LLB Law / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

You get a good mix of different students from different backgrounds and are exposed to a diverse culture.

You will get a piece of home by mixing with people from your home country, but when you feel a bit braver, you can mingle with other international students.

Adrienne Sena / LLB Law graduate

LLB Law offers a distinctive approach to legal education from a globally recognised institution that brings together research-informed study and practice-led approaches to law.

You will study the foundations of law in England and Wales, as well as your specific interests by choosing from a broad range of optional units offered by our diverse team of academics and practitioners. You will be challenged to analyse and critique the law, and understand the social, economic, ethical and political contexts in which it operates.

The course enables you to develop the skills, knowledge and experience to be highly employable, and gives you the confidence to forge your own professional development beyond undergraduate study, whether you have ambitions to practise law or enter a different field of work.

Our Justice Hub is a centre for excellence in clinical legal education and offers free legal advice to members of the public. Volunteering here gives you the opportunity to contribute to our partnerships with the public, charitable and private sectors and play your part in our commitment to social responsibility.

Learning through reflection and collaboration, and applying your studies in practice, you can help contribute towards access to justice for some of the most vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged in society.

Studying at one of the UK's most globally connected universities means you gain a global perspective on law, reflected in our teaching and your experience as a member of our academic community.

Special features

Launch yourself into law

Study our Introduction to Law and Legal Skills course to explore law's role in the world, using contemporary issues to inspire your learning and skills.

Volunteer at our Justice Hub

Get involved with our Justice Hub , comprising of the Legal Advice Centre, Manchester Free Legal Help, the Manchester Innocence Project and the Dementia Law Clinic.

It is a centre for excellence in clinical legal education and offers free legal advice to the public. You raise awareness of issues of access to justice, while empowering individuals to take control of their legal problems.

Shape the future through LegalTech

Engage with LegalTech throughout your studies, exploring cutting-edge digital futures to gain a greater understanding of this new area of legal practice.

Gain a global perspective

Experience and understand different legal cultures and perspectives, broaden your studies, and discover different disciplines and styles of education through Study Abroad .

We have excellent relationships with numerous partner universities across the world.

Community beyond the classroom

Make the most of your time at Manchester with our student-led societies. They are a great way to meet students, connect with prospective employers and enhance your CV through organised events.

Teaching and learning

Our teaching is driven by active and innovative approaches to learning, aimed at inspiring and supporting you as you develop throughout your degree.

You will be challenged to reflect on what you are taught to develop intellectual independence and graduate skills.  

Contact time of lectures, seminars, and workshops amount to a minimum of 10 hours per week.

In total, you will spend about 40 hours per week studying, comprised of taught sessions and guided independent learning.  

Lectures are delivered to a large cohort of students, covering an overview of a particular subject.  

Workshops and seminars are integral to our active learning and research-oriented approach.

In small groups, you discuss, present, and apply the law based on what you have learnt.  

Our teaching is enhanced by our virtual learning environment which enables you to engage with peers, academics and interactive content to further your studies.  

You will develop independent and teamworking skills, furthering your knowledge through research and learning to communicate complex concepts to a range of audiences.  

You will be encouraged to respond to feedback from peers and staff to apply your understanding of the law in your academic work.  

Your experience and wellbeing are an integral aspect of our teaching and learning.

To ensure that you feel supported, we provide you with an Academic Advisor, a Peer Mentor, and a student representative to present student views and experiences in regular staff and student committee meetings.  

Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning

Coursework and assessment

Through your assessments, you will demonstrate graduate skills that prepare you for a range of careers. Methods of assessments include:

  • exams;
  • coursework;
  • short exercises or written pieces such as case reports and reflective diaries;
  • problem-based multiple choice questions;
  • oral presentations;
  • portfolios and project work.

We will support you through detailed feedback to help you improve and progress in your studies.

Course content for year 1

Year 1 provides you with the foundation of your legal studies.

