LPC students struggle to secure training contracts; Bar chairman calls for cap on student numbers
updated on 23 January 2014
Only a small percentage of students on Legal Practice Courses (LPC) are succeeding in their pursuit of a training contract. As reported by the Law Society Gazette, the findings were obtained under freedom of information requests.
Universities reported the following success rates for their LPC students:
- Ten of 38 students obtained training contracts at Liverpool John Moores University (2011-12);
- Six of 30 students studying in 2012-13 at Bournemouth University had training contacts by August 2013; and
- Thirteen of 36 students studying in 2011-12 at Lancashire Law School had obtained "legal graduate-levels jobs" six months after completing the LPC.
In addition, the number of LPC students commencing their studies with training contracts already in place remains low at some institutions. Only 14% of 78 students at Oxford Brookes University had secured a training contact before the start of the LPC in 2012-13. It has already been confirmed that the number of full-time LPC students continues to decline, with numbers decreasing by 8% for the 2013-14 academic year.
In other news regarding postgraduate study, the chairman of the Bar Council has called for a cap on student numbers. Nicholas Lavender QC has suggested that there should be a limit to the number students taking professional training courses, including the Bar Professional Training Course and the LPC.
Lavender explained: "I have no doubt the Bar, and I suspect solicitors, would like to be able to limit the number of students taking the professional training courses. We are all very concerned that so many take the courses, but are unable to find work in the profession." On the accountability of professional course providers, he commented: "Law schools have a responsibility to their potential students to make sure they know what their prospects are when they commit to the courses."
