The National College of Legal Training (NCLT) has blamed ‘poor market conditions’ and a slump in student numbers for its decision not to recruit for its Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Graduate Diploma in Law for 2013/14.

However, the universities of Derby and the West of England (UWE), two of the nationwide group of universities that came together to form NCLT, will run a franchise of the UWE LPC at Derby for full and/or part-time first-year students in 2013/14.

UWE is also to ensure that existing students are supported through their second year at whichever university they are currently studying.