COURSE SPECIFICATION
Course Aim and Title LLB (Honours) Law
Intermediate Awards Available Cert HE, Dip HE
Teaching Institution(s) UEL
Alternative Teaching Institutions N/A
(for local arrangements see final section
of this specification)
UEL Academic School RDSBL
UCAS Code M100
Professional Body Accreditation 1. Successful completion of the
course leads to the award of a
qualifying law degree, recognized
by The Joint Academic Stage
Board representing The Bar
Standards Board and Solicitors
Regulation Authority.
2. If the optional modules Client
Practice and Civil and Criminal
Litigation are taken and passed
this leads to the award of the
National Association of Licensed
Paralegals’ Higher Diploma in
Paralegal Practice.
3. If the optional modules Evidence
and Commercial Law are taken
and passed this leads to
qualification for the Nigerian Bar.
4. If the optional modules Client
Practice, Civil and Criminal
Litigation, Evidence, Company
Law and Commercial Law are
taken and passed this leads to
qualification for the Hong Kong
Bar.
Relevant QAA Benchmark Statements Law year of July 2015
Additional Versions of this Course LLB (Hons) Law with Foundation Year
Date Specification Last Updated April 2019
Course Aims and Learning Outcomes
This course is designed to give you the opportunity to:
• Stimulate an enquiring, analytical and creative intellectual approach, and
encourage independent judgement and self-awareness. During your time at
the University of East London, you will have the opportunity to develop a
critical understanding of laws and legal processes in their political, economic,
international, comparative and historical contexts; you will be enabled to
develop skills of legal analysis and reasoning in relation to cases, statutes
and texts in both the UK and other jurisdictions and effective communication
skills, both orally and in writing.
• Meet the requirements of the professional bodies in respect of the academic
stage of training. Graduates will be prepared for a career as a solicitor,
barrister or legal executive in business law or a range of graduate careers in
the business, banking and finance sectors. The course will be particularly
suitable for those who wish to work as lawyers and paralegals within a
commercial body as an in-house legal professional, enabling them to provide
bespoke legal advice with specific commercial expertise.
• Students can gain accreditations by choosing certain combinations of
optional modules (Evidence plus Commercial Law for the Hong Kong and
Nigerian Bar and Client Practice plus Civil & Criminal Litigation for the Higher
Diploma of Paralegal Practice). Students can also gain work-based learning
through the Clinical Legal Education module and have the chance to do a
law-related dissertation in the Project module. The EU Law, Public
International Law and Comparative Legal Systems modules all expose those
students wishing to work abroad to aspects of international law.
• The LLB course not only provides students with a comprehensive and critical
understanding of core legal principles and institutions but it also encourages
students to analyse law within its broader social, economic, political, cultural,
and international settings. Furthermore, whilst providing an excellent
foundation for those who may wish to go on and train to become either a
solicitor or barrister, the course provides a structured approach to the
development of key study and transferable skills (such as critical analysis,
oral and written presentational skills, and the ability to work independently)
which are central to many other types of employment.
• The course is flexible and law can be studied with a range of other subjects,
including Criminology and Criminal Justice. Further, the course can be
studied on either a full-time or part-time basis.
Knowledge:
Students will have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the principal
features of the English Legal System. This will include:
• a detailed knowledge of the core concepts, values, principles, and rules which
underpin the English Legal System;
• the ability to explain the main legal institutions and procedures of the English
Legal System;
• a thorough understanding of the core substantive areas within this jurisdiction;
• a detailed knowledge of certain substantive areas beyond the core, reflecting
the options which a student has selected;
• a mature understanding of the relationship between the legal order and
broader societal constructs, such as culture, politics, and power; and
• a comprehensive knowledge of the relationship between the English Legal
System and various Supranational and International sources of law with
particular reference to the European.
Thinking skills:
Students will be able to:
• act independently in planning and undertaking tasks in areas of law which they
have already studied;
• starting from standard legal information sources, undertake independent
research in areas of law which they have not previously studied; and
• reflect upon their own learning, and to seek and make use of feedback.
