Professional Competence Course (the "PCC")

The Professional Competence Course is a short, intensive programme of study, principally delivered by means of “learning by doing”, which is designed to develop the lawyering skills and practice knowledge which trainees will have obtained in the Diploma in Legal Practice and the early months of a traineeship, and to better understand the ethics, values and attitudes of the legal profession in Scotland.

The Law School has a Professional Education Policy Committee which keeps teaching issues on these courses under review, in so far as it has scope to do so given the prescription of content by the Law Society of Scotland.

The Professional Competence Course is a compulsory element of the Law Society of Scotland’s training regime for Scottish solicitors. Aberdeen University is one of a number of institutions which provide “external” PCCs. Details of the other external PCC providers and the particular PCCs which they offer can be found via the Law Society's website. In addition, a number of larger firms also provide an in-house (“internal”) PCC.

Trainees are required to take the PCC between the sixth and eighteenth month of their traineeship. It is entirely up to the individual trainee and their firm as to when within that period the course is taken, but it may be helpful to indicate that the feedback we have received from trainees who have taken the course would tend to suggest that trainees generally gain more from the PCC by taking it relatively early (say, in the period of 6-12 months into their traineeship), rather than later on.

The Structure of the PCC

The PCC consists of a compulsory set of 36 hours of core modules and 18 hours of elective modules.

Core modules

The Aberdeen PCC teaches the 36 hours of core modules over a 1½ week period, twice a year: in or around January and September. The calendar of forthcoming diets of the PCC can be viewed by clicking here.

The core modules focus upon the development of legal skills and cover such matters as client interviewing, negotiation and legal drafting, as well as other foundational issues such as client care, risk management and professional ethics.

Elective modules

At present, 3 elective modules are offered by the University of Aberdeen: Conveyancing, Private Client and Civil Court Practice. Conveyancing and Private Client are both 9-hour electives and generally run straight after each diet of core modules. Civil Court Practice is an 18-hour elective which is meantime offered once per year. A calendar showing the anticipated programme of electives can be accessed by clicking here.

Feedback suggests that trainees benefit most from doing their Core Modules first and their electives second. However, electives may be taken either before or after the Core Modules of the PCC. If students so desire, it is also possible to elect to take the core modules of the PCC at one institution and to take one or more elective modules elsewhere.

Summary of the contents of elective modules

Conveyancing (9-hour elective)

The elective concentrates on the practical aspects of taking a client through a residential conveyancing transaction. By means of role play and active engagement with realistic scenarios, participants are encouraged to see the practical consequences of legal advice. Communication skills with both clients and co-solicitors are taught.

Private Client (9-hour elective)

The elective deals with the difficult issues involved in the taking of instructions in relation to a will. Participants will be taught the importance of confidentiality and the means to obtain instructions in difficult family circumstances. The importance of communication and practical skills is stressed.

Civil Court Practice (18-hour elective)

Working with a real reparation case this elective enables trainees to gain or enhance skills in taking instructions for civil litigation (particularly for written pleadings), drafting pleadings, oral presentation of arguments for motion, debate or options hearing, techniques of eliciting evidence from witnesses (lay and expert) and the presentation of closing submissions

Costs

The cost of the core element of the Aberdeen PCC is presently £1000. Electives are priced individually, as follows:

• Conveyancing (9 hours): £225
• Private Client (9 hours) £225
• Civil Court Practice (18 hours): £450

Reduced prices are offered as follows:

• Core Course plus 18 hours' worth of electives: £1350

A non-refundable deposit of £100 is required to secure a place on the course. Please make cheques payable to 'University of Aberdeen'.

The Law Society of Scotland strongly encourages firms to meet the fees of their trainees on the PCC.

Contacts and booking

The Aberdeen PCC is directed by the law school's Administration Officer Sarah Duncan (email law433@abdn.ac.uk or telephone 01224 272440).

Queries about the content and structure of the course should be addressed to Sarah Duncan.

Administrative and booking or any other enquiries should be directed towards this email address.

Booking forms for the forthcoming cycles of the PCC can be downloaded from the following link:

• September 2011

Please return your completed booking form and your deposit cheque to: Ms Jackie Ewen, PCC Enquiries, School of Law, University of Aberdeen, Taylor Building, Aberdeen, AB24 3UB.