UDLAWZZZ - BA Law

The BA Law degree is designed for students who wish to study Law, without restricting their choice of modules to those dictated by the requirements of a Qualifying Law degree. It is a popular course for those students who wish to study Law but do not intend to pursue a career as either a Solicitor or a Barrister.

The Teaching and Learning strategy of the BA Law degree is designed to: ensure that the subject content meets, and improves, on the benchmarks set out by the QAA; encourage the acquisition and understanding of knowledge by students, engendering an enthusiasm for the subject and life-skills learning, including the progression from surface learning to deep learning; facilitate students to develop independent skills and responsibilities for their own learning; incrementally strengthen the subject specific knowledge and skills gained by a students, in combination with the awareness and application of skills needed successfully thrive in the workplace.

This degree draws on the Faculty of Law, Governance and International Relations’ reputation for pedagogical innovation, as well as utilising traditional teaching methods. The latter includes a mixture of lectures, seminars, and workshops. Within this a combination of whole group, small group, and student-led and tutor-led teaching occurs. This can included face-to-face teaching and discussion, but there is also an increasing emphasis on the use of blended learning opportunities.

Specific teaching/learning strategies and methods which are used include:

• lectures – which introduce students to legal rules and concepts ; which introduce students to how legal rules operate in, have effect on, and are affected by, their context ; which introduce students to the social, political and ethical dimensions within which legal rules operate; which inform students of the latest developments in substantive law and procedure
• seminars/workshops – which enable students to gain a deeper understanding of key legal rules and concepts; gain a deeper understanding of how legal rules operate in, have effect on, and are affected by, their context ; become aware through discussion with tutor and other students of the social, political, economic and ethical dimensions within which legal rules operate ; gain a deeper understanding of the latest developments in substantive law and procedure
• use of module Weblearn – to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of issues and materials
• independent study in the library and at home using traditional hardcopy material such as statutes, law reports, law journals, textbooks, casebooks, law commission reports
• independent study in the library and at home using electronic sources such as legal databases and module Weblearn sites

Many modules already are paper free, with considerable learning materials and resources being placed on relevant module WebLearn sites, e.g. lecture notes, module handbooks, video links, recorded lectures, podcasts, first-hand documents, and blogs. Some teaching staff are already utilising electronic feedback, the electronic submission of formative assessments, and online office hours. A growing number of materials are also available online through the University library, including access to journals and ebooks. This is all designed to open up the learning space for students to enable them to have continuous access to degree materials, improving the student learning experience, whilst increasing cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

• To provide a flexible education in law which will enable students to enter a wide range of careers where legal knowledge is useful, apart from the legal profession itself. The BA Law is designed as a non-qualifying law degree in order to allow students to concentrate on those areas of the subject of most interest to them.
• To provide a wide choice of optional modules so that students can pursue their own interests. It is possible to specialise solely in law, or to combine the study of law with modules in other disciplines, for example, a foreign language, business, or politics.
• To enable students to acquire the legal and transferable skills set out in the QAA Benchmark Statement for Law.
• To enable students to attain the London Metropolitan University graduate attributes of self-awareness, performance in a variety of idioms and contexts and ethical and creative considerations.
• To enhance the employability of students who do not necessarily intend to practise as a barrister or solicitor but wish to enter other employment where detailed knowledge of and transferable skills obtained through the study of Law is useful.

By the end of the course, the student is expected to:

1. acquire knowledge and understanding of legal rules and concepts ;
2. acquire an understanding of how legal rules operate in, have effect on, and are affected by, their context ;
3. be aware of the social, political, economic and ethical dimensions within which legal rules operate ;
4. be aware of recent developments in substantive law and legal procedure .
5. analyse legal issues ;
6. develop the skill of synthesis in reading and categorising a variety of legal materials ;
7. develop the critical skills to evaluate legal materials ;
8. engage in problem solving by applying relevant legal rules ;
9. study and learn independently .

The student will also be expected to develop a the following transferable skills in the course :

10. written communication skills ;
11. oral communication skills ;
12. IT skills;
13. teamwork skills ;
14. numeracy skills;
15. problem-solving skills .

The course enables the student to develop the following practical skills:

16. the ability to use IT to access legal materials from legal databases;
17. the ability to do research to find solutions to legal problems ;
18. the ability to present oral arguments to solve legal problems ;
19. the ability to present written arguments to solve legal problems .