You will study four full-year 30 credit subjects:

  • Introduction to Law and Legal Skills;
  • Contract Law;
  • Criminal Law;
  • Public Law.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Introduction to Law and Legal Skills LAWS10160 30 Mandatory
Contract Law LAWS10210 30 Mandatory
Criminal Law LAWS10320 30 Mandatory
Public Law LAWS10530 30 Mandatory

Course content for year 2

In Year 2, you will study two more full-year foundational subjects that build upon concepts and skills from Year 1:

  • Land Law (30 credits);
  • Law of Torts (30 credits).

You will also select three 20-credit subjects from a range of specially designed units which develop your foundational studies. The current units offered are:

  • Human Rights
  • Law in a Global Context
  • Principles and Practice of Commercial Law
  • Law in Practice (simulated)

You will continue to develop legal and academic skills that will enable you to reach your full potential in your final year.

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Property Law II LAWS20220 20 Mandatory
Law of Obligations II LAWS20400 30 Mandatory
European Union Law LAWS20900 30 Mandatory
Human Rights LAWS20880 20 Optional
Law in a Global Context LAWS21020 20 Optional
Law in Practice (Simulated) LAWS22040 20 Optional
Principles and Practice of Commercial law LAWS23050 20 Optional

Course content for year 3

In your final year, you will select six 20-credit subjects which consider specialised and in-depth areas of law and legal practice. Our optional subjects give you the opportunity to engage with our world-leading research specialisms, and will include:

  • Equity and Trusts*;
  • European Union Law*;
  • Law in Action;
  • Principles of Law, Medicine and Ethics;
  • Criminal Evidence;
  • Environmental Law;
  • Company Law;
  • Employment Law;
  • Intellectual Property Law;
  • Family Law;
  • Jurisprudence;
  • Competition Law;
  • Mental Health Law;
  • Miscarriages of Justice;
  • Constitutional Reform;
  • Law, Money and Technology;
  • Advocacy and the Law.

You also have a choice to write a dissertation in place of one of these courses and to take options from elsewhere in the Faculty of Humanities and the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning.

Please note that course units available are subject to change annually.

*Students wishing to satisfy the professional requirements for the academic stage of training for the Bar Standards Board must take these course units.

Course units for year 3

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Dissertation (20 credits) LAWS30001 20 Optional
Dissertation (20 credits) LAWS30012 20 Optional
Principles of Commercial Law LAWS30052 20 Optional
Criminal Evidence LAWS30081 20 Optional
Human Rights LAWS30092 20 Optional
Company Law LAWS30121 20 Optional
Constitutional Reform LAWS30252 20 Optional
Employment Law LAWS30272 20 Optional
Intellectual Property Law LAWS30322 20 Optional
Public International Law LAWS30372 20 Optional
Competition Law in an International Context LAWS30451 20 Optional
Mental Health Law LAWS30471 20 Optional
Counter Terrorism and Human Rights LAWS30711 20 Optional
Principles of Law, Medicine and Ethics LAWS30732 20 Optional
Family Law and Relationships LAWS30771 20 Optional
Miscarriages of Justice LAWS31062 20 Optional
Advocacy and the Law LAWS31072 20 Optional
Contemporary Issues in European Union Law LAWS31121 20 Optional
Law, Money and Technology LAWS31192 20 Optional
Law in Practice (semester 1) LAWS31201 20 Optional
Law in Practice (semester 2) LAWS31202 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 21 course units for year 3

What our students say

Read profiles of our students to find out about their experiences of studying at Manchester.

Facilities

You will have access to first-class facilities to learn and practice your skills, both independently and with other students.

Moot court

Our moot court allows you to enhance your practical application of the law in a simulated court environment alongside your peers and legal experts.

Library

You can access our specialist law library, in addition to one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK

Justice Hub

Get the best possible start to your legal career with our Justice Hub network. Develop your values, ethics and civic engagement in:

  • the Legal Advice Centre ;
  • the Dementia Law Clinic;
  • the Manchester Innocence Project;
  • Manchester Free Legal Help.

You can also choose to study Law in Practice and Law in Action, and apply take part in the Justice Hub Vacation Scheme.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk