The Legal Practice Course

Hear about the LPC from Simon Firth, Trainee Solicitor Partner

Where we started

"We have come a long way in the last four years. There used to be real frustrations with the LPC because nobody was very happy with the way things were: students said they were bored with it; the firms felt trainees weren't learning what they needed to know; and colleges, the Law Society and the SRA were in a difficult situation too, trying to maintain consistent standards across an impossible breadth of professional disciplines.

Working together

'The answer came, as so often it does, through consultation and co-operation. We've worked closely with the Law Society and the Colleges of Law to deliver solutions that work for everyone. The Law Society continues to lay down the framework for the LPC, but we have designed key components of the curriculum ourselves. It's not a question of using Linklaters' tools and approaches, either. We have conducted a lot of research with students and trainees to see what they wanted to get from the LPC. The final product takes all that input and creates a superb learning experience; we have linked theory to practice in a way that has never been possible before.

Deeper learning

'Alongside the formal teaching at the College of Law, we also invite students into the firm for sessions with our own fee-earners; this complementary content is not part of the curriculum and we don't examine people on it, but it gives you a clear understanding of how various practice areas work. So when you are learning about litigation at college, you will also get the chance to meet litigation lawyers and talk about their work. As well as providing a deeper insight into the core curriculum, this also helps you with your seat planning for the training contract and prepares you for when you start at the firm.

Multiple media

'We have also imported a wide range of learning strategies and media, so people can cover the ground in a way that suits them best. We used to rely a lot on large group lectures, but now we have also introduced DVD and internet-based packages backed up by lecture notes. It allows flexible learning controlled by you; even this anticipates the way you will work in your seats, by helping you experiment and refine your own information-gathering strategies.

Professional priming

'It's worth remembering that the LPC is all about priming intelligent people for a demanding job. Everything you learn during the LPC should be of some benefit to you when you start your seats. All LPC programmes – including ours – are generalist in scope because they have to provide a comprehensive professional grounding for solicitors working in all kinds of practice. This is why the curriculum is defined and regulated by the Law Society. The Linklaters LPC is different because it provides a real world context for everything you learn. This means that, when you start your training contract, the theory links very closely with the practice.

Decision time

'Choosing which firm to join, I think quality of training should be a big factor in your decision. Obviously you want to get your career off to a flying start, but it goes so much deeper than that. Our ambitions as a firm are based fundamentally on the knowledge and expertise of our lawyers. It's no coincidence that the strides we have made in the market have happened in parallel with our emergence as a pioneer of professional education.'