Program Overview

The LLB Law with foundation year course will introduce you to studying at University. You will develop your academic and study skills alongside studying modules that introduce you to the disciplines offered by courses across the faculty. The foundation year will therefore prepare you for successful study at levels 4-6. The course has been designed with a focus on student employability, whether that career is in legal practice or elsewhere. A survey of current students identified that 93% of students considered employability skills to be very important. Discussions with employers showed that they also highly value employability skills in graduates. Employability skills are also highlighted as important in the current Subject Benchmark Statement for Law. Employability and legal skills will be studied throughout the course and will be integrated into the modules at all levels. The delivery of modules across all levels will develop learning and employability skills through spiral learning and linking so that you transition from being dependant to interdependent learners and finally leaving the University as an independent individual ready for your chosen career. The key preparation will be done at Level 4 in a bespoke core module which will be followed by a second core legal skills and employability module at Level 5. At Level 6 the project module will include reflection and professional planning. Throughout the course you will reflect on your progress and build on acquired legal and employability skills, evidencing this by the award of digital badges that will act as a record of achievement. Badges may be awarded for the completion of tasks and/or for completion of a self-directed series of activities. Once the tasks have been competed you will be awarded a digital badge that can be shared on portfolio websites such as LinkedIn. You will also be able to share the badges with prospective employers by adding them to a C.V. or job application. This incremental approach to the acquisition of legal knowledge and relevant skills will meet the expectation on the Subject Benchmark Statement for Law (2023) that, ‘each level would
see the progressive attainment of knowledge, skills, expertise and experience that build towards the final achievement of meeting the threshold level subject skills listed’ in the Benchmark Statement. The course includes modules covering the seven foundations of legal knowledge required by the Bar Standards Board for progressing to the vocational stage of training to become a barrister. Some of these modules are core but others are optional allowing students who intend to progress into other careers, including qualification as a solicitor, to choose from a wider range of modules. Pastoral support for students is an area of pride for the School; there is a supportive culture with a team of academic and student support staff to provide excellent pastoral care together with a welcoming academic environment. Our teaching is research-led, ensuring that your learning is focussed on the latest debates in policy and practice in the varied subject areas. Some staff have written textbooks which are used across the sector and many staff publish regularly in peer reviewed journals. You can participate in the Law School’s Legal Advice Centre as well as participate in other volunteering legal work such as the Legal Companions Project and the welfare benefits representation project run in conjunction with the City Council. The Law School has a dedicated mock court room which will be utilised by students when undertaking mock trials.