Law (Graduate Programme) LLB

Course overview

This two-year course is designed for those who already have an undergraduate degree in a non-law subject who wish to convert to a career in law.

You’ll learn about how and why law is created and changed, and how it operates as a social institution. You will gain expertise in analysis, research, logical argument and more, as you develop an understanding of key legal topics and subject areas.

Through core and optional legal modules, you will examine the broader context of the law and its relationship with society. You can develop your interests in specialist legal areas, which might include company law, employment law, human rights law, environmental law, media law and family law, amongst others. You could also explore topics in criminal justice and criminology, such as policing or youth crime.

Throughout the course you will 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.

The School has four world-leading research centres specialising in Business Law, Criminal Justice, Legal Education and Social Justice, with staff from those Centres teaching across a range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes. You will have the opportunity to be taught by some of those staff and will also have the opportunity to apply to explore the practical application of law through our award-winning Community Engagement (pro bono) opportunities.

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

If you want to become a solicitor in England and Wales, 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.

Although you no longer require a law degree or a diploma in order to qualify as a solicitor, a law degree will be particularly effective in allowing you to gain the knowledge and skills required for SQE1 (the first stage of the SQE, set by the SRA).

Course details

This degree has been specially formulated for graduates in a non-law subject, who wish to acquire foundational legal knowledge necessary, traditionally, for the practise of law. It enables progression to the vocational stage of legal education in several other jurisdictions.

Year 1 covers many of the foundational topics in English law. Alongside these, our Legal Skills module equips you with the necessary skills and attributes to study law at undergraduate level, and the Professions, Reflections, Identities, Motivations and Ethics (PRIME) module will  give you the opportunity to reflect upon important issues such as your personal and professional goals, your identity and how to protect your wellbeing on a personal and professional level.

In Year 2 you will build on your legal knowledge and skills, including through optional modules, which will allow you to focus on topics that suit your particular interests.

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.

Year 1 compulsory modules

Contract Law (20 credits)  - This module will introduce you to the underlying principles of contract law. By the end of this module, you're expected to be able to demonstrate, with appropriate reference to case-law and statute, a basic understanding of the general principles governing the formation, modification, performance, discharge and enforcement of contracts under English law. 

Constitutional and Administrative Law (20 credits) -  This module will introduce you to the underlying principles and major sources of British constitutional law. In addition, you’ll learn about two fields of relevant public law: the law relating to police powers and public order, and the English law relating to judicial review. 

Criminal Law (20 credits) -  This module will introduce you to core criminal law concepts and to the criminal justice system within which the criminal law is applied. This module will provide you with the opportunity to learn about key criminal law principles, cases and legislation, and to recognise the different political and cultural contexts in which criminal law operates at national and international level. 

 Foundations of Law (20 credits) - This module is designed to equip you with the foundational knowledge necessary to study law at degree level, including the foundations of the English legal system, legal theory, and legal ethics. The module will contextualise foundational legal principles within societal, political and economic contexts, encouraging you to develop as reflexive learners.

This module will prepare you for the successful study of law as an academic discipline by developing you from a passive recipient of research materials and teaching content to a proactive, engaged, and reflexive participant able to discuss legal content whilst recognising the value of research and problem solving.

Legal Skills (20 credits) - This module will introduce you to the fundamental study and legal skills required to thrive on your degree. It offers basic teaching on these skills and provides directions for further development for you to pursue independently. This module aims to help you adapt to the learning, teaching and assessment demands of learning at university. It will also help you develop an independent, reflective and rigorous approach to your studies.

PRIME (20 credits) - PRIME (Professions, Reflections, Identities, Motivations & Ethics) will provide you with space to learn about and explore strategies for, and approaches to, challenging issues you’re likely to encounter within your student life, and future personal and working life. The module will include reflective practices; personal and professional values, ethics, identities and self-care (including how those relate to employability decisions); managing relationships on an individual and larger group basis, including through challenging conversations; emotional intelligence, including notions of failure/success and strategies for responding to ‘challenges’ such as failure and unexpected change.

Year 2 compulsory modules

Torts (20 credits) - This module will introduce you to the underlying principles, mechanisms, and objectives of the Law of Torts. You’ll gain knowledge of the key issues, legal principles, case-law, and statutory provisions relating to several key torts, including the Tort of Negligence. You’ll also learn to recognise the influence of public policy on the development and content of the law in this area.

Land Law (20 credits) - This module will introduce you to the core concepts, principles, rules and aims of land law. You’ll gain knowledge of key issues relating to land law, such as the nature and effect of property rights. You’ll learn to recognise the influence of political, economic and social contexts on the development of land law.

