School of Law. Postgraduate Degrees LLM Senior Status

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1 School of Law Postgraduate Degrees LLM Senior Status

2 02 LLM Senior status LLM Senior Status 03 Contents Contact us The School of Law at Leeds 3 The School of Law at Leeds The City of Leeds 4 LLM Senior Status Qualifying Law Degree Our Taught Postgraduate Programmes Entry Requirements Course Content 5 Career Opportunities 6 Fees and Funding How to Apply 8 Visit Us We hope that this prospectus provides you with the information you need but if you have any further queries please contact the School directly. Postgraduate Admissions School of Law 1.06b, 20 Lyddon Terrace Leeds LS2 9JT UK Telephone: (international ) Fax: (international ) lawpgadm@leeds.ac.uk We re delighted that you re considering studying a postgraduate degree here in the School of Law. The Senior Status LLM offers a sound and prestigious grounding in legal knowledge and skills to graduates in other disciplines who wish to convert to law. The School of Law attracts postgraduate students from around the world and has a thriving postgraduate community, with around 150 taught postgraduate students and 40 research students. The is one of the largest research-based universities in the UK and is committed to providing a high quality experience for postgraduate students. The University is part of the Russell Group of twenty leading research intensive universities in the UK and is already well on the way to achieving its vision of being one of the top 50 universities in the world by The world-class reputation of the School is reflected in our 5a grade in the latest research assessment exercise, and the School has been delivering top class research and teaching since it was founded in The Law School and the University as a whole offer excellent facilities, especially library and computer support, and we provide comprehensive careers advice. The School is moving to a new 12m purpose-built location on the Leeds campus in Our setting is the exciting city of Leeds, which offers many opportunities for career development and entertainment, as well as being, according to the recently published RBS Student Living Index, the most cost-effective place in the UK for study. The City of Leeds Only a short walk from the bustling shops, boutiques, art-galleries, cinemas, bars, restaurants and cafes of the city centre, the University campus is a vibrant place in which to live and study. Leeds is the fastest growing city in the UK. With its continued prosperity in law, finance, business and media, the city offers great employment potential. This is complemented by an exciting mix of culture, commerce and style, making Leeds the primary social hub of the North. Rich in history with a growing economy and cosmopolitan atmosphere, Leeds remains an affordable student-friendly city and the centre of a region of great cultural diversity. Leeds is a 24 hour city that is famous for the diversity and popularity of its nightlife. The city prides itself on the vitality of its independent bar scene, whilst its nightclubs offer a sophisticated and relaxed clubbing experience with a wide range of music and ambiences to suit all tastes. It is home to a wide variety of theatre, music, film and music venues including the legendary University Refectory. The annual Leeds Film Festival is also one of the leading cinema events in the country.

3 04 LLM Senior Status LLM Senior Status 05 LLM Senior Status Qualifying Law Degree LLM Senior Status Qualifying Law Degree This postgraduate degree offers a sound and prestigious grounding in legal knowledge and skill to graduates in other disciplines who wish to convert to law. This degree has been designed for applicants wanting to qualify as professional lawyers. The programme is recognised in England and Wales by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and by the Bar Council as a qualifying degree. This means it covers all necessary core subjects for this purpose. It should be pointed out that professional requirements in Scotland and non-uk jurisdictions are different, and the applicant should make independent enquiries of professional bodies in their home country where relevant. The School of Law has entered into an arrangement with the College of Law to provide places on the Legal Practice Course (the professional training course for solicitors) for any of our graduates who obtain a lower second class degree or better. For the LLM students who are graded on a different scale, a pass satisfies this requirement. Entry requirements A good Upper Second class Bachelor (honours) degree is required, or non-uk equivalent. Course Content As the Senior Status LLM programme is designed for non-law graduates who would like to convert to a qualifying law degree, it covers all the necessary core Law subjects: Constitutional Law Contract English Legal System European Law Torts Criminal Law Equity and Trusts Land Law In the second year students may choose one elective module. There is also a compulsory Dissertation which accounts for one-sixth of the degree grading, and students are expected to work on their Dissertation over the summer vacation. Comments from LLM graduates I ve found the course very exciting and very challenging as well. The course is not easy but it s very rewarding there are wonderful staff who are very supportive. What can I say about Leeds wow! It s a very vibrant, international city. Selma Shimutwikeni from Namibia Career Opportunities The senior status LLM is designed to meet the needs of those looking to pursue careers as professional lawyers, either as barristers or solicitors. The LLM programme has received recognition from the Law Society and Bar Council as a Qualifying Degree, so that successful graduates may continue directly to the second stage of professional qualification (the Legal Practice Course or Bar Vocational Course), and thereafter to solicitor traineeship or bar pupillage. The School of Law has an arrangement with the College of Law to provide places on the Legal Practice Course for any of our LLM graduates who obtain a Pass grade. I really enjoyed my time at Leeds. I found the tutors to be approachable and keen to forward our personal development as future lawyers. I especially appreciated the close tutor/pastoral care offered to me. I felt supported every step of the way. Former LLM student who is now taking a Masters by Research, having achieved a Commendation for the Law Practice Course at the College of Law. Future plans include a traineeship with a prestigious London firm and possible PhD. Many EU and international students have successfully completed the LLM programme and have gone on to practise in non-uk jurisdictions, although applicants should make independent enquiries of professional bodies in their home countries where relevant, where requirements for professional qualification may be different. Past LLM students have obtained traineeships with prominent international solicitors firms, have secured prestigious Bar scholarships, and have gone on to extremely successful legal careers. Some have continued with academic careers, via Masters by Research qualifications and Doctorates. The LLM qualification also opens doors to a range of other careers such as diplomacy, international development, management, and commerce. Language requirements Applicants need to gain a TOEFL score (paperbased test) of at least 600 with 4.0 on the Test of Written English (TWE); or (computer based test) of at least 250 with 4.0 on essay writing; or (internet based test) of at least 100 with at least 22 in listening, 24 in reading, 24 in speaking and 25 in writing; or a minimum IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 in reading and listening, and at least 6.0 in writing and speaking. Teaching methods Modules are taught by lectures and by Masters level seminars. There are two 11-week semesters in each academic year, and in addition the summer between the first and second years is intended for Dissertation preparation. Hard work but worth it! I chose the Leeds course because it was a Masters course and not a postgraduate Diploma, and particularly appreciated the opportunity to do a long Dissertation. Former LLM student who secured a scholarship for the Bar Vocational Course, and is now undertaking pupillage in leading London barristers chambers. Assessment This is based to a great extent on coursework; a mark of at least 50 must be attained in each subject in order to obtain a Pass. The emphasis on research skills, developed through Masters level seminars, coursework and the dissertation, is valued highly by employers. For more information on the LLM, including module details, please see our website at:

