points based on directed learning prior to each surgery. To benefit fully from this support, it is important that you keep up and the Timetable will help you to do that. We strongly recommend that your follow it.

 

Assessment Details

For all courses starting after 1st September 2023, the final exam for the module will comprise three assessment stations, two oral and one written, in a similar format to the SQE2 assessment. More detail on the summative assessments will be found on the home page for the course on Canvas when you start the course.

You achieve a pass by obtaining an overall mark of 50% or more in the final module exam. You’ll find more detail about grading in the Assessment Regulations.

Your performance in these assessments will give you a really good indication of how you will perform in the SQE assessment itself.

 

What you need to know before starting

We expect you to have taken the SQE1 assessment prior to starting this module. Its intensive and practical and we very much hope you will enjoy it.

 

Qualifications you will earn upon completion

This module carries credits at FHEQ level 7 which will count towards the award of a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and the College’s LL.M in Legal Practice.

LLM in Legal Practice

This Masters Programme is comprised of a number of modules. You will select your modules as part of your application for the LLM and will receive communication prior to every module start date. Please speak to Student Services if you would like to change your module selections.

Modules in LLM in Legal Practice:

• Solicitors Legal Knowledge (30 credits).
• Solicitors Legal Skills (30 credits).
• Legal Business Skills (10 credits).
• Commercial Law (20 credits).
• Dispute Resolution (20 credits).
• Banking and Finance (20 credits).
• Employment Law (20 credits).
• Personal Injury (20 credits).
• Property Law (20 credits).
• Family Law (20 credits).
• Intellectual Property (20 credits).
• Capstone module (60 credits).
  
  

Solicitors Legal Knowledge (SLK) is at FHEQ level 6. All other modules at level 7.

 

Structure of Learning

Every module is fully online with all the materials you require within the Learning Portal – Canvas.

There are introductions within Canvas to guide you through how to set up your profile and how to access the different aspects of the portal.

You can find more detail on Solicitors Legal Knowledge (SLK) and Solicitors Legal Skills Module (SQE2 preparation) by clicking the links in top left menu.

 

Supervision and Support

We support your learning through the modules in the following ways:

• Townhall meetings for the whole cohort – to orientate you for each week
• Surgeries for the whole cohort – for discussion and consolidation of learning
• Supervisor support for you individually – where you’ll be able to chat with your supervisor about your progress
  
  

Within each module on Canvas, you’ll find a Calendar which will show scheduled townhall meeting and surgeries. You’ll also find instructions on how to book the individual support meetings and we will let you know who your supervisors are prior to the start of the module.

 

Credits and Qualifications

As you pass each module, you will gain credits towards the LLM in Legal Practice. You need to earn 180 credits to be awarded the LLM, with a minimum requirement of 150 credits at FHEQ level 7 and the remaining credits at FHEQ level 6.

Should you no longer wish to complete the full Masters Programme you may awarded the following qualifications, depending on which modules you have passed.

• A Postgraduate Certificate can be awarded on earning 60 credits of which at least 40 must be at FHEQ level 7.
• A Postgraduate Diploma which can be awarded on earning 120 credits of which at least 90 must be at FHEQ level 7.

Graduate Diploma in Law

We recommend that any student who does not have a law degree from England & Wales or has a limited knowledge of the law of England and Wales,  undertakes the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) prior to starting the LLM in Legal Practice or the SQE preparation modules.

During the GDL programme, you’ll develop technical and practical proficiency in relation to six foundation subject areas of Law of England and Wales.

The programme begins with a module on the Introduction to Law, which is designed to help you develop the knowledge and skills that underpin, and are applied in, the foundation subjects.

You will then study the following modules:

Contract Law, Criminal Law, Land Law, Public Law, EU Law, Tort Law and Trusts

 

Structure of Learning

The programme is fully online with all the materials you require for each module available on Canvas. You will also receive a hard-copy GDL manual at the start of the programme.

There are introductions within Canvas to guide you through how to set up your profile and how to access the different aspects of the portal. 

There are introductions within Canvas to guide you through how to set up your profile and how to access the different aspects of the portal. Each module is broken down into workshop units. You’ll approach each unit in the same way following these steps:

• View the introductory recorded presentation
• Complete the directed reading
• Apply your knowledge from the reading to the case study scenario and identify key legal issues
• Attend the workshop with your subject matter expert

You’ll build your knowledge through the directed learning each week, and will be able to develop and consolidate this in your workshops. To really benefit from the workshops, it is important that you keep up so that you can attend and participate fully in these sessions.

 

Supervision and Support

We support your learning through the modules in the following ways:

• Townhall meetings for the whole cohort – to orientate you for each week
• Workshops - where you’ll be able to discuss and analyse key legal issues with your peers and a subject matter expert
• Personal tutor meetings – the first of which will be scheduled at the start of the programme
  
  

On Canvas, your Calendar will show you the scheduled Townhall Meetings and workshops. You’ll also find instructions on how to attend the individual support meetings, and we will let you know your supervisor details at the start of each module.

121 meetings will not be recorded so please make every effort to attend.

 

Assessment Details

At the end of each module, you will complete two assessments.

For the Introduction to Law module only, this will be comprised of a MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) and SAQ (Short Answer Question) assessment, and a separate assessment on legal research and analysis.

For each of the other six modules, you will have one assessment split into two parts. The two parts are a legal issues assessment and a legal scenario assessment.

The pass mark for each module is 50% and you must achieve a pass in every module in order to pass the programme. You’ll find more detail about grading in the Assessment Regulations.

Your performance in these assessments will give you a really good indication of whether you are ready to progress on to prepare for the SQE assessments in future. 

What you need to know before starting

There is no requirement for you to have studied law prior to commencing the GDL. The programme will provide the basis of legal knowledge and the key skills required for further study of the law. The course aims to provide you with a good basis of knowledge so that you can move on to preparing with confidence for the SQE, through the Solicitors Legal Knowledge and Solicitors Legal Skills modules or the full LLM in Legal Practice.

This is an intense course, but one we hope you will enjoy.

 

Qualifications you will earn upon completion

This programme carries 90 credits at FHEQ level 6. You need to achieve a pass in each of the 7 module to be awarded a Graduate Diploma in Law.