I was greatly concerned by your article about the College of Law being able to grant 'Bachelor of Law' (LLB) degrees to students who have passed what was the common professional examination (CPE) and is now the graduate diploma in law (see [2006] Gazette, 11 May, 4).

Does this mean that CPE graduates will have two degrees - one (non-law) awarded by their universities and the other (a LLB) from the College of Law?


As an LLB (Hons) graduate myself, who did a full three-year undergraduate degree in law, I feel this not only diminishes the value and status of the LLB - after all, you will soon be able to get one after one year of study on the CPE as opposed to three - but the new LLB (CPE) graduates may be at a greater advantage when it comes to securing training contracts, in contrast to their fellow graduates who followed the traditional three-year LLB (Hons) undergraduate course.


As an newly qualified solicitor and a mature entrant to the profession, I decided from the outset to become a solicitor and chose the most efficient way (particularly financially) to qualify. I chose the LLB (Hons) route and then went on to the legal practice course (LPC), training contract and qualification.


Are students who elect the three-year LLB (Hons) route going to be discriminated against for having one degree instead of two when it comes to applying for training contracts?


Larissa Hutson, Ipswich