LLM Legal Ethics

Program Overview

The University of Law's LLM in Legal Ethics is a postgraduate degree for both law and non-law graduates, designed to enhance legal knowledge and advance career opportunities in areas such as policy advising, compliance management, and in-house legal roles. The program combines theoretical foundations with practical insights from industry experts and offers flexible study options, including full-time, part-time, and online. Upon completion, graduates gain in-depth knowledge, transferable skills, and a competitive edge in the legal industry.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

A Master of Laws (LLM) in Legal Ethics, offered by The University of Law, is a postgraduate degree designed for law and non-law graduates to enhance their academic legal knowledge. This internationally recognised Master’s course will give you the skills to progress within the legal industry and can open up a range of career pathways such as a policy advisor, compliance manager, in-house legal roles or in regulation.

Outline:

Terms 1 & 2 (full-time) or 1-4 (part-time)

• General Induction: A general induction to the programme.
• Key Principles of the English Legal System: A two-week compulsory induction covering the Key Principles of the English Legal System for non-law students, and also open to students wanting a refresher in the fundamentals of the law of England and Wales.
• Compulsory Modules:
• Legal Ethics:
This module explores issues such as the duties and responsibilities of lawyers and the social context of the profession. It examines the regulation of the legal profession, including in-house lawyer ethics, and considers gender, race, and diversity within the profession in relation to legal professionalism and legal moralism.
• Research Methods Training: This module helps students prepare for their dissertation.
• Elective Modules (Choose three):
• Healthcare Regulation
• Medical Law and Ethics
• Mental Health Law
• Other elective modules may be available.

Term 3 (full-time) or 5 & 6 (part-time)

• Dissertation in Legal Ethics: This module involves the submission of a thesis (15,000 words) and provides an opportunity for sustained, in-depth, and intensive investigation into a specialist area of Legal Ethics Law.

Course Start Dates:

• September 2024: Full-time and Part-time options available in London Bloomsbury.
• February 2025: Full-time and Part-time options available in London Bloomsbury.
• Online: Study LLM Legal Ethics Online starting September 2024 or February 2025.

Assessment:

• Modules: Assessed by a three-hour unseen written examination or a 4,500-word coursework assignment.
All assessments are conducted online.
• Dissertation: Assessed by submission of a thesis (15,000 words).

Teaching:

• Expert Lecturers: Taught by a combination of former and current practitioners, as well as research and teaching academics who are focused on legal practice, not just theory.
• Learner-Centred Approach: The approach to learning and teaching on the Master of Laws programmes is predominantly learner-centred.
Each taught module is divided into a number of Units which are presented using the Prepare, Engage, Consolidate approach.
• Prepare: Students complete work before attending the relevant workshop.
Traditional lecture content is presented in short bite-sized segments. Guided independent research and reading are expected.
• Engage: Interactive element of the Unit, which could be a face-to-face workshop, a synchronous online workshop, or an asynchronous online activity.
• Consolidate: Students check their understanding of the Unit immediately after their Engage activity or as part of their revision.

Careers:

• Potential Career Paths:
• Policy Advisor
• Compliance Manager
• In-house Legal Roles
• Regulation
• Employment Statistics: 95% of postgraduate students in employment were in highly skilled employment 15 months after graduating (2020/21 Graduate Outcomes data).
Contains HESA Data: Copyright Jisc 2022.

Other:

• Strategic Partnerships: The programme benefits from strategic partnerships with firms, regulators, and accreditation bodies, which inform programme development.
• Transferable Skills: Students gain important transferable skills.
• Earning Potential: Postgraduates on average earn £6,500 more than their graduate counterparts (2022 Graduate Labour Market Statistics).
• Competitive Edge: Students gain in-depth knowledge of their topic of interest and become subject experts, providing a competitive edge in the job market.
• Flexibility: The University offers a wide range of study modes (full-time, part-time, on campus, online) to provide flexibility.
• Legal Technology: Students can study modules in legal technology and gain insight into this emerging area of law.