- acquire knowledge and understanding of legal rules and concepts:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL5002;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL603;LL6004;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL651;LL6P51;

- acquire an understanding of how legal rules operate in, have effect on, and are affected by, their context:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL5002;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL603;LL6004;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL651;LL6P51;

- be aware of the social, political, economic and ethical dimensions within which legal rules operate:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL5002;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL6004;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;LL6P51;

- be aware of recent developments in substantive law and legal procedure:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL5002;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL6004;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL51;LL6P51;

- Analyse legal issues:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;LL6P51;

- Develop the skill of synthesis in reading and categorising a variety of legal materials:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;LL6P51;

- Develop the critical skills to evaluate legal materials:

LL5001;LL5002;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL505
1;LL6003;LL6004;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL60
09;LL6010;LL6050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6
W51;LL6P51;

- Engage in problem solving by applying relevant rules:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6051.

- Study and learn independently:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;LL6P51;

- Written communication skills:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500

2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;LL6P51;

- Oral communication skills:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;

- IT skills:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500

2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;LL6P51;

- Teamwork skills:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;

- Numeracy skills:

LL4001, LL6006; LL6010

- Problem-solving skills:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6W51;

- The ability to use IT to access legal materials
from legal databases:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6P51;

- The ability to do research to find solutions to
legal problems:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6P51;

- The ability to present oral arguments to solve
legal problems:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;

- The ability to present written arguments to solve legal problems:

LL4001;LL4002;LL4003;LL4004;LL5001;LL500
2;LL5006;LL5007;LL5050;LL5051;LL6003;LL60
04;LL6005;LL6006;LL6008;LL6009;LL6010;LL6
050;LL6051;LL6052;LL6054;LL6P51;

LAW

The range of assessment methods to be employed on this course reflects the range of skills required by the discipline of law and the standards expected. They will include examinations (unseen, part-seen and wholly seen), essays and problem question coursework, oral presentations, advocacy and interviewing, independent research papers, on-line diagnostic and SAT tests, multiple-choice tests, projects, research exercises, oral assessments, group presentations and assessed seminar participation.

An assessment strategy has been designed to ensure a reasonable spread of contributory summative assessment.

In line with our policy on facilitating formative feedback to students, the assessment strategy is designed to provide formative feedback on a piece of contributing summary assessment before another summative component is due to be submitted.

Module assessment is varied and generally does not comprise 100% exam/in-class tests unless required by professional bodies.

Students are encouraged to work in teams as this enables students to learn from each other and develop important team work skills.

As part of our Undergraduate Student Promise, every student will undertake accredited work-related learning (in either the form of a work placement or ‘live’ project with a partner organisation or planning to set up small business) as a core, compulsory element within their course programme.

You will have the option of taking the “Work Placement for Professional Experience” or “Create a Winning Business” 15 credit module in the second or third year of your course programme. Work-related learning provides students with:

• the experience of a competitive recruitment process or pitching for an opportunity
• a work-related experience or project which impacts a real organisation
• assessment and feedback on their reflections on their experience of the work-related learning and planning for their future career.

Where required, students will be supported in finding suitable opportunities which can be either be a placement, part-time role or ’live’ project for an external organisation untaken within the University. We have dedicated placements and careers teams who will assist learners with all aspects of their job search and application. The suitability of the opportunities will be assessed by the Module Leader on an individual basis. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for opportunities and engage with the relevant University personnel who to assist them in gaining a suitable role.

Learners may be able to utilise their existing part-time / vacation employment (whether or not this relates to their subject area), providing they can demonstrate that it is personally developmental and involves responsibility (decided upon submission of the role details by the Module Leader).

Certificate in Higher Education – all Level 4 core modules

Diploma in Higher Education – all Level 4 core modules

Degree without Honours – all Level 4 core modules plus at least 60 credits from Level 6 modules

Degree with Honours – all Level 4 core modules plus the level 6 core module [either the Law project or the Law work placement]

This is not a qualifying law degree for professional legal training. We offer LLB (Business Law) or LLB (with International Relations) which are qualifying law degrees.

This degree is recognised worldwide as a quality qualification for entry into a number of non-law professions such as politics, business, work within the law commission, work in the voluntary sector, trademark or patent agent roles, insurance, banking, civil service, local authorities, journalism and media.

The course is not designed to comply with the requirements of the Joint Academic Stage Board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board for the completion of the Academic Stage of training for the legal profession.

You can also consider alternative careers involving law which do not require approval of JASB, such as paralegal, patent lawyers or licensed conveyancers. Students who wish to be considered for Year 2 of the LLB programme may apply to the course leader at the end of Year 1. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and are at the discretion of the course leader.

Our director of Clinical Legal Education delivers employability lectures and workshops to new students at the start of each academic year and further lectures take place during activity weeks. The topics covered in the lectures include personal development, selecting career paths (law/non-law related), acquiring work experience and commercial awareness, employability, writing CVs and covering letters, and interview questions and tips.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• a minimum of grades CCC in three A levels (or a minimum of 96 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma)
  English Language and Mathematics GCSE at grade C (grade 4 from 2017) or above (or equivalent)

All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.