this might sound a bit on the daft side, but i've just completed my dlp and quite frankly, i don't feel like a know anymore than i did when i started. I still feel ill-equipped. I'm due to start my traineeship in september and a little on the worried side that i literally know nothing. Yes, i've done law for 5 years and got a first. but in reality - the LLB is so academic that it's practical skills that matter.  

As such, i feel like the diploma taught me very little (ok so i know what styles and forms etc to use but wow, that won't get me far). If i hadn't received funding i'd be tempted to say it was a waste of £4250.  Is this just me? Or does anyone else feel like this?

I went to Aberdeen uni - on paper, it's been the best law school in the country for the best part of the last  decade - i'm trying to tell myself that my LLB was so well taught that i knew most of the DLP stuff before I did it which is why i feel i know very little.  I'm possibly too cyncial though!!

Any comments to a similar effect would be greatly appreciated, i need to know I'm not the only one terrified of the prospect of starting my traineeship.

Yes, complete waste of the money but more important, a waste of a year.  I completed the diploma in 2001, have been in practise since then and have yet to use anything at all that I was taught on the diploma.

As far as i can tell the LPC in england is much better geared towards life outside the law school and focuses a great deal more on actual practice areas such as corporate and finance - which really, for most people in the larger firms are the only areas they will be involved with on a day to day basis. 

I think students should have an option to do a more big city/commercial course rather than all getting pigeon-holed into being taught criminal, residential conveyancing and probate with an open book, multiple choice "company & commercial" course tagged on.

Quick question - how many hours of lectures/seminars/tutorials/etc does the Diploma typically involve a week. Aberdeen in particular...

everyonesfavouriteposter wrote on Jul 16^th, 2009 at 12:22am:


Excellent! Terrific! Thank you.

Is it at all challenging, incidentally? The idea I seem to have gained of the Diploma is one of drawn-out but fairly straightforward tedium.

everyonesfavouriteposter wrote on Jul 16^th, 2009 at 8:37pm:


You've made me a very happy man.