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The University of Glamorgan has a growing reputation for excellence and was known a while ago affectionately as 'the friendly university'. The Law School has a very good reputation and is definitely growing, with active steps being taken to promote the qualifications offered.

As we write this, the Law School is moving from the Glyntaff Campus onto the main Treforest Campus, so the facilities starting in October 2008 will be newly purpose built. The LPC (or PgD Legal Practice) is delivered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

As stated, the existing facilities are being transferred onto the main campus, meaning that many of the main facilities are more accessible to the Law students than they were previously (with a 15 minute walk to get from one campus to the other).

The main campus is large and spread on a hillside. It is beautiful but perhaps not ideal for anyone with mobility problems. That said, there is a very good disability and dyslexia department with a team of dedicated staff who do everything they can to make life easier for the students.

There are computer labs which are constantly updated and specific facilities for students with special learning needs. In addition, there is wi-fi access in the library and this is being extended to other areas on campus.

The Law Library is well equipped with subscriptions to journals, on-line resources and inter-library loans, etc. The Head Law Librarian is very approachable and happy to order in additional publications if needed.

As always, shelf stock seems to disappear at times of coursework and exams, but we are advised that there will soon be the facility of e-books for core texts. This should not only ease the problem but will save students having to buy there own text books if they don’t wish to do this.

The teaching staff are excellent, many of whom specialise and practice in their chosen areas. M Your average week will consist of 18 hours on the full-time course or 8-9 hours on the part-time version. Your time will be spread between various practice-based workshops and lectures, replicating real-life legal scenarios and completing practical exercises.

The school also gives LPC students the opportunity to participate in a work placement scheme between February and May of their LPC year. Assessments for this elective are conducted via oral tests and written examinations. I nice little addition we think!

The University of Glamorgan is based in the South Wales Valleys near Pontypridd and is approximately 20 minutes away from Cardiff City Centre, giving you the best of both worlds. There is beautiful surrounding scenery with local facilities such as pubs, bars, restaurants and loads of takeaways.

If you’re looking for a particularly big night out, Cardiff is very close indeed. Cardiff is currently undergoing major refurbishment to its already superb shopping centres and the St Davids Centre (Phase Two) is due to be opening in 2009, making it one of the largest shopping malls in Europe. There are literally more clubs than you can imagine, with new premises opening all the time.

The course fees for the Glamorgan LPC are £7,800 for EU students and £9,200 for international students. As for other costs, the Student Law Society has currently been around £5 per year to join. This includes discount vouchers, cheaper tickets for the annual Law Ball, usually held in Cardiff, and entry to the internal mooting competition.

Traditionally, the Law Society reimburse expenses incurred for participating in external mooting competitions. The existing facilities at Glyntaff have included a dedicated mooting room with a dock and a bench, complete with integrated filming and recording facilities and ample seating for observers.

The Law Society arranges an annual Law Ball and trips to Court, etc. In the past couple of years, speakers have included Dr Kim Howells (local MP and Foreign Office Minister), Nick Bourne (leader of the Welsh Conservative Party) and local barristers.
There is also a thriving Debating Society which runs on main campus, and who regularly take part in national competitions.

The Students Union have several bars and a club and organise several events weekly. Additionally there are superb sports facilities and many clubs to join, many of which offer students employment while they study, with very good rates of pay.

The university has a very good Student Services department which assists with financial affairs, learning support and careers advice. There is a dedicated Careers Officer for the Law School. They can assist with work experience and mock interviews, CV drafting etc.

In addition to this, the Student Law Society has tended to be run by elected students who are actively seeking to practice law, so they tend to be well informed as to the many deadlines for scholarship applications, OLPAS, LPC/BVC courses, etc.