Legal Practice (SQE1 and SQE2) - LLM
Currently viewing course to start in 2026/27 Entry.
The LLM Legal Practice is a rigorous master’s programme designed to equip you with both the in-depth legal knowledge and practical skills required to prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and to succeed in legal practice.
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time
- Award LLM
- Start date September 2026
- Fees View course fees
- Subject
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
[00:00:01] Speaker 1 Did you know that how you qualify as a solicitor is changing?
[00:00:04] You now simply need a degree or an equivalent qualification, and then you need to pass the Solicitor's Qualifying Examination, and that's assessed using a multiple choice examination.
[00:00:13] And it also covers practical skills which are assessed in a practical skills assessment centre. Our LLM Legal Practice gives you a recognised postgraduate qualification but is relevant for beyond just the solicitor qualification.
[00:00:25] If you're passionate about law and interested in becoming a solicitor, even if you haven't studied law before, come and join us to get ready for the SQE1 examination and practise your lawyering skills through our law clinic and working alongside law students and students from other disciplines.
The LLM Legal Practice is a rigorous master’s programme designed to equip you with both the in-depth legal knowledge and practical skills required to prepare for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and to succeed in legal practice.
Delivered through a combination of expert-led teaching, interactive workshops, and practice-based assessments, the course provides comprehensive coverage of the core legal subjects assessed in SQE1, alongside the development of key practical competencies essential for SQE2. Throughout the programme, you will engage with the realities of modern legal practice, enhancing your understanding of the profession and developing your legal and transferable skills in a variety of practical contexts. You will have opportunities to apply your learning through real-world experience, through our Law Clinic, placements with partner organisations, or through your own legal work experience.
Upon successful completion, you will not only be prepared for the SQE but will also graduate with a prestigious LLM qualification, strengthening your professional profile and enhancing your career prospects in an increasingly competitive legal landscape.
You are also encouraged to engage in extra-curricular activities to support your learning, with student societies such as the highly successful Mooting Society. Furthermore, you will have the ability to engage with the wider Birmingham legal community through our connections with the Birmingham Law Society, the largest regional law society in the UK.
What's covered in this course?
Our LLM Legal Practice course brings together a mix of led study and real-world experience to reflect on the role of legal professionals in society generally and in specific legal contexts.
The LLM encourages you to research and apply critical knowledge of the law and legal practice accurately and effectively in at least one additional area of legal practice, identify the extent to which clients can legally achieve a desired outcome and offer appropriate explanatory advice and demonstrate the ability to act honestly and with integrity, and in accordance with the SRA Standards and Regulations.
Upon completion of the LLM Legal Practice, you will be able to demonstrate competence in a variety of practical lawyering skills which should include several of the following: client interview and attendance note/legal analysis; advocacy; case and matter analysis; legal research; legal writing; legal drafting.
You will also be able to demonstrate the ability to deal professionally with members of the public through work experience, volunteering or public legal education projects as well as research and apply critical knowledge of the law and legal practice accurately and effectively in at least one additional area of legal practice and reflect on personal development as a legal practitioner and identify development and training needs.
Why Choose Us?
- This course will prepare you to take the Solicitor Qualification Exam (SQE1). It will also give you an opportunity to develop practical legal skills which will be useful when you come to take the SQE2 assessment.
- Our Law Clinic can give you opportunities to volunteer with local charitable legal advice providers and to work alongside legal professionals undertaking pro-bono work, allowing you to make a genuine difference to the lives of Birmingham residents.
- We have strong links with law firms and companies based right here in Birmingham, which allow us to host guest speakers from industry regularly.
- You will learn from an outstanding and dedicated teaching team with years of professional experience in practice.
- This course has a strong professional focus and provides a real-world experience of law, ensuring you are equipped to make an immediate impact in the legal world.
OPEN DAY
Join us for an Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.
Next Event: 15 November 2025
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
Applicants are normally expected to have an LLB Hons degree in Law at a minimum of a 2:2, or equivalent.
Applying with international qualifications
See below for further information on applying as an international student.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
All applications for this course go through LawCab.
