BPP - what’s it like?

[tqo]

DD needs to study the PGDL and is considering BPP. Interested in hearing people’s experiences of studying there.

@tqo DD did Law Conversion elsewhere but did barrister course at BPP in Holborn. Is this the one you are considering? There are many providers and varying charges. Assuming you are self funding, does cost matter? What is goal after the course? It’s intensive anywhere and certainly BPP is a specialist centre.

Four of my children who are solicitors did their post grad at BPP including PGDL. It is the place the City Consortium firms choose and 80% of post grad (but not undergrad) law students use BPP or University of Law. Mine either went there as a sponsoring law firm had all their students go there or simply because we chose it over University of Law - however both are good.

One issue you need to consider if is your child wants to be a solicitor or barrister. If solicitor and if they need a post grad loan - they only can take one of those so if solicitor is their path then it may be best to choose the BPP (or UoLaw) PGDL with SQE1 course with masters. If they use the whole masters loan just on the PGDL with masters then that leave the SQE1 course not covered by loan funding. So there are some quite complicated issues to be considered under the new regime for solicitor qualification (or the child may want only to do the course IF they obtain a training contract in advance where the firm pays for the 2 years of the PGDL and SQE). The other complication under the new solicitor regime is technically you need never have studied law as long as you pass SQE1 and 2 and do 2 years of providing legal advice such as a training contract so some people who might not obtain a job in bigger firms might choose just to do an SQE1 and 2 course and miss out PGDL entirely - that is not my recommendation and most good firms want a 3 year LB or PGDL before SQE courses but sometimes it is appropriate to mess that step out depending on likely future employer. I am sorry the new SQE system has made it all so complicated with so many choices.

Simple answer to your question is BPP is fine. Some people find the admin side of BPP and UoL not very good but my children managed fine (the youngest two - twins - qualified as solicitors earliier this year).

(I should also have said that I am a solicitor)