LLB Law

This module aims to broaden and expand your understanding of the common law system, legal reasoning, case analysis, the judicial hierarchy, handling precedents and statutory interpretation. After studying this module, you will comprehend the basic principles and debates underpinning the position of the courts in the UK constitution, appreciate how to read a case, and be able to pick out its material facts and ratio, as well as distinguish this from obiter dicta and develop an understanding of the different rules and approaches that courts use to interpret statutes. The module will also provide you with a grounding in legal ethics so as to instil a basic understanding of a lawyer's duties toward their clients and the court.

This module aims to provide you with a sound knowledge and understanding of the law of contract, focusing on the main principles, cases and statutory provisions relevant to contract law. This will act as a firm foundation for subsequent law modules as well as for postgraduate and professional study after the programme. The module also aims to develop your competence in the analysis and solution of legal problems, develop your legal research skills and recognise the relationship between the law of contract and other areas of English and European law. This is a core module and is a requirement of the professional bodies.

This module aims to examine general principles relating to the UK Constitution and the organisation and powers of the State. You will gain an awareness of the law and practice relating to the control of the Administration of the UK State and will consider the law relating to Human Rights and aspects of Civil Liberties in the UK. This is a core module and is a requirement of the professional bodies.

This module aims to enable you to acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of criminal law, including a detailed knowledge of the key principles, cases and statutory provisions relevant to criminal law. You will develop skills in the analysis and solution of legal problems and in researching case law and statute law in relation to criminal law, while recognising the relations between criminal law and other areas of law. This is a core module and is a requirement of the professional bodies.

This module aims to enable you to acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of criminal law, including a detailed knowledge of the key principles, cases and statutory provisions relevant to criminal law. You will develop skills in the analysis and solution of legal problems and in researching case law and statute law in relation to criminal law, while recognising the relations between criminal law and other areas of law. This is a core module and is a requirement of the professional bodies.

This module aims to provide a thorough understanding of the legal system of the European Union (EU) and of the rules and principles governing the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital within the EU’s internal market. You will apply knowledge of EU law to the analysis of legal issues and develop your skills of information retrieval from a range of sources.

The module includes the study of the history and development of the EU, the EU’s institutional framework, sources of EU law and law-making procedures, the main substantive principles underlying EU Law and the relationship between EU law and national law. An exhaustive overview of the jurisdiction of the EU courts will also be offered. This is a core module and is a requirement of professional bodies.

Please note that you must select EU Law as an optional module if you want to study the Barristers Training Course after graduating because EU Law is currently a requirement of the academic component of Bar training to become a barrister.

This module aims to provide an opportunity to become familiar with the dispute resolution role of the lawyer and to acquire the skills relevant to that role. It will provide an opportunity for you to engage with key techniques, strategies, theories, values and cultural issues relating to the negotiation process, and will provide an understanding of the place of Alternative Dispute Resolution within the legal system.

You will also have the opportunity to critically evaluate aspects of the theoretical basis for mediation as a means of dispute resolution and the place of mediation with the legal system. This module is limited to 16 students selected by the programme team.

This module will provide the knowledge and understanding of employment law and aims to deepens your appreciation of how legal principles encountered in other law modules can be applied to these areas. A critical appreciation of employment law will be encouraged and you will be enabled to place the subject in the context of both your working and non-working lives. Upon successful completion of this module, you will have an understanding of the role of law in regulating the employment relationship and stopping discrimination.

This module aims to explore human rights in an international, historical and comparative perspective. You will be introduced to the rationale for this body of law and to major themes in international human rights jurisprudence. Special attention will be paid to the European Convention of Human Rights and its impact in the United Kingdom, in particular issues arising from the incorporation of the European regime through the Human Rights Act.

In addition, the seminars and lectures will address specific human rights to provide you with in depth analysis of the application of human rights to factual scenarios. The course is designed to maximise your career potential, providing an insight into the extent to which universally protected values, articulated as legal claims impact domestic jurisdictions. The course also seeks to critically evaluate those values, their universal validity, and their implementation at regional level with the view of broadening your knowledge of law and to become sensitive to other values and normative regimes.

This module will provide the knowledge and understanding of employment law and aims to deepens your appreciation of how legal principles encountered in other law modules can be applied to these areas. A critical appreciation of employment law will be encouraged and you will be enabled to place the subject in the context of both your working and non-working lives. Upon successful completion of this module, you will have an understanding of the role of law in regulating the employment relationship and stopping discrimination.

This module aims to provide a critical understanding of the law in the context of dealings in land. The module will build upon your knowledge of legal principles by bringing these together with rules of land law. Your ability to evaluate issues, including ethical issues, and to solve land law problems at a high level of understanding is enhanced, together with your personal and professional development and employability skills. This is a core module and is a requirement of the professional bodies.

This module aims to build upon your knowledge of legal principles by bringing these together with rules of trust law and principles of equity, including the ethical principles which govern the role of a trustee as fiduciary and principles relevant to the quantification of damages and availability of assets for their recovery. You will develop your critical understanding of the law of trusts and equitable principles, and your ability to present and argue positions in relation to issues of equity and trust law. You will analyse practical problems accurately and debate issues at a high level of understanding. This is a core module and is a requirement of the professional bodies.

This module aims to provide you with a sound knowledge and understanding of the law governing companies and other business organisations in the United Kingdom. Comparisons are drawn between the laws underpinning the various business organisations/relationships and their different purposes are evaluated.

