PG Dip Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) (Distance Learning)

Course Details

This course will enable you to enter the legal profession if you do not have a first degree in law. Delivered through our Virtual Learning Environment, this qualification and our LLM Qualifying Law Degree cover the key foundation subjects needed to complete the academic stage of your training to become a solicitor or barrister as required by the major professional bodies in law. As a student of Leeds Law School, you will be able to access a wide range of law textbooks online for free through Law Trove, a subscription-only service offered by Oxford University Press. The Bar Standards Board (BSB) no longer requires the study of a 'Qualifying Law Degree' (QLD), however, the study of what are referred to as the 'legal foundations of knowledge' is still required before the vocational stage of bar training. All our undergraduate law degrees meet this requirement. The changes to the routes to qualification as a solicitor are due to be finalised in the summer of 2020, with the introduction of those changes provisionally from September 2021 onwards.

Course Benefits

You will learn using our Virtual Learning Environment, supported by academic staff with extensive teaching and legal experience. Choosing to study this flexible distance learning course enables you to fit your learning around your current lifestyle and commitments. Leeds Law School regularly welcomes guest speakers in prominent legal positions and you will be able to access their lectures digitally if you are unable to attend on-campus. You will be able to hear from experts like Catherine Dixon, Chief Executive of The Law Society for England and Wales, discuss what the future might have in store for the solicitors' profession. Our Careers Service is on hand to support you with all aspects of planning your career, including writing your CV, job applications and how to make the most of industry and graduate fairs.