Part-time LPC terms and conditions

1. Solicitor Regulation Authority Requirements

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Training Regulations 1990 (as amended) require that before persons wishing to qualify as solicitors may attend at a Legal Practice Course they must:

be enrolled as a student member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority; and
have been granted a Certificate of Completion of the Academic Stage of Legal Education

2. Student Enrolment

Applications for Student Enrolment must be received by the Solicitors Regulation Authority on or before the dates below:

1 August 2008 – it is highly recommended that all students ensure their application for enrolment as a student member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority is received by the Solicitors Regulation Authority by this date, to allow adequate time to process their applications in time for their start on the LPC course. Ensuring your application is processed, and you are enrolled as a student member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in time for the start of the programme will avoid the student having to withdraw from the programme through non-enrolment with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

For the academic year starting in September 2008 applications for student membership, for part-time students, will be accepted up until the start of the LPC programme on the condition that all LPC providers obtain a written undertaking from each student on enrolment that an application will be lodged with the SRA within seven calendar days of enrolment. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that this written undertaking is submitted within seven days.

If an application is not received by the SRA within seven days of enrolment the application form and fee will be returned directly to the student and not processed for the 2008 intake and the student will be required to leave the programme.

3. Certificates of Completion of the Academic Stage of Legal Education

The Academic Stage of Legal Education is met by:

the award of a Qualifying Law Degree, i.e., a Law degree in which the graduate has passed the examination and assessments set in the seven Foundations of Legal Knowledge: Public Law, Obligations I (Contract), Obligations II (Torts), Criminal Law, Property Law, Equity & Trusts and Law of the European Union, or
passing a Common Professional Examination and the award of a Graduate Diploma in Law

4. Law Graduates

Persons graduating in the summer of 2008 who completed their Law studies at a single university and who have passed all the assessments in the seven Foundations of Legal Knowledge will have their names passed to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in a block certificate.

Persons graduating in the summer of 2008 who commenced their Law studies at a university other than the one at which they are graduating must submit to the Solicitors Regulation Authority a transcript which gives complete details of the course of studies by which they have obtained their degree.

Law graduates who were awarded their degrees in previous years should include a transcript of their Law degree studies at the time of submitting their application forms for student enrolment.

Note. A Law degree remains valid for the purposes of completing the Academic Stage for a period of seven years dating from 1st October of the year in which the degree is awarded. Only in exceptional circumstances will a ‘stale' Law degree be revalidated and even then applicants will be required to produce reliable independent evidence of their current competence in Law.

Applicants for certificates of completion should note most carefully that they must have passed all the assessments and examinations set in the seven Foundations of Legal Knowledge. A condoned or compensated fail does not constitute a pass for the purposes of completing the Academic Stage unless, at the request of the University awarding the degree, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has agreed in writing to accept a condoned or compensated fail for qualifying purposes, in accordance with the guidance given by the Solicitors Regulation Authority at the time.

5. Common Professional Examination/Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE/GDL) Graduates

Persons completing a CPE/GDL in the summer of 2008 will have their names passed to the Solicitors Regulation Authority in a block certificate.

Persons who have completed a CPE/GDL in previous years should enclose confirmation of completing the CPE/GDL at the time of submitting their application forms for student enrolment. Note, a CPE/GDL remains valid for completing the Academic Stage for a period of seven years from 1st October of the year in which the CPE is passed or the GDL awarded.

6. Student Enrolment on an LPC Programme

A student will not be permitted to remain on an LPC programme without producing to the LPC institution evidence, which takes the form of two separate letters from the Solicitors Regulation Authority to the student, of both enrolment as a student member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and of completion of the Academic Stage of Training.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure, within seven days of enrolment on the LPC programme, that they apply to be enrolled as a student member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. If this is not done the student will have to leave the programme with immediate effect. In this event the Solicitors Regulation Authority shall accept no liability for any financial loss suffered by the student as a result. Any such financial loss shall be a matter solely between the student and the LPC Institution.

If any student is unsuccessful in enrolling as a student member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority within the necessary timeframes, for whatever reason, the student will have to leave the programme with immediate effect. In this event the Solicitors Regulation Authority shall accept no liability for any financial loss suffered by the student as a result. Any such financial loss shall be a matter solely between the student and the LPC Institution.

In the unlikely event that any student is permitted to register on, and remain on, an LPC programme without satisfying these requirements the Solicitors Regulation Authority will not recognise the award of an LPC Diploma, register any training contract or approve any time to count towards a training contract.

Advice

If you require advice regarding the Solicitors Regulation Authority's requirements you should contact Information Services, The Solicitors Regulation Authority, Ipsley Court, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0TD (Telephone: 0870 606 2555, Fax: 01527 510213, www.sra.org.uk).

N.B. No student should assume, on the basis that any institution has processed his or her application form for a place on a Legal Practice Course, that he or she has satisfied, or will have satisfied, the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s requirements for commencing a Legal Practice. If you have ANY doubts on the matter, you MUST contact The Solicitors Regulation Authority.

7. Specifications for remote access to BPP’s IT network

A number of LPC exercises and resources will need to be accessed via BPP’s IT Network. These exercises and resources can be accessed from within the Law School and outside the Law School and further detailed instructions will be available when you start your programme.

If you wish to access the IT system from outside the Law School there are two methods, depending on what you wish to access:

Intranet access via www.bpplawschool.com/welcome. This method of access provides full access to the Law School’s intranet, our online library “Click!”, your BPP email account, MCQ tests and the discussion forum. This method requires no special technical requirements other than a standard internet connection. However, for security reasons, you must have logged on and changed your password within the Law School before you can log on outside the Law School.

Citrix access via the internet by typing in “portal.bpp.com”. In addition to the access available via the intranet above, this method allows you to access Microsoft office applications such as word, PowerPoint and Outlook as well as your personal BPP file space (i.e. your H drive) and networked CDROM packages. If you wish to have this additional access from outside the Law School you must ensure that your home or work computer meets the following specification.

Technical specification for Citrix remote access:

Windows 2000 Professional/XP Professional/Windows Vista Business. Please note that Windows XP Home edition is not thesameas XP Professional
56kbs modem or faster
5MB free space on your C: drive
Internet Explorer 6 or Netscape 5.0 or later with 128-bit encryption

When you login, you will need to install a small program on your local PC. If you are accessing from a computer at work you may need to consult your IT department to check that they allow employees to download or install software on to their network.

Alternatively, if you simply want access to documents on your personal file space when you are at home you may wish to buy a ‘memory stick’ storage device.

8. English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English and who do not hold an honours degree that was delivered in English, shall be required to provide certified proof of ability in written and spoken English at the level of IELTS level 6.5 (or equivalent). This certified proof must be sent to the Registry on or before August 1st 2008.

Failure to comply with this, or to inform Registry of a valid reason for your not complying with this, by August 1st, will result in your place on the programme being cancelled and you forfeiting the deposit.

9. Law and juristiction

The agreement is governed by English law notwithstanding the jurisdiction where you are based. You irrevocably agree that the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute which may arise out of, under, or in connection with these terms and conditions and for those purposes irrevocably submit all disputes to the jurisdiction of the English courts. The place of performance shall be England.

BPP Law School