Birmingham City University : Law with American Legal Studies - LLB (Hons)

Summary

• Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences

• School
• School of Law

• Campus
• City North

• Tariff
• 280

• Duration
• Full Time: 3 years
  Part Time: 5 years

• Fees
• 2012/13 Full Time: £8,200 per year
  2012/13 Part Time: £1,025 per 15-credit module
  2012/13 (International): £9,900 per year

Key Facts

• Respected, recognised and offering a practical, real-world application of the law.
• All LLB (Hons) programmes are accredited by the Joint Academic Stage Board, which represents the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board of England and Wales.
• All LLB (Hons) programmes have a common first year where you study four of the compulsory modules for a qualifying law degree, before choosing a specific area of the law in your second year. Specialist routes include:
  • Law with American Legal Studies
  • Law with Business Law
  • Law with Criminology
• Strong professional links with Birmingham Law Society (the UK’s largest Law Society outside London), and the four Inns of Court, especially Lincoln’s Inn and Inner Temple.
• Strategic partnerships with respected firms such as Challinors and Squire Sanders and Dempsey ensure our courses are professionally relevant for today’s legal practice.
• Learn alongside an outstanding team of professional staff with extensive practice experience – an open door policy gives you the expert support you need.
• Unistats (2011) figures show that 88% of course graduates are employed or undertaking further study.

Why Choose Us?

• Close individual attention and ample opportunity for your input.
• In addition to face-to-face teaching, a range of e-learning resources to support your learning, including a Virtual Solicitors’ Office putting the professional legal world at your fingertips.
• Two mock law courts let you taste the atmosphere of legal cut and thrust.
• Thriving Mooting Society who:
  • Organise a range of internal mooting and social activities throughout the academic year.
  • Enter mooting teams in a variety of prestigious national mooting competitions including the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting, Oxford University Press, English Speaking Union and the Inner Temple Inter-Varsity Competition.
  • Have reached five finals of national mooting competitions in the past eight years.
  • Have beaten eight of the elite Russell Group of universities in the past eight years.
  • Are sponsored by LexisNexis Butterworths for the School of Law Internal Mooting Competition.
• The School’s Centre for American Legal Studies operates the UK’s largest student internship programme to the USA – and has placed over 500 students in Federal and State Public Defender offices, private attorney offices, American University Law Schools, and law projects.
• School regularly welcomes visiting speakers from the profession; eminent guests have included Michael Edwards, a US attorney well known for his pioneering work in legal reform.
• An opportunity to study for a year at our partner college in Singapore – it is the first LLB in Singapore to be accredited by the Joint Academic Stage Board, which represents the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board of England and Wales.

Course Outline

Our LLB is renowned both nationally and internationally for its originality and innovative quality. In addition to the traditional face-to-face lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops, our LLB incorporates a range of exciting eLearning activities to enhance your overall learning experience. Academically rigorous, our LLB will expose you to a practical real-world application of the law. We will develop your problem solving, research and personal skills, equipping you with the academic knowledge and key transferrable skills which are in demand by employers.

Our innovative approach to legal education is demonstrated by our very successful American/UK legal placement schemes and our active Student Mooting Society.

Combining the academic with the practical, you will participate in an internship in the USA as part of our unique American Legal Practice module.

We have active student-led Legal and Mooting Societies. Our Student Mooting Society is one of the most successful in England. Our students successfully enter mooting teams in a variety of prestigious national mooting competitions including the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting, Oxford University Press, English Speaking Union and the Inner Temple Inter-Varsity Competition.  In the past 8 years, they have reached 5 finals of national mooting competitions in the past 8 year and have beaten 8 of the elite Russell Group of universities. They organise a range of internal mooting and social activities throughout the academic year including the School of Law Internal Mooting Competition which is sponsored by LexisNexis Butterworths.

Our first-class facilities include two mock courtrooms and a comprehensive law library (with many resources accessible online).

Our LLB is taught by an outstanding team of professional staff with extensive practice experience and a friendly, open door policy giving you all the support you need. We place our students at the centre of everything we do.

Professional Body Recognition

Our LLB is accredited by the Joint Academic Stage Board, which represents the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board of England and Wales. It is a Qualifying Law Degree, satisfying the academic stage of training if you are seeking to qualify as a solicitor or barrister of England and Wales.

It is also recognised by the Bar Council of India. However, Bar Council of India recognition stipulates that the three-year LLB can only be taken by graduates e.g. BA, BSc, BCom, BBA (any subject). Non-graduate entrants, who seek Bar Council of India recognition, will need to take our unique four-year LLB.

Many overseas legal professional bodies recognise our LLB, particularly in Commonwealth countries. If you intend to practise overseas, you should contact the local Law Society or Bar Council. The majority will require you to undertake additional training after graduating from our LLB before being authorised to practise law.

Your Career

Career Prospects

A degree in law not only prepares you for a career in law, but equips you with a range of transferable skills that will enable you to enter a number of professions. Many of our graduates go on to become solicitors or barristers, while others pursue other law related careers both in private or public sector organisations. Others use the skills they have developed to go into areas such as journalism, insurance and accountancy.

Qualifying as a Solicitor or Barrister of England and Wales

If you wish to qualify as a solicitor, after completing the LLB you will need to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Once you have completed the LPC, you must complete a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors. You will be qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales upon completion of the two-year training contract.

If you wish to qualify as a barrister, after completing the LLB you will need to complete the Bar Professional Training Course (prior to September 2010 this was known as the Bar Vocational Course). You are “called to the Bar” once you complete the Bar Professional Training Course and are then entitled, without further training, to use the title Barrister of England and Wales. However, if you wish to practise in England and Wales you must also complete a one-year pupillage with a barristers’ chamber.

Solicitors provide clients with legal advice often during times of extreme stress such as arrest, divorce, moving house or bereavement. They also represent clients in corporate or commercial transactions. As a solicitor, you may work in a firm with other solicitors or set up your own practice, or you might work in central or local government, an in-house legal department, the Crown Prosecution Service or the magistrates’ courts.

Barristers are specialists in advocacy - the act of presenting cases in court under instruction from a solicitor or another designated professional. Typically, the duties of a barrister may include preparing briefs (cases) for court, presenting arguments in court, examining and cross examining witnesses and preparing legal documents. Most barristers work on a self-employed basis, from chambers, although an increasing number work in private and public organisations.

To qualify as either a solicitor or barrister of England and Wales, you must first of all complete either an LLB or GDL from a university in England and Wales. 

If you wish to qualify as a solicitor, after completing the LLB or GDL you will need to complete the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Once you have completed the LPC, you must complete a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors. You will be qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales upon completion of the two-year training contract.

If you wish to qualify as a barrister, after completing the LLB or GDL you will need to complete the Bar Professional Training Course (prior to September 2010 this was known as the Bar Vocational Course). You are “called to the Bar” once you complete the Bar Professional Training Course and are then entitled, without further training, to use the title Barrister of England and Wales. However, if you wish to practise in England and Wales you must also complete a one-year pupillage with a barristers’ chamber.

		LLB (Hons) or GDL (CPE)
Legal Practice Course				Bar Professional Training Course (previously the Bar Vocational Course)
Two year training contract within a solicitors’ legal practice				Qualified as a Barrister of England and Wales
Qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales				One year pupillage within a Barristers’ Chambers
				Qualified as a practicing Barrister of England and Wales

Figure: Routes to qualification as a solicitor or barrister within England and Wales

Qualification as an Overseas Lawyer

Many of our international students join the School of Law with the intention of practising law, normally in their home country.

Our LLB is recognised by many overseas legal professional bodies, particularly in Commonwealth countries, and we are very proud to be one of a select number of UK universities whose LLB is recognised by the Bar Council of India.

If you intend to practise in your home country, you should contact your local Law Society or Bar Council to ensure the LLB is recognised. The majority will require you to undertake additional training after graduation before being authorised to practise law.

Some overseas Law Societies and Bar Councils will offer exemptions from all or part of their own training requirements if you qualify as a solicitor or barrister of England and Wales. For example, the Malaysian Bar recognises both solicitors and barristers of England and Wales – to be authorised as a solicitor and advocate of Malaysia you would have to complete a pupillage in Malaysia.

Further Study Options

Options for further study at our University include:

• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC)
• LLM International Business Law
• LLM International Human Rights
• MPhil/PhD research degrees

Entry Requirements & Applications

Entry Requirements

280 UCAS tariff points made up of:

• A minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.
• Remaining points can be made up with a maximum of two AS-levels in different subjects.
• A minimum of four GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above, at the point of application. These must include English Language.
• Citizenship, Critical Thinking, General Studies and Key Skills are not accepted as part of the points.

We recognise a range of qualifications which are detailed below. If you have a query about a qualification which is not listed here – our dedicated Course Information and Guidance staff will happily advise you.

Many offers will be expressed using the UCAS tariff point score, but some will be expressed as grades.

Qualification	Requirements
A-level	BBC (example grades)
BTEC Extended Diploma/ BTEC National Diploma	DMM/ D*D* (in elated subjects only).
BTEC Diploma/ BTEC National Certificate	DD (in related subjects only) together with 1 full A-level.
BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/ BTEC National Award	D (in related subjects only) together with 2 full A-levels.
International Baccalaureate	26 points
Access Courses	60 credits including 45 at Level 3 and 18 at Merit or Distinction in Access to Law or a related subject. Must include English and Maths at Level 2.
Foundation	Pass (average of 60 per cent) in a related subject.
AVCE	Minimum of 280 UCAS points.
Advanced Diplomas and Progression Diplomas	Accepted.
IELTS	6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each level.
TOEFL	550 (paper) 213 (computer)
ESOL	Grade C at Level 2 (Certificate in English)

Overseas Qualifications

We welcome applications from international students with qualifications which are deemed equivalent to one of the above. For example: 

• Bangladesh - completion of one year of bachelor degree (any subject) average 50% from a Bangladesh public university or average 60% from a Bangladesh private university rated good by UGC
• India - Bar Council of India recognition stipulates that exemptions cannot be granted and the three-year LLB can only be taken by graduates e.g. BA, BSc, BCom, BBA (any subject) average 55% (or average 50% from a five-star university)
• Pakistan – completion of Bachelor of Arts / Commerce (Pass)
• Sri Lanka - completion of one year of a bachelor degree (any subject) average 55%

and 

• IELTS 6.0, or equivalent.

See the International Section of the School of Law’s website for more information.

Application Details

FT UCAS Course Code: M130 Search for this course on UCAS.

To study this course part-time please apply direct to the faculty. You can Apply online or call us for an application form.

For general information about applying to study at Birmingham City University, please refer to the Making Your Application section.

International enquirers may contact the International Office for further help and advice, or visit http://www.bcu.ac.uk/international/how-to-apply.

Enquiries

Prospective students from the UK or EU may enquire online by using the Course Enquiry Form or call +44 (0)121 331 5595.

Prospective students from non-EU countries may enquire via the International Enquiry Form or call +44 (0)121 331 6714.

Fees Notes

If you already have an equivalent level qualification, you may be charged a higher fee for your course. For further information visit the fees area of the Student Info section.