EU Law (20 credits)  - This module considers the history and structure of the EU and the development of EU law and the role that law has played in the process of integration, by means of doctrinal development by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Particular attention is given to the constitutionalisation of the EU through case law, Treaty reforms and other mechanisms.

The module also focuses on substantive law and the provisions which form the basis of the internal market: Free Movement of Persons, of Goods and of Services plus an introduction to competition law. It provides the opportunity to study the constitutional and institutional structures of the EU, the way in which EU law impacts upon national law and law-making in the internal market.

Law of Trusts (20 credits) - The objectives of this module are to develop a knowledge of the Law of Trusts in England and Wales and to tackle the complex terminology of the subject and investigate the principles lying behind the more detailed provisions and rules, as derived from both statute and case law. In this module you’ll develop problem-solving skills by the application of general principles to factual situations.

Optional modules

You will choose 40 credits of optional modules from a range of related topics, typically including:

Company Law (20 credits) - This module focuses on the legal nature of the company as a business organisation, the law relating to corporate finance, the relations between the company and third parties, the distribution of power within a company, the duties of directors and other managers and the associated enforcement mechanisms, and the key principles of corporate insolvency law.

Youth Crime and Justice (20 credits) - This module explores the nature and extent of youth crime and the sources of our knowledge about youth offending and its prevention. It considers social and legal constructions of youth as well as children and young people as victims. It provides an analysis of the youth justice system in England and Wales and contemporary youth justice debates.

Competition Law (20 credits) - Competition laws are adopted in over 100 jurisdictions around the world and affect the day-to-day business of all significant businesses globally. This module is designed to provide a sound understanding of both the substantive and procedural rules of competition law, as well as the underlying basic economic concepts of competition. It focuses on the main principles of competition law and investigates the means by which competition laws tackle such problems as cartels and abuses of monopolies. The module will help to place the UK competition regime within its European and international contexts.

International Human Rights Law (20 credits) - The module examines the evolution, mechanisms and grounds of international human rights protection. It examines international human rights law as an important branch of international law; the mechanisms, bodies and procedures introduced by the United Nations and other international and regional organisations; and a significant number of substantive human rights.

The module is divided into two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the structure of the international system of human rights protection through law, the difference between human rights law and other areas of international law, and general matters of enforcement machinery. In the second part the module will address the law in relation to particular rights, covering civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights.

Family Law (20 credits) - This module examines the legal rules and concepts regulating intimate or domestic relationships between adults. The social context in which the law operates will be stressed, in particular the relationship between the law and the changing social structure of the family. In this module we look at the legal rules, concepts and values which govern and regulate intimate or domestic relationships between adults. In broad terms the syllabus covers the formation of family relationships through marriage, civil partnerships and cohabitation.

It also considers how family law can protect victims of domestic abuse, the basis for divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships and what happens in relation to disputes over money and property on the breakdown of marriage or civil partnership. Broadly, the approach taken is socio-legal in that you will consider the law within a broader historical, social and political context. You will also develop specific technical skills, particularly in handling statutory material as most of family law is grounded in statute.

International Law (20 credits) - International law concerns all aspects of contemporary global problems. Its structures and rules are developed and applied by States, international organizations (and to some extent non-state actors) to create peaceful co-existence. However, this distinct system of law needs to contend with constantly evolving challenges and forces which question international law’s authority, legitimacy and values. In particular, the decolonisation of international law contests many of its assumptions and Eurocentric focus which have disadvantaged so many.

This module will explore a diverse range of subjects. We will study together the laws that decide independent statehood, whether and how the ocean floor should be exploited and when states are allowed to use military force against other states. These are some of the major issues that the module explores with a view to analysing the significant role of the international legal order.

Policing (20 credits) - This module provides a critical introduction to policing in England and Wales. The module has three central themes organised into 5 (connected) Units. Theme one considers policing in historical and comparative perspectives. It covers the role and functions of policing and the formal establishment of the policing systems in the nineteenth century. The second theme considers the contemporary landscape of policing. It covers who is involved in the arrangement and delivery of modern policing, the powers and discretion available to the police, the cultures of policing and methods by which policing is governed and made accountable to the law and society at large.

Theme three explores the policing of different types of crime and social groups, more broadly exploring issues related to policing and social justice. It considers the policy and practical implications of different policing approaches. Throughout, the module engages with wider social, political, cultural and economic developments that influence policing. This module will enable you to develop your written skills with critical reference to policing issues.

Employment Law (20 credits) - What is the difference between being a worker or an employee? What are the pros and cons of flexible work contracts? As the nature and conditions of work change in response to globalisation and other social, political and economic shifts, legislators and policy-makers seek to adapt and respond – giving rise to many interesting social and legal issues and tensions.

