These practice-led Master’s level modules are designed for aspiring solicitors to gain essential legal skills and expertise. Through online practical legal training, they are flexible and tailored to the demands of modern legal practice. You will be supported by experienced supervisors who can share their expertise with you through supervision and feedback

The College offers a range of Transactional and Business Skills modules across core practice areas and legal business, as part of an LLM in Legal Practice and individually to our client firms. These modules replicate work-based transactional tasks to help you develop the legal and professional skills needed to perform the responsibilities of a newly qualified solicitor. You can study them full-time or part-time alongside SQE preparation modules and a capstone project within the LLM in Legal Practice.

Course details

Admissions Criteria

• UK undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification or experience
• If English isn’t your first language, English language qualifications equivalent to IELTS at level 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6 in each component (writing, listening, speaking, reading). You can be exempt from this requirement if you have a qualification which is equivalent to a UK undergraduate degree which was taught in English. Please refer to our Admissions Guidance for full entry criteria details.

Assessment

• A portfolio comprising of revised task submissions
• A reflective analysis of your learning and development
• A structured performance review interview

Course Fees

• LLM in Legal Practice: £7,245
• Legal Business Skills: £500
• O Shaped: People and Business Skills: £1,150
• 10% discount available for GDL College graduates

Prices accurate for courses starting in 2025-26. A deposit is required to secure your place, please see the fee schedule for details.

Timing

The LLM in Legal Practice runs four times a year. View our Course Calendar .

How to Apply

Applications are open for LLM in Legal Practice and Business Skills modules starting in 2025-26.

MODULE DETAILS

Acquisitions and Finance

This Module will enable you to develop specialised knowledge and skills for professional practice in the area of Acquisitions and Finance. You will cover share and asset sales of corporate entities including the contractual and legal issues surrounding liability and risk, and how they can be managed. You will also explore loan finance and the granting of security to a lender.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Professional, effective, and practical presentation of work
• Oral and written communication skills
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• Client handling and commercial approaches to acquisitions and finance
• Drafting, advising on and evaluating facility, loan and security documentation
  
  

 

Commercial Law

This Module will enable you to develop specialised knowledge and skills for professional practice in the area of Commercial Law. You will look at the process of advising on, and the subsequent drafting involved in the creation and operation of commercial contracts and negotiating and amending commercial contracts. It will also cover identifying, critically analysing and evaluating the key legal issues which impact upon commercial contracts, including the practical and commercial considerations involved in meeting client objectives and needs.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Professional, effective, and practical presentation of work
• Oral and written communication skills
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• Client handling and evaluative techniques in the area of commercial law
• Drafting, advising on and evaluating commercial transactions documentation
  
  

 

Commercial Property

This Module will enable you to develop specialised knowledge and skills for professional practice in the area of commercial leasehold property. You will develop transactional, technical and practical proficiency in commercial leasehold property transactions through innovative learning methods.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Professional, effective, and practical presentation of work
• Oral and written communication skills
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• Client handling and evaluative techniques in the area of commercial property practice
• Drafting, advising on and evaluating commercial property transactions documentation
  
  

 

Dispute Resolution

This Module will enable you to develop specialised knowledge and skills for professional practice in the area of dispute resolution. You will develop an understanding of the technical and commercial aspects of claims evaluations, the law and role of evidence, the legal and commercial risks for a client in bringing or defending claims, and the processes involved in evaluating and managing a claim.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Legal research and analysis
• Professional, effective, and practical presentation of work
• Oral and written communication skills
• Interviewing and taking instructions
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• Client handling and evaluative techniques in the area of dispute resolution
• Advising and managing client expectations and costs
• Drafting witness statements
  
  

  Read a review of the dispute resolution module

 

Employment Law

This module will enable you to develop specialised knowledge and skills doe professional practice in the area of employment law. You will gain experience in completing employment tribunal litigation and non-contentious work commonly designated to newly qualified solicitors.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Application of employment tribunal procedural knowledge in the context of employment law practice
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• Evaluating issues that present themselves in employment law and propose solutions that meet the needs and interests of the client
• Communicating legal information clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
• Evaluating practical problems and apply autonomy in planning and implementing tasks in employment tribunal litigation

Read a review of the employment law module

 

Family Law

This Module will enable you to develop specialised knowledge and skills for professional practice in the area of family law. You will learn how to advise on family proceedings and draft documentation, prepare for hearings and identify, critically analyse and evaluate the key legal, practical and emotional issues which can impact a family.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Professional, effective, and practical presentation of work
• Oral and written communication skills
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• The ability to select and apply appropriate skills and techniques required of the family law practitioner
• The ability to evaluate issues that present themselves in a relationship breakdown and propose solutions that meet the needs and interests of the client
• Communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
  
  

 

Legal Business Skills

You will learn the key principles behind legal business skills through media, self-testing and scenario based learning. You will learn to analyse, evaluate and communicate the practical and commercial considerations involved in meeting client objectives.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Written Communication
• Developing a commercial mindset
• Client care
• Teamwork & facilitating relationships
• Resilience and adaptability
• Legal research and understanding financial information
• Technology and digital skills
• Creating your personal brand and networking
  
  

 

Please note this is a 10 FHEQ credit Module, incorporating 100 hours of learning

This module is only available within firm-led training programmes

Intellectual Property

On this module, you will learn about intellectual property rights including copyright, registered and unregistered design rights, trademarks, passing off, patents. You will identify and analyse the elements required to provide protection and available remedies within scenario based contexts.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Professional, effective, and practical presentation of work
• Oral and written communication skills
• Demonstration of relevant practical technical knowledge and understanding
• Client handling and evaluative techniques in the area of intellectual property
• Drafting, advising on and evaluating intellectual property documentation



Read a review of the Intellectual property module

 

O Shaped: People and Business Skills

This Module has been uniquely designed in collaboration with The O Shaped Lawyer. It will enable you to develop an understanding of all the O Shaped competencies and their practical application within the sector, alongside learning and practising core business skills.

You will be assessed through the submission of a 1,500 word analysis of a legal services business challenge, scenario analyses and a portfolio of three submission outputs. These will demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate the challenge and application of O Shaped and legal skills.

By the end of the module, you will have studied the following:

• O Shaped and commercial mindset
• How to build relationships, through the use of emotional intelligence, trust and influence and communication
• Importance of personal brand and networking
• Developing leadership skills
• How to be adaptable, through the skills of courage, resilience, feedback and continuous learning
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, including ability to communicate conclusions clearly to a variety of audiences
• What it means to create value for your clients and good client service, through identifying opportunities, solving problem, synthesizing and simplifying complexities
• Law firm economics, legal technology and innovation in legal practice
• The application of core O Shaped skills in the context of a working legal services business
• How to develop and refine your O Shaped skill-set to deliver the workload commonly delegated to an aspiring or newly qualified solicitor

O Shaped: People and Business Skills - course details

 

Personal Injury

This module will enable you to critically evaluate, take client instructions and prepare a personal injury claim or defence while taking account of practical considerations. You will develop your ability to assess evidence including expert witness evidence, issue proceedings and conclude a claim. Fatal accidents and rule breakers will also be covered.

By the end of the module, you will have developed the following practical skills:

• Identify and apply appropriate skills and techniques required of the personal injury practitioner
• Gather and evaluate evidence
• Draft and advise on key documents and pleadings
• Draw sound conclusions based upon the analysis of evidence, data and information
• Communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences



Read a review of the personal injury module