Our aim is that the Glasgow Diploma comes to be regarded as the trademark of excellence, ensuring that you are not just employable but sought after by employers.
Key facts
• PgDip: 9 months full-time;
• Contact:
[email protected] Why Glasgow
• This highly practical programme has been designed by practising lawyers to replicate the work that you will do when you commence your traineeship, ensuring that you will be a confident and competent trainee solicitor.
• The Glasgow Legal 40, legal alumni of the university who practise across a wide range of areas, support our Diploma students in various ways including mentoring them and attending networking events.
• We have developed strong links with employers and work with them to ensure that the programme we offer meets their requirements enabling you to commence your traineeship with the necessary skills and knowledge.
• Extensive use is made of our library of filmed resources which link to course materials developed in collaboration with the judiciary and our tutors.They include various court hearings including criminal trials, proofs, debates, motions and a judicial review as well as a mediation, collaboration and negotiation.
• Students attend Glasgow Sheriff Court and appear before sheriffs to deliver pleas in mitigation; police officers attend the university to take part in court cases.
• Almost every one of our 150 tutors is a practising lawyer, and all are dedicated, enthusiastic, committed and keen to share their experience with the next generation of lawyers.
Programme Structure
You will take 5 core and 3 optional courses. This allows you to select courses which suit your areas of interest or meet the requirements of your future employers in the legal profession. Courses are delivered through a combination of on-line resources, e-modules, lectures and by small group tutorials (12 or less). Our team of 150 highly experienced, enthusiastic and committed tutors, almost all of whom are practising solicitors or advocates, are all focused on ensuring that you meet the requirement of a “Day 1 ready trainee” by the end of each course.
Core courses
• Criminal litigation (incorporating advocacy, evidence and procedure and negotiation)
• Civil litigation (incorporating advocacy, rules of procedure, evidence, negotiation and pre-action protocols)
• Property Law and Conveyancing (incorporating commercial leases)
• Private client (incorporating wills, trusts, deeds of variation and guardianship)
• Business, ethics, finance and practice awareness.
Optional courses
• Advanced civil litigation (incorporating advocacy, remedies, debates, proofs and appeals)
• Advanced criminal litigation (incorporating advocacy)
• Commercial contracts
• Commercial conveyancing
• Corporate
• Family law (incorporating negotiation, mediation, collaboration and litigation)
• Human rights (incorporating employment, asylum and immigration, legislative competence, children's hearing referrals)
• Contemporary Scottish Public Law
Industry Links and Employability
Our Services to Students
Following completion of the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice students must complete a traineeship within a legal firm as a pre-requisite for legal practice.
We strive to increase our students’ employability through our links with the legal profession by working with colleagues in the School of Law, the University's Career Service and other relevant organisations. Our aim is to support and guide our students to help them make the correct career choices.
When planning future career choices, Glasgow DPLP students can access
• The Glasgow Legal 40 mentoring network: exclusive to Glasgow Diploma students
• Professional Legal Practice events including Glasgow Legal 40 networking events and "Life in Law" autobiographical talks from distinguished members of the profession
• Expert advice from the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice team
• Projects such as CLASP pilot in which corporate law students advise start-up businesses
• An annual Law Fair to network with Scottish Law Firms and other employers
• Information about traineeships and other jobs direct from employers
• Employability website
• After completion of the progrmme - invitations to events to improve employability.
Legal 40 Mentoring Network
The Glasgow Legal 40 is an initiative designed for University of Glasgow School of Law Diploma students. The group comprises 40 successful University of Glasgow legal alumni, drawn from all sectors of the legal profession. The main activities of the group include a mentoring programme and a series of social and educational events which allow Diploma students to engage with distinguished members of the legal profession and which will benefit the next generation of lawyers to emerge from the School of Law.
Since 2013, the group has been strengthened and developed by the introduction of Glasgow Legal 40 associates. This involves students who benefited from support and mentoring offered by Glasgow Legal 40 members undertaking the same role for their successors.
Launched in September 2010, our programme aims to bridge the gap between academia and professional legal practice; the Glasgow Legal 40 is a unique and key initiative which allows us to achieve our goal of ensuring our students are not just employable, but sought after by employers. Eileen Paterson, Director of Professional Legal Practice (Operations) explains: “The Glasgow Legal 40 initiative has already been of enormous benefit to our students. We are extremely grateful to our alumni who have supported our students in numerous ways and have been enthusiastic in their commitment to this initiative."
Our Diploma students benefit from
• Easing students' transition from university to practice
• Allowing students to draw on the experience of expert mentors
• Increasing student networking skills
• Providing role models for students pursuing careers in legal practice
• Increasing student links with the legal profession
• Increased employability.
Students contemplating pursuing a career as an advocate at the Scottish Bar are able to take courses in International Private Law and/or Roman Law at no additional cost. These courses are compulsory entry requirements for the Faculty of Advocates.
Career Prospects
Upon successful completion of the programme you will be eligible to progress through your traineeship to work as a solicitor or advocate. The Diploma in Professional Legal Practice is a requirement for entry into these roles in the legal profession.
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