As one of the largest and most innovative Law Schools in the country, we are currently ranked first for Law amongst new Universities in London and the South-East of England (The Complete University Guide, The Independent 2010). We have around 60 academic members of staff and over 200 postgraduate law students. The School of Law has consistently maintained excellent professional relationships with local and national legal practices and our students are regularly invited to events organised by the Hertfordshire Law Society and West London Law Society. These links will inevitably be strengthened with the School's relocation to the modern £120m de Havilland Campus in 2011. A new £10m Law School is being built and this move will allow students to work in state of the art facilities, including a modern courtroom with public gallery, a bespoke Law Clinic and Mediation Centre.
LLM The School of Law offers LLM programmes that focus on rapidly developing areas of law. Current available named pathways include:
LLM in International Law LLM in Commercial Law LLM in E-Commerce Law LLM in Maritime Law LLM in Telecommunications Law
Joint pathways are also available as is a general LLM in Law.
Further module options include: Banking Law, International Financial Services, M-Commerce, Data Protection and Cyber-Security, Public International Law, Cyber Piracy and Virtual Property, Intellectual Property, Company Law, International Commercial Law and Conflicts of Law.
New Internship Module Furthermore, instead of the traditional dissertation, there is also the option during the summer months (subject to a standard application procedure) to apply for an Internship. The internship consists of a work placement in a local law-based firm and assessment based on assignments stemming from the placement. This pioneering module offers a practical and relevant learning experience and seeks to provide a bridge between the lecture theatre and employment. For students who do not secure a place on the internship programme we offer two Work Experience modules. These allow students to build a thorough understanding of, and practical insight into, the process and procedures which operate within the different sectors of the English legal system.
Legal Practice Course (LPC) This full time (one year) course gives you a professional qualification if you are looking to become a solicitor. The mode of teaching is a combination of face-to-face classes and distance learning, which allows you considerable flexibility in managing you studies.
Stage One covers all the core modules you are required to study to obtain your LPC. This means you will study: Business Law and Practice, Business Accounts, Criminal and Civil Litigation, Property Law and Practice, Wills and Administration of Estates and Solicitors Accounts
Stage 2 is the elective stage and allows you to diversify and tailor-make your degree by choosing three electives from a wide range of eleven choices. These electives respond to the demands of corporate and commercial law firms, private client relationships and also branches out to consider alternative methods of dispute resolution. We offer electives in Commercial Law, Securities and Insolvency, Employment Law, Commercial Property, Family Law, Personal Injury, Private Client, Advanced Litigation, Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Mediation. Once you have completed your LPC, there is the opportunity to obtain a full LLM in Legal Practice through our LLM Internship module and, depending on the electives you selected during your LPC, obtain a specialism in corporate finance, commercial law, personal injury or dispute resolution.
Graduate Diploma in Law (CPE) The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL or CPE) conversion course enables you to cover the first academic stage of legal training. It covers the ’foundation subjects’ required by Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board. On completing the course, you are eligible to progress to our Legal Practice Course, and gain a professional qualification if you want to work as a solicitor.
The GDL programme commences with a short introductory course on the English Legal System. You will then proceed to study the seven compulsory subjects of the GDL which include: Criminal Law, Public Law, Law of Contract, Law of Tort, Land Law, European Law, Equity and Trusts and also complete an independent legal study module.
We offer Campus Based delivery of the GDL as a year long full-time programme, or as a flexible two year part time programme. In addition, it is possible to study full-time and part-time via an innovative Distance Learning mode of delivery.
Where are we? Our School of Law is based in the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, just a 20 minute train journey from London. The School has recently relocated to the modern £120m de Havilland Campus. A new £10m Law School has been built and this move will allow students to work in state of the art facilities, including a modern courtroom with public gallery, a bespoke Law Clinic and Mediation Centre. The Mediation Centre will become the centre of training for mediators in the region and will be an invaluable resource for both undergraduate students and also our students on our new full-time Legal Practice Course. Student wills also be able to take full advantage of a 24-hour Learning Resources Centre and unrivalled Sports Village.
There is a dynamic regional legal community with which our links are very strong, giving all our students the opportunity to gain valuable legal work experience. As a student you will be encouraged to gain as much experience of the vocational side of law as possible.
Student legal life at the Law School Our law students get involved in every aspect of student legal life – the School’s Law Clinic provides pro bono legal advice to the public by our trained law student advisors, we have our own courtroom where students refine their mooting skills, and compete both internally and also, very successfully, externally in national mooting competitions. During the 2007/8 campaign the School won the Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition (the oldest and largest of its kind in the country) defeating teams from the BPP, Oxford Brookes, Birkbeck, Glasgow University and London School of Economics before reaching the final against City, which was held in the President’s Court of the Royal Courts of Justice, with Lord Steyn as the lead Judge. The winning students won the prestigious Silver Mace, £1000 and a mini-pupillage.
By virtue of winning this competition we represented the United Kingdom in the Commonwealth Mooting Competition held in Hong Kong in 2009. Our consistency and strength in depth of our Mooting Team was demonstrated by also reaching the final of the OUP/BPP National Competition in July of the same year, and reaching the Semi-finals of the Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition again in 2010.
There is an active debating society and we hold a vibrant Public Lecture Series, which welcomes eminent speakers to give guest lectures on the law and surrounding contemporary issues. These lectures are free of charge and open to all members of the public. The Student Law Society also organise a wide range of social events and parties.
Our “Streetlaw” projects allow students to deliver interactive presentations or workshops to community groups on a wide range of legal issues, helping them to be more aware of their rights. The students have recently been working with local secondary schools looking at issues as diverse as citizenship, youth justice and consumer rights.
To obtain an application form, please contact our admissions service at:
If you are looking to apply for the full-time Legal Practice Course or the full-time campus-based Graduate Diploma in Law you will need to apply to the Central Application Board (Lawcabs).
As one of the largest and most innovative Law Schools in the country, we are currently ranked first for Law amongst new Universities in London and the South-East of England (The Complete University Guide, The Independent 2010). We have around 60 academic members of staff and over 200 postgraduate law students.