This module considers how employment law shapes and is shaped by such issues and tensions. It is designed to explore contemporary work and industrial relations through a series of case studies – concerning parental leave, the 'gig economy' and questions relating to work/life balance, among others – which affect the rights and responsibilities of people at work. You’ll also be expected to engage with academic literature concerning work, rights and responsibilities developed in other disciplines within the social sciences in accordance with the module’s law-in-context approach.

Social Sciences and Emergencies: Contexts, Theories and Approaches (20 credits) - This module will introduce you to the critical role of the social sciences in public understanding and experience of emergencies, such as environmental disasters, pandemics, epidemics, and large-scale social and political upheavals. It will provide you with the conceptual tools and methodological approaches to critically evaluate the response of the government, communities, state institutions and other sectors of society to emergencies and their aftermaths. It will also equip you with the skills to clearly and effectively communicate knowledge and information about these topics to an academic audience.

Health Care Law (20 credits) - This module takes an interdisciplinary and comparative approach to the study of the legal regulation of health services, decision-making, and professionals. It considers a range of contemporary issues where health care and the law intersect. These include the regulation of professional negligence, informed consent, reproductive services and decision-making for children. Particular attention is paid to ethical and other evaluative frameworks, promoting ethical awareness and a critical and reflective approach. The interdisciplinary and comparative approach also provides you with opportunities to engage with and analyse multiple perspectives.

Environmental Law (20 credits) -  Environmental problems – a warming planet, growing rubbish piles, the destruction of habitats – are amongst the most complex faced by today’s societies. These problems also pose multiple challenges for legal control and regulation. Ecosystems are understood only subject to significant scientific uncertainty, whereas environmental impacts cross jurisdictional and disciplinary boundaries. How does the law respond to these challenges?

This module explores the struggle to tackle environmental problems through a variety of forms of environmental law, regulation and governance. Whether you are a committed environmentalist, a climate sceptic, or perhaps more in the middle, studying the use of law to tackle pressing social, economic and environmental challenges should be of universal appeal. We think critically about, and actively debate, what law can achieve (and what it can’t) in the face of complex global problems. Understanding the limitations of legal control also leads us to consider the role of a range of government and non-government actors – from corporations, to lawyers, to activists, and even ourselves as consumers and citizens – in seeking solutions to problems like air pollution, climate change, waste, and land use.

Penology (20 credits) - This module examines the use of custodial and community sentences in contemporary society. The aim of the module is to provide detailed knowledge and understanding of issues relating to imprisonment in England and Wales and various ways in which offenders are punished and/or supervised in the community.

Commercial Law: Domestic and International Sales (20 credits) - This module covers the sale of goods in relation to business-to-business transactions. The broader emphasis is on domestic commercial transactions, providing knowledge regarding domestic commercial contracts, including, among other relevant matters, the classification of goods, issues of passing property, risk, the use of retention of titles clauses, contractual terms, and remedies available for breach of commercial contracts. The module will also examine some basic aspects of international commercial sales under English law, exclusively, namely standard trade terms such as Cif and Fob, the role of the bill of lading, and payments methods in international transactions such as the letter of credit.

Privacy and Media Law (20 credits) - This module will provide you with an understanding of some of the key laws that regulate the media. The module will cover laws regulating both traditional media (in particular the press) and new digital media (eg social networking sites). You’ll consider the extent to which these media laws uphold fundamental human rights, in particular the Art 10 free expression right and the Art 8 privacy right.

Gender and the Law (20 credits) - This research-led module takes different areas of law as the object of study and seeks to examine how gender, sex and sexuality are understood in those contexts. This will involve reading cases and statutory materials.

However, this is not a traditional law module. It is not only concerned with cases and statutes. A basic assumption of the approach to the law in this module is that the law is not a social practice that is isolated from the rest of culture. That culture is given form and meaning within the law. At the same time, the law itself is a representation of the world that has very distinctive and idiosyncratic characteristics. As such the law makes a distinctive contribution to the social order. This module seeks to examine both these aspects of the law as a cultural practice.

Crime, Law and Social Change: Crime and Criminal Justices in Historical Perspective (20 credits) - This module explores the history of crime and criminal justice. It examines both the development of key criminal justice institutions, such as policing and the penal system, as well as changing historical patterns in offending, including the decline of violence in modern societies. These two broad areas will be consistently analysed with reference to the wider historical context. You will, therefore, examine the social, political, moral and economic factors which shape crime, our understandings of crime and our attempts to deal it with through the criminal justice system.

Cyberlaw: Law and the Regulation of the Information Society (20 credits) - The internet and networked technologies have changed the nature of our world as we experience it. So much so, that we are becoming an 'information society' in which the creation, manipulation distribution and exchange of information in its various forms has become a significant social, economic, political, cultural and legal activity.