4 06 LLM Senior Status LLM Senior Status 07 Fees and funding Course fees The fees listed here are for courses starting in For up-to-date information on course fees please see our website at: Home/EU students Full-time - 3,300 Part-time - 1,650 International students New students - 9,700 Returning students* - 9,200 *See loyalty scholarships below for more detail The fees for international students are higher than for a UK/EU student because the UK government subsidises the fees for EU students. The academic fee charged by the University covers normal tuition and examination costs as well as membership of the Students Union. Fees must be paid in full before you can register unless you are to be a self-supporting student, in which case you may apply to pay your fees in two instalments. Scholarships / Loyalty Scholarships (all students) Scholarships are at a rate of 10% (for each year of full-time study) towards the cost of any fees not covered by another scholarship to everyone who has already successfully graduated from the School of Law. You do not formally apply for this scholarship as we pay the money directly to the Fees office at registration. NB: the Loyalty Scholarship cannot be held at the same time as any other Scholarship offered by the School of Law. Modern Law Review Scholarships The Modern Law Review has decided to make available up to 25,000 in financial support for research students engaged on doctoral research on any subject broadly within the publishing interests of the Review. The amount of any award to be made will be at the discretion of the Review, though it is not envisaged that an award will normally exceed 5,000. Awards will be made annually, though provision may be made for renewal. Nominations for a scholarship must be submitted to the Secretary of the Review no later than 1st May. Guidelines on the submission of nominations for awards are available from: How to apply Informal inquiries from applicants are particularly welcome. Please contact the Postgraduate Office in the first instance at: lawpgadm@leeds.ac.uk Postgraduate Office, School of Law, 20 Lyddon Terrace,, Leeds, LS2 9JT Tel: 44 (0) Fax: 44 (0) You can now apply online at: Supporting documents may be sent by electronic means such as fax or scanned and attached to an for initial consideration. Country specific scholarships Students from the following countries will receive a scholarship of 1,500 towards their study. These are available at postgraduate taught and postgraduate research levels. India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Malaysia, Singapore Scholarships The also offers a variety of scholarships for postgraduate students - please consult the scholarships website: Image: Our 2007 student cohort outside the entrance to the School of Law

5 08 LLM Senior Status Visit Us There are two Faculty Graduate School Open Days held each year which give you an opportunity to speak to staff from the School of Law as well as current students within the Faculty and also to look around the campus. For full details see the Graduate School website at: International students who may be unable to visit may like to speak to one of the many University representatives around the world who can provide invaluable help and guidance. For a full list of our agents and their locations please see our International Office website at: Contact us We hope that this prospectus provides you with the information you need but if you have any further queries please contact the School directly. Postgraduate Admissions, School of Law 1.06b, 20 Lyddon Terrace, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK Tel 44 (0) Fax 44 (0) lawpgadm@leeds.ac.uk Whilst the University endeavours to ensure that the information contained in this brochure is accurate at the date of publication it does not accept liability for any inaccuracies. The University reserves the right to change or cancel its courses or services at any time without liability even after students have registered at the University. The University s contract with its students does not confer third party benefits for the purpose of Contracts (Right of Third Parties) Act Admissions Office School of Law Leeds LS2 9JT t +44 (0) f +44 (0) w