The Professional Skills Course
The Law Society requires all trainees to attend the Professional Skills Course, a total of 72 hours of training, which must be completed during the training contract. There are three compulsory modules:
- Financial and business skills;
- Advocacy and communication skills; and
- Client care and professional standards.
The first two modules are taken as part of the 2½ week induction course which our trainees receive on joining the firm. The client care module is usually taken in the spring of the first year of the training contract.
The remaining 24 hours of elective topics are taken during the remaining months of the training contract. These topics seek to raise the trainee's basic awareness of business development and client orientated skills rather than to develop legal knowledge.