A framework of basic principles of company law is provided, with some detail of how these principles are worked out in practice. The module will further aim to perfect legal reasoning and logic, legal synthesis, analysis and problem-solving skills; to enhance research skills and the use of primary source material and to enable you to bring this together with previously learned legal principles.

This module aims to give you the knowledge and understanding on the principles of public international law. You will be extend your ability to evaluate and analyse legal issues in the international context, often dealing with topical concerns. This might include debates over the legality of the use of armed force, the protection of the environment, or the extent of individual responsibility for war crimes.

This module aims to provide you with the knowledge and understanding of the principles of Child and Family Law in order to enable you to extend your ability to evaluate and analyse the development of both the legal and policy framework regulating child and adult relationships.

The module will explore the tensions arising from the use of state intervention in the sphere of the family with regard to issues of privacy, autonomy and welfare. Having taken this module, you will have not only an appreciation of key areas of law and procedure affecting children and adults but also be sensitive to the complexities of the wider social issues raised. 

This module aims to examine the relationship between medical law and ethics and the role of the law in defining the doctor/patient relationship. You will explore consent to treatment, consent issues relating to incompetent adults as well as minors and medical treatment.

Clinical negligence will be explored as well as selected issues relating to beginning of life such as abortion, surrogacy and end of life issues such as euthanasia and assisted suicide. The module will also introduce mental health law and the law regulating medical research. The module will give an opportunity for an in-depth study of a selected area of medical law.

This module aims to engage you in an active investigation of the practical rules and abstract principles underlying the operation of the Law of Evidence in criminal and civil trials. The module will enable you to subject the law of criminal and civil evidence to critical examination and will thus contribute to the shaping of your own value system. It builds on your knowledge of the substantive law by placing it in the context of trial practice. A key purpose of the module is training in advanced level writing, argument, analysis and legal research.

This module aims to provide an opportunity to develop practical skills in legal drafting, advocacy and litigation. It includes a taught element with a concentration on the drafting of documents and written submissions. The majority of the course is devoted to guided student participation in moot court exercises and internal/external competition(s) which will involve as appropriate domestic, European, Human Rights or international law. You will be assessed on the basis of written and/or oral submissions and such other assessments. It is limited to 16 students selected by the programme team.

Placement learning aims to link academic work with the 'real world' situation in order to conceptualise the meaning of theory in the wider world context. You'll be encouraged to reflect upon your areas of knowledge and how they apply to the placement learning experience as well as developing personal knowledge through a review of your learning. The placement learning experience provides for two types of placement; standard placements and project-based placements. The placement experience gives you the opportunity to enhance your skills of self-expression, communication, self-reliance and co-operation, and embeds your transferable and graduate skills required for future career paths and employment.

Subject to Programme Leader’s consent and subject to the placement taking place in an appropriate professional environment.

This module aims to provide undergraduate law students with the skills necessary to undertake research into a specialised area of legal study selected by you, building on the skills of legal research introduced in the first two years of the programme.

*Your project must be relevant to your selected pathway title

This module aims to provide an overview of the international human rights law framework and assess its efficacy in dealing with violations. You will examine the regional and international systems, including the Inter-American, European, African and Asian human rights systems, and the United Nations treaty-based and Charter-based mechanisms. You will be encouraged to situate human rights law globally, to reflect on what themes ought to be prioritised by the United Nations, and to consider the best means of effectively implementing the range of international human rights law standards.

This module will examine the international legal framework for international trade provided by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its predecessor the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The importance of the WTO/GATT has dramatically increased since the 1940s, shaping the global trade regimes and regulatory governance.

Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Year 1 - weekly timetable

During your first year, your weekly timetable will typically consist of:

• 4 hours of lectures
• 4 hours of seminars
• 1 hour of supervised practical computer laboratory work
• 2 hours of practical workshops

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop the skills relevant to your degree from research and practical skills to critical thinking. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus, even over the weekend.

The first-year modules are assessed using a bespoke assessment tool which is referred to as SOBs (Student Observable Behaviours).

The second and third years use a variety of assessment methods to ensure that all learning outcomes are met. This includes the use of projects and coursework reports, blogs, videos, technical reports, presentations, simulation models and functioning prototypes. All modules are individually graded.

Assessment will also include problem-solving exercises, modelling and simulation tasks, seminar work (including presentations, formal reports of work undertaken or work-in-progress, dialogue) lab-based evaluation and project demonstration, blogs, videos, technical reports, simulation models and functioning prototypes, etc. – all of which are framed at progressively more complex systems-based content.

Your first year of study is assessed using a competency-based assessment system which measures Student Observable Behaviours (SOBs).

The key course concepts/topics are broken down into a collection of SOBs and could represent a sequence of exercises, tasks, challenges, mini-projects, or case studies. These are observed and assessed by a member of the academic staff.

Each SOB is marked as Pass/Fail. The SOBs are divided into three categories:

1. Threshold – all SOBs must be successfully demonstrated, and this is the minimum expected to be able to progress to Year 2.
2. Typical – SOBs you would expect to see in a student aiming to get 2:1
3. Excellent – these are competencies that would stretch the students

Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback or feedback from an external examiner.

Your learning will be assessed through a combination of coursework and exams. The exact balance will depend on the modules you are taking. This table is a good approximate guide.

This course moves away from the unseen exam component and towards the direction of practice-based learning. Typically, each module involves a variety of assessment techniques to take into account different learning styles.

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.

Work is divided into credits of approximately 10 hours of study time. You will need to complete 120 credits per year, which are broken down into modules of typically 30 credits.