A legal practice course (LPC) geared towards helping entrants to the profession into legal aid will be launched next year with a view to rolling it out to other course providers, the Gazette has learned.

The 'public legal services pathway' course - devised by the College of Law and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) - will feature modules in advanced criminal litigation and housing, as well as a public law 'pathway' run by Cardiff Law School.

The course will also include a tailored programme of legal aid-related topics linked to the standard curriculum, including 'master classes' aimed at giving students an insight into how legal aid practices work at the coalface.

The new LPC, to be offered to students enrolling from September 2005, will be backed by an extra tranche of grant funding from the LSC, worth 3 million.

The LSC said it would build on its current programme of grants with a view to helping 100 extra future trainees.

The money will cover tuition fees for students on the one-year LPC and 75% of the minimum trainee salary laid down by the Law Society for students who promise to remain with their legal aid firm for two years after completing their training.

College of Law LPC director Scott Slorach said students on the course would also benefit from gaining hands-on skills in its legal advice clinic and through arranged pro bono activities.

'The [new] LPC is part of the college's continuing strategy to customise elements of its LPC to embrace the work that students are likely to undertake,' he added.

LSC chief executive Clare Dodgson said the move would mean that the LSC had eased the way for a total of 400 extra entrants into publicly funded work.

'I am delighted that there will now be an LPC particularly appropriate for a career in legal aid, which involves valuable contributions from experienced practitioners,' she said, adding: 'We are keen to work with other LPC providers to develop similar courses nationwide.'

Legal Aid Practitioners Group director Richard Miller welcomed the move as long overdue.

'For some time students have indicated their concern that the LPC has not adequately prepared them for legal aid practice,' he said.

Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said the new course, along with the grants, would help ensure an adequate supply of the next generation of legal aid solicitors.

'[The LPC] is an interesting proposal and we are delighted that so much creative thinking is going into LPC provision,' she added.

The launch of a legal aid LPC comes just weeks after the College of Law announced that it was to provide firm-specific LPC courses for City firms Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance.

See Editorial, [2004] Gazette, 13 May, page 12

By Paula Rohan