This module will examine the emerging trends that signify the formation of the information society and also its relationship with law, technology, and public policy. This module will cover UK and European Union law along with a variety of international regulatory perspectives that seek to harmonise law. The module will analyse the many legal and regulatory challenges that the information society generates for society, particularly with regard to privacy, the creation of products, the media. Particular focus will be upon whether these challenges can be best resolved by law or some other means, for example, technology, education or simple market forces. The aim of the module is to make you aware of the legal and regulatory policy issues which are intimately connected with the information society.

Disability Law (20 credits) - Law has a key role to play in constructing a society in which disabled people (who make up approximately 15% of the UK's population) are able to live, flourish and contribute on an equal basis with others. This innovative module adopts a socio-legal approach. It will introduce you to theoretical perspectives (particularly those which have political significance such as the social model of disability). It aims to encourage you to reflect critically on law's potential to be 'enabling' – in the sense of facilitating full inclusion and equality for people who have (or have labels of) physical, sensory, cognitive, emotional or other 'impairments'.

Integral to this is sensitivity to law's potential to be 'disabling' – in the sense of generating barriers to inclusion. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provides important underpinnings for the module, but the focus of the module is law in the UK (particularly England and Wales). Selected elements of this law will be considered and critiqued in light of the CRPD, the social model of disability and other theoretical perspectives. Analysis and debate will be enriched by the participation throughout the module of people who work in disabled people's organisations and human rights organisations focusing on disability.

Evidence (20 credits) - This module aims to introduce key rules of evidence in the context of their rationale, their historical development, and modern criminal justice policy. It explores the connection between the rules of evidence and the nature of the common law adversarial trial and aims to promote critical awareness of the balance between the interests of the state and the individual.

Social Sciences and Emergencies: Case Studies & Critical Analysis (20 credits) - This module investigates emergencies from the perspectives of the social sciences. You’ll utilise real-world cases to analyse the societal implications of various emergencies. The module prioritises critical thinking and provides you with the skills to assess the role of the social sciences in shaping knowledge of emergencies and formulating strategies for managing their impact on communities, institutions and individuals. Module key themes and concepts are drawn from sociology, social policy, politics, law, criminal justice and education.

Final Year Project (20 credits) - You’ll design and undertake an extended independent project in an area or topic relevant to law. You will use knowledge and skills gained in earlier years of your course, create new knowledge and understanding, and develop new research and employability skills themselves. On completion, you will communicate the outcomes or outputs of your project in different ways to relevant audiences. It will be the pinnacle of your degree, the culminating experience which brings everything youhave learnt together. It's an opportunity to apply your learning to a real-world problem and, in so doing, bring reflection, focus and purpose to the whole of their degree experience.

Learning and teaching

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

We will help you develop skills which can be used within the legal professions and 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 (but aren’t limited to) online open book assessments, coursework, group work and presentations. Topics will reflect our dynamic curriculum, which reflects contemporary developments and debates.

You will learn how to write succinctly, how to carry out research and how to communicate effectively with a range of audiences. You will also learn how to bring together evidence from different sources, as well as how to understand and evaluate contemporary debates.

This courseis designed to provide you with an inclusive and authentic, course-level package of assessment and feedback activities that will effectively scaffold learning and cultivate the knowledge and skills that you need to fulfil your aspirations for yourself and for your community. We prioritise assessment for learning by investing in practice (formative) assessment activities and providing individual feedback to help you to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills in readiness for your end of module (summative) assessments.

Each module is assessed separately, and assessments are designed to align with the programme’s learning outcomes, providing a comprehensive and authentic evaluation of your skills and knowledge. Written assignments play a central role, but you will also encounter other assessment methods, designed to foster the development of a broad spectrum of skills and capabilities. Across your assessments you will have opportunities to demonstrate your ability to conduct independent research, critically analyse information, and articulate complex ideas.

Entry requirements

A-level: A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in a non-law subject.

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

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: To be confirmed

International: £26,250 (per year)

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 UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. When the fee is available we will update individual course pages.

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

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.

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

As a graduate of this degree there are several professional and academic pathways available to you, whether you envisage becoming a lawyer or you intend to specialise in a specific area of law at postgraduate level.

Law graduates may consider several professional and academic pathways, including outside of the legal professions.

Our graduates have secured careers in multi-national firms, as well as larger, medium-sized and high street firms; in-house legal teams; and Chambers across the UK and internationally.

Alternatively, you can go into a completely different professional area, and our employability officers will be able to support you with doing so. Our law graduates have pursued careers in business, government services, education, the third sector, the advice sector, finance sectors, and the civil service, amongst others, reflecting the degree’s highly transferable nature.

Careers support

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.