The Scottish diploma in legal practice

The diploma in legal practice (DLP) is the vocational qualification that all aspiring solicitors and advocates in Scotland must take. The course structure is designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice, helping to prepare you for life within the legal profession. You will undertake the 26-week course after completing your law degree and prior to undertaking a legal traineeship with a law firm or inhouse legal team. However, there is no guarantee of securing a traineeship and it is important to consider your career aspirations and financial position carefully.

Changes in legal education and training in Scotland were agreed at the AGM of the Law Society of Scotland in May 2009 and will be implemented in full for the session 2011–12.

In Scotland, both intending solicitors and advocates complete the same vocational qualification and a period of traineeship. This differs from the situation in England and Wales, where the two branches of the profession follow different routes to qualification after the academic stage of training.

In 2011–12 the course will be offered by seven institutions in Scotland: the University of Aberdeen; the University of Dundee; the University of Edinburgh; the University of Glasgow; the Robert Gordon University; the University of Stirling; and the University of Strathclyde. The DLP is also offered part time over two years at the University of Edinburgh.

Changes to legal training

Changes in legal education and training in Scotland were agreed at the AGM of the Law Society of Scotland in May 2009 and will be implemented in full for the session 2011–12. The DLP and traineeship will be replaced by the outcome-based professional education and training programme (PEAT). The DLP will be renamed PEAT 1, and the traineeship PEAT 2. PEAT 1 will comprise a core and electives – the core being much smaller than that of the current DLP – to give more flexibility. Selection and entry criteria for PEAT 1 are also under review.

Number of DLP places

In a change from recent years, the number of places available at diploma providers in 2009 exceededthe final demand for places. In 2009 there were 774 DLP places, and 680 students ultimately started the course (in 2008 there were 774 places and 829 applicants); the number of DLP places for 2010 has risen to 902. However, in marked contrast to the number of students on the DLP in 2009 (680), there were approximately 427 traineeships registered that year (compared to 592 in 2008 and 629 in 2007). Thus there is a significant, and currently increasing, mismatch between the numbers of students leaving the DLP and the number of traineeships.

In 2008 the UK entered a recession. During the academic year 2008–9 some trainees were made redundant and a number of students’ traineeship offers were deferred until 2010 or revoked altogether. This reduction in traineeship opportunities, combined with increases in DLP places in recent years, means that there are high numbers of DLP graduates from 2010 still looking to secure a traineeship. There is still some cautious optimism in some parts of the legal profession in 2010 – students without traineeships at the start of the DLP need to be aware they are in a very competitive market as a result. However, as some areas of the legal profession do not recruit until diploma year (including smaller firms undertaking legal aid work, rural firms and councils), students keen to work in these areas have no choice but to start the course without having secured a traineeship.

Applying for the diploma in legal practice in Scotland

Application for the DLP takes place in spring of the year that you want to start the course. Normally the closing date is by the end of April at the latest. Forms are distributed by the law schools several weeks before the closing deadline. On the form, you name the institution you wish to apply to and your law school will then forward the application to the relevant institution. If you are a graduate applying for the DLP course you should contact the institution at which you studied your LLB to obtain an application form.

Intending DLP students must hold an LLB degree and passes in the core professional subjects, which include:

• public law and the legal system
• conveyancing
• Scots private law
• evidence
• Scots criminal law
• taxation
• European community law
• Scots commercial law.

Exam results

It is important to be aware from day one of your LLB that admission to the DLP is based on performance in the first sitting of the professional subjects, not your final degree classification. These subjects are normally studied in the first two years so it is therefore vital to hit the ground running in the first year of your degree.

Teaching structure

The timetable for the DLP course is very full in comparison with many undergraduate courses. The emphasis is on learning practical skills for the legal profession, so there are a large number of contact hours, many in small seminar groups, workshops and tutorials. You might have a 9.00 am to 5.00 pm timetable, though some of this will be preparation time. In addition, you will be expected to spend a considerable number of hours a week on coursework and preparing for participation in practical classes.

Currently the core subjects of the DLP are: conveyancing; private client; civil and criminal court practice; financial services; and related skills (accountancy and professional responsibility) with the option to choose between the company and commercial course and the public administration course. The practitioner skills of advocacy, interviewing, negotiation and mediation are also developed throughout the course.

Much of the teaching is given by practising advocates, solicitors and accountants who bring their expertise in current professional practice into the classroom. Teaching methods include a mixture of tutorials, lectures, group-based projects and skills workshops. Some DLP courses use delivery methods that include the use of multimedia and information and communication technology (ICT), or even becoming a member of a mock four-person firm to simulate aspects of the legal working environment. Assessment is by a combination of examinations and coursework. The balance between these varies depending on modules and the institution.

Funding for the diploma in legal practice

In past years the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) has made awards for a proportion of the places on the DLP course at each institution. In 2010, 300 awards were allocated across the institutions. However, it is unlikely that this will continue for 2011. The Law Society of Scotland’s guidance note for diploma applications gives detailed information on the current situation and will be updated by the 2011 version once the definitive position is known.

Course fees vary between £4,200 and £5,700 in 2010 – check with individual institutions for exact costs – plus material costs of between £300 and £500. Students tend to make up the shortfall through a variety of means, including career development loans, part-time work, family contributions and savings.