Even as training contract opportunities diminish, the ranks of wannabe lawyers continue to swell. Research from Sweet & Maxwell found that there had been a 150% increase in the number of applications per training contract vacancy this year. The competition to secure students on courses is being fought hard by course providers.

BPP Law School has signed an exclusive LPC deal with Reed Smith. The school will be the sole provider of the course to all of the firm’s future trainees. The students will have a number of options when it comes to choosing where to study from one of BPP’s branches in London, Leeds or Manchester.

Meanwhile the College of Law has announced surprise plans to launch a new £1.2m centre in Bristol in 2010 to serve the whole of the South West region. The expansion plans come hot on the heels of the opening of the College of Law’s new Manchester branch.

Whilst the outlook for both establishments appears pretty positive, it hasn’t been all plain sailing…

Students at BPP Law School recently complained after the start of an exam was delayed. The students on the LPC course in London had assembled at the Emirates Stadium to sit their Solicitor Accounts paper. At 2pm they were told that due to an "administrative error " they were 80 papers short, and that the exam would be delayed as a result. They finally got started two and half hours later!

And the the College of Law had to make an apology to students after confusion erupted during the couse of an LPC exam. After an initial 1hour delay caused by a power cut, students were given the wrong materials and were then told that it was up to them whether or not to rely on those materials. Mixed instructions were then given over the question of extra time.

One exam those students won’t forget.