All trainee solicitors require to undertake this course as a condition of qualification as a solicitor. The Scottish Law Agents Society delivers this course in the centre of Glasgow at Glasgow Caledonian University, at Glasgow Sheriff and at the Royal Faculty of Procurator's Hall. The aims of this delivery are:-
Highest quality - training by experienced, practising Solicitors and a Chartered Accountant, designed to show trainees the front, firing line of legal practice and to provide them with some of the active skills and insight that will prepare them for qualification.
Lowest feasible costs - using existing materials from legal practice and advance timetabling of a pool of practitioners, SLAS limits the costs of the operation without any reduction to the quality of the provision.
Minimum disturbance to traineeship - while meeting and slightly exceeding the minimum Law Society requirements for the length of this course, a compact plan of interlocking exercises delivers the course within the shortest timescale available and minimises the reduction of the trainees' main learning platform - the traineeship itself. Input from trainees' firms is invited and welcomed and a number of current practical issues from trainees' firms have previously been taken on board - combining training and practice in a very real and productive fashion.
The Scottish Law Agents Society proposes to deliver this course three times a year, in January, June and September, when solicitors and trainees shall be afforded an opportunity to meet and discuss matters in an atmosphere of collegiate co-operation and the profession is invited to participate and to contribute to the development of this very positive institution of professional training. Law Society funding may be available for travel and accommodation to assist trainees from around Scotland to join this course in Glasgow. For further information and application forms contact: - Michael Sheridan, Scottish Law Agents Society, 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2LW, TEL 0141 332 3536, FAX 0141 353 3819, e-mail secretary@slas.co.uk.
1. COURSE OBJECTIVES
1.1 General Aims
The general aims of the PCC have been stated by the Law Society of Scotland as follows:
- develop the knowledge and skills learned on the Diploma and in first stages of traineeship
- enhance trainees' knowledge of key areas of current legal practice
- enable a deeper understanding of the ethics, values and attitudes of the Scottish legal profession
- facilitate the development of legal skills and the integration of these with legal knowledge and ethical behaviour
1.2 Specific Aims
As this course aims to develop existing, hard won knowledge and skills, it does not aim to break new ground but rather to establish mechanisms for trainees to practice their knowledge and skills but in such a way that their progress and development is readily apparent. The course therefore specifically aims to ensure as far as possible that all trainees are able to:
- Use comfortably the main terminology of general legal practice and of the specific areas of their elective subjects.
- Deduce in specific factual situations the legal principles and rules.
- State the effect of relevant principles and rules in broadly transferrable language.
- Prepare from given materials and using appropriate IT facilities a legal opinion appropriate to a given issue.
- To use appropriate legal terminology in the construction of formal and informal legal documents
- To apply the rules and conventions that govern the relations between a solicitor and other solicitors, the courts, clients, other agencies and third parties.
- To identify the occasions on which a solicitor is likely to have control of the property and other interests of other persons
2. PRINCIPLES OF COURSE CURRICULUM
2.1 Course Philosophy
This course provides an excellent opportunity for trainee solicitors of increasing experience to find a brief, and possibly a last, shelter from the demanding pressures of life in legal practice in which to reflect upon the practical skills that they require to develop in order to meet the demands of their clients, not to mention their employers, and to achieve success and advancement in their legal careers. For the first time, these new practitioners have an opportunity to study their skills and techniques after having acquired a significant insight into and an awareness of what is meant by legal practice and what pitfalls await the unwary or unskilled practitioner. Accordingly, the programme does not expect trainees to sit quietly and take notes from the great and wise that address them but rather to convene a meeting of professional persons with experiences in common of the day to day vicissitudes of legal practice and to address the ever evolving body of knowledge and skill that enables them to hold themselves out as expert advisers and advocates. In addition, this course shall not be delivered in the insulated environment of an academic ivory tower but very much in the format of practical exercises related to situations and documents taken from the real world of professional practice and trainees are invited to refer to situations and problems from the workplace, under cloak of suitable anonymity, in order both to stimulate discussion and insight in the course and also to gain whatever assistance they might be able to derive from the course. Throughout their professional careers, trainees shall be required to attend a given number of hours of training in terms of the continuing professional development requirements of their professional body. This course is intended to mark the beginning of the continuing professional development career, rather than the end of the student career.
2.2 Course Design
This Society offers the PCC during a two week period of full time teaching contact, supported by the issue of material for reading and reflection beforehand. The curriculum shall be delivered over ten working days of meetings and other activities, from 9am until 4.30pm each working day to take place mainly within Glasgow Caledonian University. In addition, trainees shall be required to reflect upon material issued in advance of these meetings and to prepare research and drafting exercises during the course but outwith the formal contact periods. It is anticipated that trainees shall require to spend approximately ten hours in non contact course activity.
2.3 COURSE STRUCTURE
2.3.1 Core Curriculum
The structure of the course, as far as core subject requirements are concerned, is provided by the Law Society of Scotland as laid out in the table taken from the Law Society Guidance Notes.
- Practical Ethics
- Personal Organisation and Time Management
- IT and the Legal Office
- Client Care
- Financial and Commercial Awareness
- Drafting
- Legal Writing
- Negotiation
- Interviewing
2.3.2 Elective Subject Areas
Each elective subject area shall be delivered in a programme of nine hours duration so that participation in two separate elective areas enables trainees to complete the PCC requirements. The Association reserves the right, but shall not be obliged, to withdraw any elective subject which has an uptake of less than six students. On that basis, the Association offers the following, elective subject areas:
- Litigation
- Family law
- Chamber Prectice
LITIGATION - Learning outcomes
Civil Litigation
- To present a case at options hearing
- To draw suitable pleadings
- To conduct legal debate
Criminal litigation
- To understand the appeal system
- To conduct cross examination
- To present a jury trial
CHAMBER PRACTICE - Learning Outcomes
Conveyancing
- Understand and distinguish the three different transactions
- Construct the papers required for a first registration transaction
The drawing of a standard Will
- An understanding of the significance of the standard terms of a Will
Executry business
- Understand and distinguish the two basic transactions
- Understand the requirements of form C1
- Awareness of the functions of the other executry forms
FAMILY LAW - Learning outcomes
- Know the special problems that arise in connection with family law clients
- Understand how to deal with family law clients
- Understand the principles that govern the financial conclusions in divorce cases
- Understand and distinguish mediation and negotiation and litigation
- Understand and present a case at the child welfare hearing.
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PRACTICAL CONTENT
This course is intended to be entirely practice orientated and we are therefore on the look out for intractable problems arising from day to day business with which we can illustrate the problems and, hopefully, the solutions that todays trainees are likely to face in the future and we therefore invite the submission of such intractable practical problems for consideration and discussion during the course in return for which we shall provide solutions as suggested by some of our younger colleagues in discussion with our panel of experienced trainers.
COST OF COURSE
The whole course, including elective modules, costs £900.
For further information contact:- Michael Sheridan, Scottish Law Agents Society, 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2LW, TEL 0141 332 3536, FAX 0141 353 3819, e-mail secretary@slas.co.uk.
