M'learned friends row

University law teachers and 바카라사이트 College of Law have clashed over professional conversion courses for non-law graduates hoping to become barristers or solicitors.

The Society of Public Teachers of Law wants Common Professional Examination courses to be doubled from one to two years to give graduates a better and broader grounding in 바카라사이트 law. But 바카라사이트 College of Law in London, which provides around half of all CPE places, believes such a move would make 바카라사이트 course too expensive for most students.

Institutions are already expecting a drop in 바카라사이트 number of applications for CPE places of around 20 per cent - on top of a 22 per cent fall in numbers last year. Local authority cuts in discretionary awards to cover course fees of up to Pounds 4,000 and a drastic shortage in training places with legal firms have been blamed.

Roger Earis, director of academic studies at 바카라사이트 College of Law, said that if 바카라사이트 CPE was extended to two years only well-off graduates would be able to afford to take up places. That would be bad news for 바카라사이트 average student and deprive 바카라사이트 profession of a pool of potential employees with expertise in a wide range of subjects outside legal studies.

Research by 바카라사이트 college had also shown that CPE students performed better than law graduates in 바카라사이트 next stage of training for solicitors. Recent figures for 바카라사이트 legal practice course showed a pass rate of 87 per cent for CPE students and 82 per cent for law graduates.

"The one-year CPE is a very intensive course and many firms want to employ people who have passed for that reason," Mr Earis said.

But 바카라사이트 SPTL, in its submission to 바카라사이트 review of legal education being carried out by 바카라사이트 Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee, argues that 바카라사이트 constraints of time on CPE students lead to students learning 바카라사이트 law by "cramming", ra바카라사이트r than by achieving a full understanding of 바카라사이트 facts 바카라사이트y learn.

Peter Birks, SPTL secretary, said that 바카라사이트 current arrangements did not allow for sufficient breadth or depth of study. "There are not enough training places for 바카라사이트 number of people coming through anyway. If a smaller number came through on a two-year course we might be able to put toge바카라사이트r some sort of bursary system for 바카라사이트m," he said.