The Dickson Poon School of Law, a top 20 global law school, has launched a new MSc Law and Professional Practice, with the first student cohort starting in September 2022.
The new degree programme will enable graduates without prior legal education or training in the UK to prepare for a career as a solicitor or barrister, providing a comprehensive graduate introduction to law and practice.
Students will be taught by leading legal academics and experienced lawyers, with their development supported by the School's professional networks and its established links with leading law firms.
The programme is offered as a two-year postgraduate degree, with the first year available as a stand-alone Postgraduate Diploma.
Graduates today have to contend with a highly-competitive jobs market. The MSc in Law and Professional Practice will help our students develop their knowledge, skills and profile in a way that will set them apart.– Professor Djakhongir Saidov, Director of the School's Professional Law Institute
Professor Saidov: "Law firms are looking for candidates with not only strong foundational legal knowledge but also with a diverse and multi-disciplinary educational background and a range of skills that respond to and tackle effectively the challenges of modern-day legal practice. This is precisely what our MSc will give them."
Students will gain deep foundational legal knowledge; study specialist, practice-based legal subjects; and develop critical legal practice skills to maximise their employability prospects.
They will work in small groups, in the manner of teams in a law firm. They will apply legal principles to client issues focused on 'real-life' problems, with a bespoke, problem-based learning approach.
This course is imbued with an exceptionally strong sense of realism and is professionally driven. The overall focus of this MSc programme is on the development of practical skills that will shape top class lawyers and leaders of tomorrow. – Professor Djakhongir Saidov
Professor Saidov: "In particular, the MSc will enable our students to authentically engage with law in action. They will encounter real life situations and, in small groups, work together to identify the problem, research the legal and related issues, apply the law to the facts, and deliver contextualised advice."
Students will have opportunities to explore, in-depth, key complementary areas for legal practice such as Legal Technology, Business Strategy and Psychology. The MSc will also provide modules in a range of business-critical legal practice disciplines: specialist, practice-based legal subjects, including Business Practice, Litigation Practice, Real Estate Practice, Mergers & Acquisition, Employment and Company Financing.
The Postgraduate Diploma modules and Year One MSc modules provide the foundational knowledge required for professional legal practice as a barrister or solicitor in England & Wales, enabling progress to both the SQE and the Bar Training programme. MSc students can access the BARBRI SQE1 preparation programme for free, and Diploma students will enjoy a 50% discount.
Teaching on the course will be delivered through a combination of lectures and workshops. There will also be online activities, extra-curricular modules, practitioner masterclasses and legal research seminars in disciplines drawing on the expertise of the School's research centres.
MSc students will further develop their research skills through a practice project.
Professor Saidov: "The Dickson Poon School of Law has a long-standing tradition of excellence in legal teaching and research, and the MSc programme will be embedded in, and benefit from, the exceptionally enriching and stimulating environment at King's College London."
The Dickson Poon School of Law, part of King's College London, is based on The Strand, and sits at the heart of legal London. The School is ranked 16th in the world and 5th in UK (QS World Rankings for Law 2021). It has the highest student satisfaction rate among the London-based Russell Group law schools (NSS 2021).