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Modules
This module provides an overview of some of the key areas covered by the Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments 1 and 2 of the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). It covers Wills and the Administration of Estates, Trusts, Taxation and the SRA Standards and Regulations. The content is mapped onto the SQE 1 required content.
This module provides an overview of some of the key areas covered by the Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments 1 and 2 of the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). It covers Constitutional Law, Legal Systems, Criminal Law and Criminal Practice. The content is mapped onto the SQE 1 required content.
This module provides an overview of some of the key areas covered by the Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments 1 and 2 of the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). It covers Land law, Property Practice and Taxation. The content is mapped onto the SQE 1 required content.
This module provides an overview of some of the key areas covered by the Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments 1 and 2 of the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). It covers Commercial Property Practice, Taxation, Money Laundering and Financial Services. The content is mapped onto the SQE 1 required content.
This module provides an overview of some of the key areas covered by the Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments 1 and 2 of the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). It covers Dispute Resolution, Contract and Tort. The content is mapped onto the SQE 1 required content.
This module provides an overview of some of the key areas covered by the Functioning Legal Knowledge Assessments 1 and 2 of the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). It covers Business Law and Practice, Solicitors’ Accounts and Taxation. The content is mapped onto the SQE 1 required content.
This module provides an overview of key analytical and written skills of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE 2). It covers case and matter analysis, legal research, legal writing, legal drafting and negotiation. The content is mapped onto the SQE 2 required content.
This module provides an overview of key oral skills of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE 2). It covers Client interview, legal analysis, attendance notes, negotiation and advocacy. The content is mapped onto the SQE 2 required content.
This module provides you with the opportunity to gain experience working in the legal field and develop your practical lawyering skills.
There are several ways you can do this:
- You can support the work of the Law Clinic
- You can volunteer in any legal or related field
- You can use your employment as the foundation of this module.
The following module is non-credit bearing. It offers students a formative opportunity to experience the SQE1 examination.
This module provides the main opportunity to learn the skills of answering SQE 1 style multiple choice questions (MCQs) under test conditions, in anticipation of the SQE 1 centralised examination. The module is run online.
Download course specification
Download nowThis course is an intensive introduction to the areas of Functioning Legal Knowledge which are examined as part of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE 1). The course is designed to help you to develop the knowledge and legal skills needed to pass the centralised examination and thus work towards qualification as a solicitor.
In addition, the course prepares you for practice by encouraging you to reflect on the role of practitioners in specific legal contexts, offering opportunities to study additional areas of legal practice and develop your practical lawyering skills.
Employability
This course is aimed at individuals who wish to pursue a career as a solicitor.
To become a solicitor, you need to pass two Solicitors Qualifying Exams (SQE1 and SQE2) and gain two years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). This course is designed to prepare you to complete the SQE1 exam and also give you an opportunity to develop practical legal skills which will be useful when you come to take the SQE2 assessment.
To prepare for the SQE2 exam, you can undertake a professional placement year to gain experience and further your knowledge of the working law environment. In total, you will need a total of two years of Qualifying Work Experience to become a solicitor. Through working in a legal environment, you will get hands-on experience of what it is like to be a solicitor and then be able to take the SQE2 exam.
We also have The Law Clinic which is led by staff and students and offers legal advice to the public on a Pro-Bono basis.
In addition we have active, student-led Legal, Mooting and Debate Societies. Our Student Mooting Society is one of the most successful in England, with our students reaching five finals in the past six years, regularly beating teams from some of the country’s most prestigious universities.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £500 million on learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based in the Curzon Building, a £63 million development, located on our City Centre campus.
The building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The facilities at the Curzon building include two bespoke Law Courtrooms, replicating a Crown court and a Magistrates court. These rooms will play a key part in your learning experience, allowing you to try your hand in mock court cases, whilst also being the venue for our Mooting and Debating Societies.
On top of this, the Curzon building houses an extensive Law library, with books covering every aspect of Law history.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Jason Georgiou
Senior Lecturer
Jason specialised in Criminal Defence work as a Solicitor before joining BCU. He maintains links with the local legal community as a Consultant Solicitor and has over 20 years practice experience in the legal sector.
More about Jason