Derby's Legal Practice Course Set To Continue Despite National Recruitment Freeze By NCLT
24 May 2013
Kevin Bampton, Head of the School of Law and Criminology.
The National College of Legal Training (NCLT) has decided not to recruit a new intake to the NCLT Legal Practice Course (LPC) for 2013/14. National market conditions, in particular a decrease in applications for professional legal studies, mean it is not viable to run new provision at all of its national study centres.
The move will not affect 2013/14 year two NCLT students who will continue to receive the same tuition and materials at the relevant study centres to the same high quality. They will also receive the same support from site tutors and managers.
It is, however, the current intention of the University of Derby and the University of the West of England (UWE) to run a direct franchise of UWE Bristol's LPC at Derby for full time and/or part time year one students in 2013/14, subject to agreement of terms between UWE and the University of Derby.
Subject to Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) approval of the arrangements, NCLT will be contacting current students to reassure them of its commitment to their studies. UWE Bristol is to ensure current students are supported in their year two studies at their existing locations. Prospective students for 2013/14 will be offered places in Bristol or potentially at Derby under the new franchise arrangement, at their existing NCLT fees.
Kevin Bampton, Head of the School of Law and Criminology at the University of Derby commented: "It is a shame that the success that we enjoy at Derby has not been mirrored nationally.
"We are very positive about the prospect of working directly with Bristol Institute of Legal Practice. We believe that their Legal Practice Course is still the best designed in the country and we are very well placed to continue to provide excellent professional education and excellent value in partnership with them."
