Lawyering Skills Preparation Course

Lawyering skills preparation course

Develop your skills with our eight week course for just £750. 

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Course overview

A solicitor's day in practice is never the same. As a prospective solicitor you must have the skills to enable you to be prepared for the unexpected. You will be under immense time pressure. In a single day in practice, you will be expected to take instructions from clients. You will write letters to clients and others. You will draft documents. You will go to court and present a case. You will need to analyse case papers quickly and provide advice in person, over the phone or in writing. 

Through scenario and roleplay-based training, this module will equip you with the skills necessary to deal with the day-to-day tasks of a practising solicitor. You will have the opportunity to use the functioning legal knowledge already obtained and cemented in other modules. You will do so by using and applying that knowledge through a variety of different skill sets. The learning and the assessments you undertake on this module are closely aligned to the Solicitors’ Qualification Examinations (SQE) Part 2. On completion of this module, you will have the foundations required to tackle many of the SRA’s SQE2 assessments.

This course does not deal with the knowledge elements of the SQE (this will be assumed). This course focuses on the ‘skills’ elements of SQE2.

The cost for this course is £750. This cost includes the REVISESQE books, plus access to materials via our external VLE (Moodle).

Who is the course for?

Perfect for candidates who have passed SQE1 and are ready to take on SQE2, or LPC graduates aiming to qualify via the SQE2 and qualifying work experience route, or Kent MLaw students who are looking to ‘top-up' their studies straight after their MLaw year of studies or who have had a gap from study. Students undertaking Kent’s LLM Solicitors’ Practice Course, get this module included in their year of studies.  

Entry Requirements

Although there are no formal entry requirements for this course, you do have to fit into one of the categories of candidates above. The course assumes SQE1 level knowledge. This includes comprehensive knowledge of your foundations of legal knowledge plus your areas of functional knowledge.

Assessments

Internal assessments

While mock assessments and tests are included, there is no formal assessment featured on this course. No form of certification of completion is awarded.

(Kent LLM Sol Practice Students are assessed and marks contribute to the degree).

External assessments

This course prepares you for the external SQE2 assessments. The cost of the SQE2 assessment is not included in your course fee, and it is your responsibility to book and pay for the assessments with the SRA’s authorised assessment provider, Kaplan Ltd.

Learning outcomes

On successfully completing the course, candidates will be able to:

1) Select, analyse, evaluate and apply relevant facts, core legal principles or rules to realistic client-based scenarios in the fields of practice relevant to the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations Part 2.

2) Competently select, analyse, evaluate and apply core principles or rules that govern the practice and procedures of the fields of practice relevant to the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations Part 2.

3) Make competent, critical judgements under conditions of uncertainty about complex legal problems involving the fields of practice relevant to the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations Part 2.

4) Evaluate and apply relevant ethical, legal, professional or regulatory standards or duties in the context of the fields of practice relevant to the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations Part 2.

5) Compose and communicate legal information relating to the fields of practice relevant to the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examinations Part 2 to an acceptable professional standard.

How you will learn

The course covers all the legal skills assessed in SQE2:

  • Case and Matter analysis 
  • Client Interviewing and attendance note writing/analysis
  • Advocacy
  • Legal Research
  • Legal Writing
  • Legal Drafting

You will also cover negotiation, ethics and professional conduct in the context of these exercises.

Course structure

The course is an intense 8-week course. Dates: 6 July – 29 August

Teaching and learning methods:

Workshops - 32 hours
Independent study - 118 hours
Assessment preparation - 50 hours 
Total - 200 hours 

  • All workshops last 2 to 3 hours (depending on the skill).
  • There will be plenty of opportunity in the workshops for you to practise SQE 2 skills
  • We aim to teach in cohorts of between 6-8 students, meaning you will all learn from each other.
  • It will often be the case that as the workshops follow the day after each other, that you will have work or preparation to undertake between the two workshops.
  • You will be provided with practice papers and exemplars throughout · We have teamed up with ReviseSQE and you will receive all 9 of the SQE2 Book titles when published as part of your course fee.

Division of topics

Topics will be divided into TWO Units.

Weeks 1-4 : ORAL UNIT: During this unit you will be focusing on the advocacy and client interviewing skills

Weeks 5 – 8: WRITTEN UNIT: During this unit you will be focusing on Case & Matter Analysis, Legal Research, Legal Writing and Legal Drafting.


Form of delivery and schedules

We will be running the course via two cohorts, the day cohort and the evening/weekend cohort. Please see schedules for both below. 

Week No. (University week no.) Dates Time Total hours
1 (49) Monday 6 July and Tuesday 7 July 9am – 12pm 6
2 (50) Monday 13 July and Tuesday 14 July 9am – 12pm 6
3 (51) Monday 20 July and Tuesday 21 July 9am – 12pm 6
4 (52) Monday 27 July and/or Tuesday 28 July Assessments / Mocks  
5 (1) Monday 3 August and Tuesday 4 August 9am – 12pm 6
6 (2) Monday 10 August and Tuesday 11 August 9am – 11am 4
7 (3) Monday 17 August and Tuesday 12 August 9am – 11am 4
8 (4) Monday 24 August and/or Tuesday 25 August Assessments / Mocks  

This cohort will undertake all workshops in person at our Canterbury campus.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change depending on numbers as we hope to deliver this course in cohorts of 6-8 students. (We may have to create an afternoon day cohort if the demand requires)

Week No. (University week no.) Dates Time Total Hours
1 (49) Monday 6 July and Tuesday 7 July (online) 6pm – 9pm 6 
2 (50) Monday 13 July and Tuesday 14 July (online) 6pm – 9pm 6 
3 (51) Saturday 25 July (in-person) 10am – 5pm (with lunch break) 6 
4 (52) Saturday 1 August (in-person) Assessments / Mocks  
5 (1) Monday 3 August and Tuesday 4 August (online) 6pm – 9pm 6
6 (2) Monday 10 August and Tuesday 11 August (online) 6pm – 8pm 4
7 (3) Monday 17 August and Tuesday 12 August (online) 6pm – 8pm 4
8 (4) Saturday 29 August (in-person) Assessments / Mocks  

This cohort will undertake evening workshops online and Saturdays in-person at our Canterbury Campus.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change depending on numbers as we hope to deliver this course in cohorts of 6-8 students.