Postgraduate PG Dip

Professional Legal Practice

Progress towards becoming a solicitor by building a strong practical understanding of legal principles, preparing you for professional practice and the SQE.

Professional Legal Practice

Course overview

  • Institution code


    L27
  • Main location


    City Campus
  • Attendance


    Full-Time
  • Duration


    12 Months
  • Start date


    21 Sep 2026

As part of this course, you’ll:

  • Prepare to sit the externally set SQE1 (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) as part of your route to qualification as a solicitor*
  • Study a range of practice-based modules
  • Apply the law correctly and comprehensively to given situations to meet clients’ needs
  • Analyse and synthesise concepts to devise realistic and coherent strategic solutions to legal problems
  • Evaluate how the rule of law and ethics apply within legal, as well as broader, economic, commercial, and ethical settings
  • Apply relevant expertise and attributes to employability and academic study, with a focus on communication skills and the proficient use of legal terminology
  • Explore concepts of professionalism to build your understanding of the demands of professional practice

*Separate fee payable to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to sit these external examinations.

Collaborative working

You’ll join a diverse community of students from a wide range of backgrounds with whom you can share and challenge ideas of best practice.

Professional links
We have strong connections with local, regional and national law firms, so you’ll have the opportunity to network with potential employers during your study. Some of the firms and organisations we work in conjunction with include:

Law in Practice Lecture Series
Leeds Law School runs a guest speaker programme that invites legal practitioners and prominent figures to share their insights and experience of the profession. Our alumni, who also contribute to the programme, serve as valuable role models and offer additional inspiration. These sessions provide an excellent opportunity for you to engage with the speakers, ask questions and network.

Mentoring scheme
Our professional mentoring scheme is an integral part of the educational experience at Leeds Law School. You can apply to have a mentor who works as a solicitor in legal practice who’ll be able to advise on CVs and applications and offer an insight into professional life. We offer a professional mentor guarantee; any student who would like a mentor can have one.

The Law Clinic
Our Law Clinic brings local law firms even closer to our student community. Take advantage of opportunities to volunteer and be part of the Clinic’s work of advising real clients.

SQE resources and Law Trove
As a student on this course, you’ll have free access to new SQE resources including tailored online texts and a large bank of SQE-style multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Leeds Law School also subscribes to Law Trove, an online service offered by Oxford University Press. This means you’ll have free access to all Oxford University Press Law textbooks to support you in your studies.

Support Through Court
Volunteer with Support Through Court, a national charity supporting litigants in person.  Leeds Law School students have exclusivity to this partnership within the city of Leeds.

Why study the PG Dip Professional Legal Practice course at Leeds Beckett University?

  1. Prepare to become a solicitor – this PG Dip is tailored to support your preparation for working in legal practice and sitting your SQE1 exam
  2. Learn from experts – this course is delivered by qualified legal practitioners and academics with significant professional expertise and experience
  3. Apply your learning and volunteer with Support Through Court, a national charity supporting litigants in person
  4. Professional mentoring scheme – gain insight and advice on professional life, CVs and applications
  5. SQE resources and Law Trove – an online service giving you free access to specialist SQE resources and focused preparation materials, as well as over 200 legal textbooks, meaning you spend less, if anything, on textbook

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