Editor's Weekly: To LPC or not to LPC

One of the biggest dilemmas facing those of you embarking on the final year of your law degree without a training contract in the bag is whether to apply for a place on the Legal Practice Course (LPC).

As most of you know the LPC isnt cheap so if you arent lucky enough to secure sponsorship then youll have to fork out thousands of pounds to fund the course yourself. Whats more, completing the compulsory year long course wont guarantee you a training contract.

With this in mind is it really worth the risk? As with most career-related issues there is never a right or wrong answer and depending on who you speak to youre likely to get wildly different advice.

I personally think you should seriously think twice before plunging deeper into the red especially because there arent any statistics available from LPC providers, which reveal the final destinations of their students ie how many self-funding LPC students moved onto a training contract or indeed a law-related job after completing the course?

Despite repeated requests, the likes of BPP and the College of Law, the biggest LPC providers in the country, claim they cant provide such information. Nottingham Law School (NLS), however, is more transparent and claims that a whopping 90 per cent of the students on its full-time LPC during the last academic year were awarded training contracts.

The NLS stats make encouraging reading and do provide some hope for those of you struggling to secure a training contract. Also, dont forget that not all law firms, especially the smaller ones, hire their trainees that far in advance.

That said, it would still be incredibly helpful if more law schools disclosed final destination stats. Only then will we know whether self-funding the LPC is money down the drain or a calculated risk.

husnara.begum@lawyer2b.com