Subject-Based Practical skills:
Students will have the ability to apply the knowledge outlined above to
hypothetical scenarios and also be able to:
• accurately identify the issue(s) which require researching;
• identify and retrieve up-to-date legal information, using paper and electronic
means;
• utilise primary and secondary legal resources relevant to the topic under study;
and
• accurately and appropriately reference the sources which have been so
utilised.
Skills for life and work (general skills):
Students will be able to:
• understand and use English language proficiently in relation to legal matters;
• present knowledge or an argument in a way which is comprehensible to others
and which is directed to their concerns;
• read and discuss legal materials which are written in a technical and complex
language;
• where relevant and as the basis of an argument, use, present and evaluate
information provided in numerical or statistical form;
• use the World-wide web and email;
• produce a high quality word-processed essay or other text and to present such
work in an appropriate form;
• use electronic information retrieval systems; and
• work in groups as a participant who contributes effectively to a group's tasks.
Learning and Teaching
Knowledge is developed through:
• Lectures.
• Seminars.
• Workshops.
• Small group work.
Thinking skills are developed through:
• Hypothetical problem solving.
• Practical exercises including writing a legal judgement and simulated court
argument.
• Essay writing.
• Reading legal texts.
Practical skills are developed through:
• Exercises in electronic and paper searches.
• Exercises designed to develop research strategies.
• Training in on-line resources.
• Structured reflection on the skills developed or acquired.
Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through:
• Guided workshops on skills for legal writing and reading.
• Diagnostic classroom tests.
• The giving of oral presentations.
Assessment
Knowledge is assessed by:
• Unseen and seen examinations.
• Essays.
• Hypothetical problem solving.
• Oral presentations.
Thinking skills are assessed by:
• Research based coursework.
• Reflective diaries.
• Book reviews.
Practical skills are assessed by:
• Portfolio compilation.
• Practice-based exercises.
• Observation reports.
Skills for life and work (general skills) are assessed by:
• Multiple-choice tests.
• In-class assessments.
• Research projects.
Students with disabilities and/or particular learning needs should discuss
assessments with the Course Leader to ensure they are able to fully engage with all
assessment within the course.
Work or Study Placements
The LLB includes an optional work-based learning module, Clinical Legal
Education, which aims to enhance organisational, personal and professional
development. There are also optional modules in Client Practice, Civil and Criminal
Litigation, Evidence and Commercial Law, which can be used as exemptions for
entry to foreign legal professions and the award of industry related accreditations in
this country, as specified above.
The Law Department has formal links with a number of European Institutions (for
example, in France, Germany, and the Netherlands), which means that students
may be able to spend either a semester or a complete academic year studying in
another country.
The course includes the possibility to undertake a research project in the final year,
either as part of the stand-alone Law Project module or contextualised for Family
Law or Company Law. This requires students to undertake research into a legal
topic of their own choice and produce an 8,000-word project. Recent projects have
included work on the International Criminal Court and another on Freedom of
Expression.
We encourage full time students to seek work experience during their academic course,
either during the summer vacations, or to take a ‘placement year’ out between level 5 and
level 6 of their studies. An employment liaison officer oversees the administration of the
year out placements and assists in helping students secure a placement.
Course Structure
All courses are credit-rated to help you to understand the amount and level of study
that is needed.
One credit is equal to 10 hours of directed study time (this includes everything you
do e.g. lecture, seminar and private study).
Credits are assigned to one of 5 levels:
3 Equivalent in standard to GCE 'A' level and is intended to prepare
students for year one of an undergraduate degree course.
4 Equivalent in standard to the first year of a full-time undergraduate
degree course.
5 Equivalent in standard to the second year of a full-time undergraduate
degree course.
6 Equivalent in standard to the third year of a full-time undergraduate
degree course.
7 Equivalent in standard to a Masters degree.
Courses are made up of modules that are each credit weighted.
The module structure of this course:
Available by
Credit
Module Core/Option Distance
Level Module Title Weighting
Learning?
