Global law firm Reed Smith and BPP Law School (BPP) today announced the launch of a new version of the Legal Practice Course (LPC) that fully integrates legal and business learning throughout the year and leads to a unique Masters qualification, the MA (LPC with Business).
The bespoke programme, to be piloted from September 2012, is the first of its kind, in that it allows graduates to study commercial and legal aspects in parallel, and not separately, so that they complete the course before entering their training contract with Reed Smith.
In addition to the LPC curriculum, a range of business modules will be built into the programme, which include: business and sector analysis, the financial markets, strategy, governance, regulation and risk. Students will also conduct a business consultancy project based on a real life scenario, thus gaining an in-depth understanding of the firm’s clients and their business sectors prior to joining.
Reed Smith and BPP jointly created the programme following the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s move to allow firms more flexibility in how they design courses which include the core LPC learning.
Peter Crisp, Dean & Chief Executive of BPP Law School, commented:
“We are keen to lead with any innovations in teaching and learning that will help our trainee lawyers, and ultimately benefit our legal and commercial sectors. With the support of the SRA, the profession and employers, we are able to provide the winning combination of a world class practical, commercial and up to date professional qualification for the lawyers of the future.”
We particularly value working collaboratively and creatively with Reed Smith, one of our client firms, to ensure that we are not only meeting the demands of the profession, but joining together in shaping its future.”
Peter Hardy, Reed Smith’s Training Principal, commented:
“This innovative new course means that, for the first time in the legal sector, future trainees will complete all the LPC topics with the full business context alongside them in one year. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for future trainees to learn about our clients’ sectors. Getting out to clients on the Masters' projects, in advance of joining the firm, will also provide them with valuable insight and help them experience their commercial realities first hand. It’s this business mindset which our clients, and we as their legal advisors, require.”
Lucy Crittenden, Reed Smith’s Graduate Recruitment Manager, commented:
“We were very conscious of not lengthening the graduate career path, given the increasing levels of student debt. This unique approach will ensure that students with increasingly higher levels of debt will not need to undertake extra years of study – but will still gain the commercial knowledge they need to help them to succeed at the firm.”
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Note to Editors
About BPP
For information on BPP Law School, please visit www.bpp.com
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a global law firm, with 23 offices and more than 1,600 lawyers in offices across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
For further information please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Jeyda Star on +44 (0)20 3116 2571.