Law LLB

Course overview

This degree allows you to learn about the law, both in the sense of ‘thinking like a lawyer’ and studying law as a social institution. You’ll gain expertise in analysis, research, logical argument and more, as you develop an understanding of key topics within the legal sector.

Besides contract law, constitutional law and criminal law, you’ll examine the broader context of the law and its relationship with society. You can develop your interests in specialist legal areas including company law, employment law, human rights law, environmental law and family law. You could also explore topics in criminal justice and criminology, such as policing or youth crime.

Throughout the course you’ll gain diverse skills that will be valuable to you as a global citizen, as well as in your professional career – whether you choose to enter the legal profession or not. You also have the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad (subject to academic performance and available places) or alternatively you could spend a year in industry.

Course details

Year 1

Year 1 provides you with a firm foundation in key areas such as contract, criminal and constitutional law. You’ll also complete our Foundations of Law module, which equips you with the both the skills and theoretical groundings needed to study law at undergraduate level.

Year 2

In the following year you’ll build on your knowledge and skills with an in-depth understanding of European law, as well as key facets of English law such as land law and torts. Additional core modules will help you to develop your research skills and understand how new insights into the law are developed, as well as examining the broader relationship between law, the legal system and wider society. Optional modules will allow you to focus on topics that suit your interests and career plans, such as international law, company law and competition law.

Final Year

Your final year will give you the chance to apply the research skills you’ve gained in previous years to an independent dissertation on a topic of your choice, which you’ll work on with your supervisor. At the same time, you’ll study the law of trusts. A final choice of optional modules will allow you to gain specialist knowledge in areas like disability law, healthcare law, evidence, cyberlaw or penology.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Law LLB in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 2 compulsory modules

Year 3 compulsory modules

Learning and teaching

This is a demanding course that’s geared towards self-motivated, independent learners. Independent study (including research and preparatory reading) is a large part of the course, and you’ll be aided by our excellent library resources.

While we aim to teach you to ‘think like a lawyer’ on this course, we also help you develop transferable skills so you can use the law elsewhere. Our teaching methods include lectures, workshops and seminars, supplemented by our online platform Minerva and the Virtual Learning Environment.

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

To help you develop the variety of skills you will need in your future career, we assess modules using a range of different methods. These include seen exams, coursework, group work and oral participation (for example, in discussion groups).

Entry requirements

A-level: A*AA

Two of your A-levels must be in traditional academic subjects. Please see our accepted subjects document to check your subjects.

If your choice of A-level subjects has been constrained by factors outside your control (such as if your school or college did not offer certain subjects), please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office to discuss your application.

Alternative offers will not be made for applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside A-levels.

GCSE: We expect applicants to have a substantial number of GCSE passes at a high standard. Applicants from countries where English is not the first language will also need a grade 5/6 (B) in GCSE English language, or another appropriate English language qualification, see below.

Alternative qualification

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is a contextual admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and contextual admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds offer:

• AAB at A level. Applicants must also meet the University’s GCSE matriculation standard and pass the Access to Leeds module.

• For alternative qualification offers please contact the admissions team.

If you do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to one of our degrees, we offer a foundation year for UK students who meet specific widening participation criteria. Learn more about the BA Social Science (foundation year).

Pathways to Law

Pathways to Law provides opportunities for students from state schools in England who are interested in a career in law and who will be the first generation of their family to go to university. It offers support to students from under-represented backgrounds throughout years 12 and 13 and into university. Find out more about Pathways to Law.

BA Social Science (foundation year)

BA Social Science is a foundation year course for students who don’t meet the standard admissions requirements for an undergraduate degree.

If you feel you missed out on education and want to realise your potential, this course will give you a firm grounding in the social sciences and prepare you for one of our social science degree courses.

The course lasts four years. Your first-year acts as a ‘Level 0’ foundation year, which gives you the skills for studying social sciences at undergraduate level. It’ll also introduce you to key ideas in sociology, politics, crime, education and law.

You’ll need to pass this year to progress onto one of our three-year undergraduate degree courses in a related subject. These include BA Childhood Studies, BA Sociology, BA Social Policy, Sociology and Crime, BA Politics, LLB Law, BA Social Work, BA Criminal Justice and Criminology and many others.

Find out more about BA Social Science.

International

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For specific detail on grades required for this course contact the School of Law Undergraduate Admissions Team.

• View the Canadian equivalents to GCSE and A-levels.
• View the Indian equivalents to GCSE and A-levels.

International foundation year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study a foundation year. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

If you are applying from an alternative foundation year provider, please contact our admissions team to find out if your qualification is suitable for entry to this course.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

Fees

UK: £9,250 (per year)

International: £24,750 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26
In November 2024 the UK Government announced that the tuition fee cap may rise to £9,535 from £9,250.

The tuition fee cap for some foundation years may also reduce to £5,760 from £9,250.

This would start from the academic year 2025/26. However, this is subject to final confirmation from the Government. Once available, we’ll publish the fees for the 2025/26 academic year and individual offer letters shall be updated via email and post.

The foundation year courses affected are:
·         Business Studies with Foundation Year BSc
·         Arts and Humanities with Foundation Year BA
·         Interdisciplinary Studies with Preparation for Higher Education BA
·         Social Science (foundation year) BA

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 and 2025/26
Tuition fees for international students for 2024/25 and 2025/26 are available on individual course pages.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2024/25
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will be £9,250 for students starting in 2024/25.

The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only, as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.
 

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

Applying

Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

We typically receive a high number of applications to our courses in the School of Law. The number of applicants exceeds the number of places available so, to ensure that we treat all applications fairly and equitably, we wait until after the UCAS equal consideration application deadline has passed before making a final decision on applications.

If we put your application on hold for review after the UCAS application deadline, we will send you an email to let you know. Although you may have to wait longer than usual to receive a decision, you will hear from us by mid-May at the latest, in line with the deadline that UCAS sets universities for making decisions on applications submitted by the January UCAS deadline.

Offer decisions are made based on an overall review of applications including predicted grades, breadth of knowledge demonstrated through qualifications, personal statement, extra-curricular and work experience, and contextual information. We look for enthusiastic and talented students who have the potential to succeed in their studies with us and contribute to our community.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025

This course is taught by

School of Law

Contact us

School of Law Admissions Team

Email: uglaw@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

Law graduates may consider several professional and academic pathways. You can become a lawyer, or specialise in a specific area of law at postgraduate level. Our graduates have secured law careers in firms such as Pinsent Masons, Eversheds, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Irwin Mitchell and Addleshaw Goddard.

If you want to qualify as a barrister, all of our law courses satisfy the degree requirements set by the Bar Standards Board. You can visit the Bar Standards Board website for more information.

If you want to become a solicitor, you will need to complete the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) and have two years of full-time equivalent work experience. The Solicitors Regulation Authority website provides more details.

Alternatively, you can go into a completely different professional area. Our law graduates have pursued careers in business, education and the civil service, reflecting the degree’s highly transferable nature.

Careers support

The School of Law has dedicated employability officers to support you with your career planning during your time with us. Find out more on the school’s Career Support website.

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad

On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America. 

Find out more at the Study Abroad website.

Work placements

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.

Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.