Code
Y/N
Mental Wealth:
3 LA3006 Introduction to Legal 20 Core*
Method
Introduction to Key
3 LA3003 20 Core*
Legal Concepts
Legal
3 LA3005 20 Core*
Communications
Introduction to Digital
3 SY3005 20 Core*
Sociology
Crime, Surveillance
3 SY3007 20 Core*
and Society
Globalisation in
3 SY3006 20 Core*
Society
*Foundation
pathway only
Mental Wealth:
Introduction to
4 LA4013 20 Core
Professional Legal
Studies
4 LA4010 English Legal System 20 Core
4 LA4912 Legal Skills 20 Core
4 LA4005 Contract Law 20 Core
Introduction to Land
4 LA4011 20 Core
Law
4 LA4014 Public Law 20 Core
Mental Wealth: The
5 LA5010 20 Core
Legal Professional
5/6 LA5011 Criminal Law 20 Core
Public Law II: Human
5 LA5012 20 Core
Rights Proceedings
5 LA5015 Tort Law 20 Core
5/6 LA5017 EU Law 20 Core
5/6 LA5014 Equity and Trusts 20 Core
P **** PLACEMENT YEAR 120P N
Mental Wealth:
6 LA6070 Professional 20 Core
Standards & Ethics
Clinical Legal
6 LA6071 20 Option
Education
6 LA6072 Company Law 20 Option
6 LA6073 Family Law 20 Option
6 LA6074 Client Practice 20 Option
Civil & Criminal
6 LA6075 20 Option
Litigation
6 LA6076 Evidence 20 Option
6 LA6077 Commercial Law 20 Option
6 LA6078 Banking Law 20 Option
6 LA6079 Consumer Law 20 Option
6 LA6080 Employment Law 20 Option
Corporate
6 LA6081 20 Option
Governance & Ethics
Human Rights &
6 LA6082 20 Option
Equality
6 LA6083 Law & Medical Ethics 20 Option
6 LA6084 Sports Law 20 Option
6 LA6085 Law Project 20 Option
Intellectual Property
6 LA6086 20 Option
Law
Property Law in
6 LA6087 20 Option
Practice
Brexit and Free
6 LA6088 20 Option
Movement of People
Law, Community &
6 LA6089 20 Option
the City
6 LA6090 Youth Justice 20 Option
Please note: Optional modules might not run every year, the course team will decide on an annual
basis which options will be running, based on student demand and academic factors, in order to
create the best learning experience.
Additional detail about the course module structure:
This course is part of a modular degree scheme. A typical full-time student will take
six 20 credit modules per year. An honours degree student will complete six
modules at level 4, six at level 5 and six at level 6.
A core module for a course is a module which a student must have passed (i.e.
been awarded credit) in order to achieve the relevant named award. An optional
module for a course is a module selected from a range of modules available on the
course.
The overall credit-rating of this course is 360 credits. If for some reason you are
unable to achieve this credit you may be entitled to an intermediate award, the level
of the award will depend on the amount of credit you have accumulated. You can
read the University Student Policies and Regulations on the UEL website.
Course Specific Regulations
The full-time LLB (Honours) degree can be undertaken on either a full-time or part-
time basis; the former is a 3-year course and the latter can be completed in a
minimum of 4 years. The degree must be completed within 6 years in order to
obtain a professionally-accredited qualifying law degree. All modules are
compulsory at Levels 4 and 5, providing students with the core foundational
knowledge required to pursue more advanced legal studies. There is at level 6 a
choice from a wide range of options.
Typical Duration
It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa to
accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic
commitments. Many of our students make use of this flexibility and this may impact
on the overall duration of their study period.
The expected duration of this course is 3 years full-time or 4 years part-time.
A student cannot normally continue study on a course after 4 years of study in full
time mode unless exceptional circumstances apply and extenuation has been
granted. The limit for completion of a course in part time mode is 8 years from first
enrolment.
Further Information
More information about this course is available from:
• The UEL web site (www.uel.ac.uk)
• The course handbook
• Module study guides
• UEL Manual of General Regulations (available on the UEL website)
• UEL Quality Manual (available on the UEL website)
• School web pages
All UEL courses are subject to thorough course approval procedures before we allow
them to commence. We also constantly monitor, review and enhance our courses by
listening to student and employer views and the views of external examiners and
advisors.
Additional costs:
Students may need to pay local travel costs and membership fees for professional
societies (e.g. £250 for NALP membership, local travel costs are available via TfL).
Alternative Locations of Delivery
N/A
