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Course information

The College of Law PSC is delivered at a wide range of venues around the country including our centres in London, Birmingham, Chester, Guildford and York and at city centre venues in Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Southampton in order to offer the maximum convenience possible.

The PSC is made up of three compulsory core modules and a programme of elective modules.

Core modules

Electives

Outline timetable

Fees

How to book

Core modules

Core modules should normally be completed before starting the electives. The modules can be taken as an eight day intensive ‘fast-track’ programme or individually across a wider range of dates.

Advocacy & Communication Skills (3 days)

This module builds on and extends the skills learnt on the LPC. It helps you to:

  • Develop your skills to make a persuasive presentation, to structure a logical and cogent argument, and to elicit information from others efficiently
  • Conduct a factual analysis of a case and develop theories as to why your client’s case should succeed
  • Conduct chambers advocacy
  • Understand trial advocacy and practise the effective examination of witnesses in chief, cross, and re-examination, and the presentation of opening and closing speeches
  • Reach the standard required, ethically and procedurally, to properly exercise the rights of audience granted to qualified solicitors in the civil and criminal courts

Client Care & Professional Standards (2 days)

The College of Law now offers the Client Care & Professional Standards as two separate days of training.  This will give you the choice of either taking both days consecutively or separately.

In addition, in line with our acclaimed LPC choice of career routes, we offer a choice of “Commercial and Private” or “Corporate” pathway.  This offers you different specialist study routes, allowing you to tailor your training and focus on your chosen field, while still giving you an element of flexibility.

Commercial & Private Client Route

These modules build on the basics of conduct and ethics topics covered in the LPC.

  • The commercial and private client route is designed to enable delegates from commercial and private client firms to study client care and professional standards in a specifically commercial and private client context.
  • The courses use case studies and scenarios especially tailored to the commercial and private client environment.
  • Both courses are taught in such a way as to target those from commercial and private client  firms, in terms of the design of the courses, the approach of the tutors and the appropriateness of the issues addressed on the courses.

Day 1

  •  Covers the background to professional ethics, client interviewing, accepting instructions, publicity, referrals, fee sharing, risk management, costs and conditional fees.

Day 2

  • Covers conflicts and confidentiality, determining the retainer, undertakings, duties to third parties, other solicitors and the Court, complaints handling, misconduct, inadequate professional service, negligence, time management, personal and professional development.

Corporate Route

These modules build on the basics of conduct and ethics topics covered in the LPC.

  • The corporate route is designed to enable delegates from corporate firms to study client care and professional standards in a specifically corporate context.
  • The courses use case studies and scenarios especially tailored to the corporate environment.
  • Both courses are taught in such a way as to target those from large corporate firms, in terms of the design of the courses, the approach of the tutors and the appropriateness of the issues addressed on the courses.

Professional Standards Course 

  • Covers the background to professional ethics, conflicts, confidentiality, undertakings, duties to third parties, other solicitors and the Court, and risk management.

Client Care Course

  • Covers clients' perceptions of solicitors, client interviewing, accepting instructions, client care, ethical dilemmas, costs, conditional fees, misconduct, inadequate professional service, negligence, time management and personal and professional development.

Financial & Business Skills (3 days)

This module builds on the basics of the investment business, financial services and accounts topics covered in the LPC. It helps you to:

  • Develop your financial awareness.
  • Undertake exempt regulated activities under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2000.
  • Apply the rules of professional conduct relating to financial and accounting matters including money laundering and mortgage fraud. You’ll also cover the material you need for the examination on day three including:
  • The regulation of financial services; authorisation from the Financial Services Authority; the definition of regulated activities; the exemption for solicitors under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) and the Law Society’s ‘Scope’ and ‘Conduct of Business’ Rules, including the conduct implications of providing financial services.
  • An introduction to investing and portfolio management and to specific investment products such as gilts, equities and unit trusts.

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Electives

We offer a wide range of electives that enable you to specialise in particular areas.

Most electives last for one day (six hours), although some last for two days. You’ll need to choose four day’s worth of electives in total to reach the 24 hours needed to meet the Solicitors Regulatory Authority’s requirements.

It’s recommended that you take these electives after completing the core modules as they contain elements of client care or advocacy and, also, assume a level of understanding of these core topics.

For full information on our elective courses, as well as course outlines, please download our PSC e-brochure in PDF format. Dates for our elective courses can also be found in our e-brochure or on our online timetable.

Our range of electives is regularly updated, so visit this page regularly to keep up to date.

If you would like us to keep you informed of new electives, email us.

Practice Skills

  • The Law Firm as a Commercial Enterprise - New for 2007/08
  • Effective Written Communication
  • Dealing with the Media
  • Advanced Communication Skills - New for 2008
  • The Skilled Negotiator
  • Presenting to Persuade
  • Execution of Deeds & Documents - New for 2008

Contentious Skills Electives

Dispute Resolution

  • Case Analysis and Management
  • Civil Litigation Drafting Skills
  • Mediation & ADR

Personal Injury

  • Damages, Funding & Costs
  • Employers' Liability
  • Investigation of a Claim
  • Pre-action Protocols & Expert Evidence

Employment Law

  • Employment Practice (a new two day course for 2008)
  • Employment Tribunal Advocacy

Criminal Law

  • Bail & Mitigation
  • Criminal Trial in the Magistrates’ Courts (a two day course)

Family Law

  • Family Law Advocacy & Practice – Care Proceedings
  • Family Law Advocacy – Domestic Violence
  • Family Law & Drafting – Ancillary Relief
  • Family Law Interviewing and Negotiation - The Children Act 1989

Human Rights

  • Human Rights Act 1998

Non-contentious Skills Electives

Commercial Law & Intellectual Property

  • Drafting IP Licences
  • Commercial Contracts – Standard Terms & Conditions and Contract Checklist
  • E-Commerce & Data Protection
  • Practical Commercial Contract Drafting

Corporate Law

  • Acquisitions & Disposals of Shares
  • Companies Act 2006: A Practical Guide for Trainees - New for 2007/08  
  • Company Meetings
  • Corporate Drafting   - New for 2007/08
  • Corporate Structures and Share Issues
  • How to read a Company’s Accounts
  • Stock Markets and Flotation
  • Understanding the City  - New for 2007/08

Commercial Property

  • Commercial Property – Sale & Purchase Transactions
  • Drafting Commercial Leases

Probate

  • Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning (Until July 2008)
  • Wills, Inheritance Tax and Post-Death Arrangements - New for 2007/08
  • Will Trusts, Tax and Estate Planning - New for 2007/08

Insurance Law

  • Introduction to Insurance Law

Dates for our elective courses can be found in our e-brochure or on our online timetable.

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Fees

You can make significant savings by purchasing all your core and electives modules at the same time. However, you don’t have to decide on dates or on which electives you want to take at this time.

Core modules and electives can all be booked independently, or in modules. 

PSC Full Programme
Core Modules & Electives (24 hours) £1,395 + VAT
PSC Core + Higher Rights Academic & Advocacy Stage £2,695 + VAT
PSC Core + Higher Rights Academic Stage only £1,700 + VAT
PSC Core Modules
All Core Modules £1,100 + VAT
Financial & Business Skills only £415 + VAT
Advocacy & Communication Skills only £515 + VAT
Client Care & Professional Standards - Day 1 £165 + VAT
Client Care & Professional Standards - Day 2 £165 + VAT
PSC Electives
Electives (24 hours) £550 + VAT
Electives (6 hours) £185 + VAT

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How to Book

You can call us on 01483 216216 or email us, and once registered, you can book your courses online.

Alternatively, please download a booking form and return it to the address below.

The Customer Centre
The College of Law
Brabeouf Manor
Portsmouth Road
St Catherines
Guildford
Surrey
GU3 1HA

DX: 2400 Guildford

Tel: 01483 216216
Email

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