LPC students face inflation-busting fee rises

Legal practice course (LPC) fees are to increase by 11% at some law schools in England and Wales next year, with the three City LPC providers among those making the biggest increases, a Gazette survey has revealed.The move is set to fuel fears that the high cost of legal training is pricing out many students from poorer backgrounds or those without law firm sponsorship.The Law Society - which last week, at a London seminar, launched a drive against social exclusion in the profession - will now ask institutions to explain the fee rises.BPP Law School will raise its fees by 10% to 8,250 in 2002/3 - the costliest of all - while at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice fees have risen 10% to 7,700.

Nottingham Law School, the other City LPC provider, has approved a 6% fee increase to 7,685.The biggest increase is at the Inns of Court School of Law, where an 11% rise sees the fee go from 7,100 to 7,900.

Even the cheapest course, at Wolverhampton University, has increased by 11% to 5,000.At the other end of the scale, Staffordshire and De Montfort Universities have kept their fees the same at 5,250 and 5,600 respectively.

All but four courses, though, are increasing fees by more than the rate of inflation.Paul Aber, LPC director at the Inns of Court, said: 'It's a very expensive course to run.

The general feeling is that if a London institution were to charge under 7,000 then they wouldn't be doing it properly.'He said any surplus would be invested for the benefit of students, as the school was in the process of building a new lecture theatre.'We are very conscious that the LPC is becoming increasingly expensive for students, but we are not the most pricey,' he said.

'We do encourage all types of students from different backgrounds to apply, and we have a considerable career service for those without training contracts.'Nigel Savage, chief executive of the College of Law - which raised its London fee 6% to 7,850 - said the fees for City LPC providers should be lower than other schools.

'They are guaranteed a number of students, all with training contracts and should thus have lower marketing costs and no need for a career service,' he said.Mr Savage said the increase in the College of Law's fees was partly triggered by the refurbishment of the Chester school and improved IT.Nick Johnson, director of Oxford Institute, said: 'Staffing costs are high because the Law Society imposes on us a student-to-staff ratio of 12.5 to 1.

That's half what is required at degree level.'Last week, the Law Society hosted an open day to encourage London inner city schoolchildren to consider a career in law as part of the social exclusion initiative.

Cherie Booth QC and Solicitor-General Harriet Harman QC were among those to attend.Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said she was disappointed by the results of the LPC survey.

'The cost of qualifying is already turning many of our brightest young people away from a career in the law,' she said.'It was evident at our open day last week that many talented young people are prevented from achieving their career ambitions in the legal profession.

I will be writing to all course providers this week expressing concern and asking them to explain why these sort of increases are necessary.'Verity Chase, chairwoman of the Trainee Solicitors Group, said: 'You must question what benefits the students are getting from the additional money.

The fees are going up - but are the standards? 'Students now feel that they must do the City LPC or they are at a disadvantage.

Law schools are aware of this and are obviously exploiting it.'David Lewis, senior partner of City practice Norton Rose - one of the nine firms that make up the City LPC consortium - said the colleges had spoken to the firms about the fees and that they were happy with them.'We are very encouraged by the course so far.

We have had positive feedback from the students and have received justification for fee increases,' he said.Andrew Towler