The MSc Law & Professional Practice is a two-year postgraduate degree, with the first year available as a stand-alone Postgraduate Diploma. It provides a comprehensive and rigorous introduction to law and practice in preparation for the SQE and a legal career as a solicitor or barrister in an evolving and competitive sector. The programme is open to graduates obtaining a higher 2:1 degree classification or above who have not undertaken, nor are currently undertaking, legal education or training which substantially comprises the study of, and/or practice in, the laws of England and Wales.
Key benefits
- Study at a Top 20 global Law School with rich professional links in the heart of legal London (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023)
- Achieve your master’s level legal training from a world-class Russell Group university where both legal research and breadth of professional experience inform your teaching.
- Gain deep foundational legal knowledge, study specialist, practice-based subjects and develop critical legal practice skills to maximise your employability prospects.
- Develop your knowledge, practical experience, and academic and professional skills by working in small groups in the style of law firms, applying legal principles to client issues focused on ‘real-life’ problems, and using a blended pedagogical approach, including our bespoke problem-based learning model and other interactive activities.
- Taught by leading legal academics and experienced lawyers who have also worked extensively in legal education, supported by King’s professional networks and links with law firms, and underpinned by the academic excellence and the cutting-edge research of our globally renowned Law School.
Our innovative and professionally focused programme enables students to train in the foundational and specialist areas of the Law and Practice of England & Wales, whilst gaining expertise in analysis, research, and application to ‘real life’ client and commercially orientated issues in an international context. Students will, in addition:
• Gain industry specific knowledge and have opportunities to explore, in-depth, key complementary areas for legal practice such as Legal Technology, Business Strategy and Psychology.
• Put their skills into practice through workshops encountering ‘real-life’ applications and problems, including representing, engaging with, and advising simulated clients.
• Access options for work experience with real clients in the King’s Legal Clinic and other pro-bono opportunities.
• Develop the systematic mindset required of legal practice along with key ‘practice-ready’ skills and attributes, such as problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, time and self-management, resilience, confidence, flexibility, creative growth mindset, research, legal analysis, critical thinking, and appropriate, contextualised oral and written communication.
• Acquire other vital employability skills via our integrated careers team.
The MSc additionally provides core modules in Legal Communications, Business Practice, Litigation Practice and Real Estate Practice and may provide optional modules in a range of business-critical legal practice disciplines in:
• Specialist, practice-based legal subjects, including Mergers & Acquisition, Employment and Company Financing.
• Practice-focused non-law modules including Strategy for Legal Practitioners, Clinical Legal Education and Introduction to Psychology, with an optional module also available in Legal Technology.
MSc students will also develop their research and critical thinking skills by way of a practice project module.
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London's Strand and Waterloo campuses. Please note that teaching locations may vary depending on which optional modules you select.