Professional Legal Practice Diploma

The Diploma in Professional Legal Practice is suitable for students seeking to enter the professions of solicitor or advocate in Scotland.

The content is determined by the national Joint Standing Committee on Legal Education, the Diploma Co-ordinating Committee and various working parties, which include representatives of all the universities and members of the legal profession.

The focus is on the practical skills required in the legal profession.

Compulsory courses:

• Conveyancing
• Private Client
• Civil Court Practice
• Criminal Court Practice
• Financial Services and Related Skills
• Company and Commercial
• Professional Skills and Responsibility

There are also a large number of elective courses on offer, covering specialisms such as Banking Law, Employment Law, Mediation and Human Rights. The breadth of options available enables students to tailor their learning to suit their interests and career aspirations.

Students on this programme have a very full timetable in comparison with that at undergraduate level. It entails a large number of contact hours, much of the time in small workshop groups.

Participation in practical class work is regarded as extremely important and attendance is expected.

There may also be the need for substantial preparation for exercises and in-class assessment. There is an emphasis on legal skills throughout.

Accreditation

The University of Edinburgh is a Law Society of Scotland accredited provider of the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

To gain entry to this programme, candidates must:

1. Have obtained an undergraduate law degree from a Scottish university (LLB), including passes in the required foundation subjects or;
2. Have passed or obtained exemption from the professional examinations of the Law Society of Scotland in all subjects required under the Admission as Solicitor (Scotland) Regulations 2011.

At the University of Edinburgh, foundation subjects are normally taken in the first two years of the LLB, or during the Graduate LLB, and include:

• LAWS08123 Public Law of the UK and Scotland
• LAWS08125 European Union Law (Ordinary) A
• LAWS08126 Family Law (Ordinary)
• LAWS08130 Succession and Trust Law
• LAWS08131 Commercial Law (Ordinary)
• LAWS08132 Public Law and Individual Rights
• LAWS08133 Property Law (Ordinary)
• LAWS08134 Business Entities
• LAWS08135 Delict
• LAWS08139 Critical Legal Thinking
• LAWS08141 Evidence (Ordinary)
• LAWS08142 Criminal Law (Ordinary
• LAWS08127 Contract and Unjustified Enrichment
• LAWS08128 Scottish Legal System

These subjects map to outcomes that are universally required regardless of which university you study at. However, the individual subjects that are required can differ in name at each university. You should check with your LLB university law school to confirm what the correct subjects are.

Selection criteria

Detailed information on our selection criteria can be found in the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice Admissions Policy.*

• Admissions policy

International applicants

International qualifications cannot generally be used to meet the entry requirements to this programme. If you have graduated from an LLB in a different country, including England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you will need to meet the subject requirements of the Scottish Foundation Programme before proceeding to the Diploma. More information can be found on the Law Society of Scotland's website.

• Law Society of Scotland

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 25 in writing and 23 in all other components.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 185 in writing and 176 in all other components.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 73 in writing and 65 in all other components. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 8 in writing and 7 in all other components.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements