Legal Theory and Solicitors Practice MLaw With Placement

Overview

Our MLaw in Legal Theory & Solicitors Practice is the first of its kind. It gives you a clear and supported career pathway to qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the professional body governing training and qualification for solicitors, introduced the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) as the new route to qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales. The MLaw programme addresses this and provides a distinct route to prepare you for the SQE.

The MLaw contains specialist preparatory modules (SQE1 Legal Theory & Solicitors Practice, and SQE2 Legal Theory & Solicitors Practice) that provide you with specific one-to-one support and guidance to perform effectively in both the SRA’s SQE1 and SQE2 assessments.

The MLaw also gives you a rigorous legal education with an in-depth grounding in practical legal and transferable skills. The course develops your legal, academic and clinical skills at every stage of your journey.

The programme is taught by a mix of academic experts and practitioner lawyers, who put real-world clinical legal experience at the heart of the programme. They'll give you the tools you need to graduate as a capable and reflective practitioner, equipped for qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales.

As an MLaw student, you'll benefit from working throughout your degree alongside staff in our Law Clinic who possess national and international legal experience and who have worked both regionally and in the City. You can also undertake a work placement year. These opportunities will enhance your employability and contribute to the two-year Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) required by the SRA for you to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales.

On graduating with an MLaw degree, you will have:

• covered the seven foundations of legal knowledge in your first and second years of study
• studied for, and passed SQE1, needed to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales
• studied for, and be ready to sit, SQE2 on completion of your studies with us
• undertaken invaluable work experience in our Law Clinic, and during a placement year, that will contribute to the two-year Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) needed to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales
• gained in-depth knowledge in areas such as Corporate Law, Banking Law, Human Rights, or Environment and Energy Law during your third and fourth years

Career prospects

Our 4-year MLaw in Legal Theory & Solicitors Practice is designed specifically for those who wish to qualify as a solicitor in England & Wales. It is the first of its kind and gives you a clear and supported career pathway to qualification as a solicitor.

On graduation it is envisaged you will have completed both mandatory Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) examinations, possess an in-depth knowledge of a specialist area of the law, and gained invaluable practice experience via the School’s Law Clinic, enhancing your career opportunities.

Most modules use a mixture of interactive lectures, tutorials and seminars. Students need to do independent study as part of all modules. We'll support you through this with reading lists, suggested resources and our Virtual Learning Environment. You'll have regular contact hours and informal feedback from your tutors throughout the course.

Assessments are a mix of coursework assessments and formal examinations held at the end of each semester.

Throughout your studies with us you will benefit from one of the Law School’s personal Learning Coaches who will support your SQE studies and work in our Law Clinic.

You will also enjoy a variety of extra-curricular activities and opportunities. These include participation in mock trials and moots in our Lady Hale Court Room facility, opened by Baroness Hale of Richmond in January 2020. You can also take advantage of volunteering opportunities with a variety of advice organisations and within the university, court visits, external speakers, and there is a wide range of social and law-related events organised by our thriving Student Law Society.

Supported by our dedicated colleagues in the Careers Service, you can obtain career mentoring and work experience through our links to our regional legal, business, and not-for-profit communities.

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Career booster

During your time studying at the Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences you will have the opportunity to take part in our distinctive career booster programme throughout the duration of your course. The programme is designed to equip you with the necessary skills and graduate attributes to be job-ready when seeking employment with leading innovative organisations. The Career Booster Programme offers you the opportunity to gain certificates in:

• The European Computer Driving License (ECDL) - the benchmark for digital literacy
• Sage 50 Accounting and Sage 50 Payroll - training that will allow you to develop leading accounting and payroll software skills
• Project Manager Professional certificates - giving you the edge when seeking to become a Certified Project Manager
• Big Data analysis and reporting skills - using Software and Services (SAS) that will lead to certification.

In addition, the programme will also include activities to promote teamwork, confidence, communication and many other skills sought by employers.

Developing a portfolio of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certificates will demonstrate to employers that you are not only ambitious but also take responsibility for your own professional development.