LLB Licence English and French Law

Applications through UCAS for 2025 entry are now closed.

Applications are open via Parcoursup (for the University of Toulouse Capitole, University of Nice Côte d'Azur & University Paris-Nanterre) and directly on the website of the University of Jean Moulin Lyon 3.

Applications via UCAS will open for October 2026 .

Our challenging and competitive course gives you the rewarding intellectual experience of discovering the richness of both the French and English legal cultures. We are one of only a few universities in the UK which put students on the right path to qualify for legal practice in both the UK and France.

Your first two years on our prestigious LLB Licence English and French Law (Double Degree) course are spent at Essex, where you take the required modules in English Law, meeting the requirements for the academic stages of training to become a solicitor or barrister in the UK. During this time in the UK you also learn French law, which is taught in French. Read about Anna Massy's experience of studying in our Double Degree.

After two years at Essex, your third year is spent at one of the following partner institutions in France, where you follow modules in French law to obtain the Licence en Droit:

• Université Paris-Nanterre
• Université Lyon III Jean Moulin
• Université Toulouse Capitole
• Université Côte d'Azur

Students will pay University of Essex tuition fees for the first and second year of study and will pay tuition fees to their French university for their third year.

Not only will you learn legal rules, but you will also consider the function of law in society, the philosophy of law, policy issues and law reform. For instance, you address the rights of consumers, family members, prisoners, householders, workers and children. You'll also cover topics including, but not limited to:

• The functions of the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial)
• UK and French constitutional law
• Law of trusts
• Principles of negligence
• Criminal liability

Our Human Rights Centre is recognised internationally. We are proud of our network of international contacts and are actively engaged in debates about the meaning of justice in the UK and beyond. We work with the United Nations and governments, human rights organisations, and corporations all over the world.

Our specialist facilities

• Volunteer at the Essex Law Clinic where you can work alongside practising solicitors to offer legal advice to clients
• Join our l'Association du Double-diplôme, which organises various professional and social events
• Take part in a variety of events including conferences, careers fairs and debates
• Participate in the Oras! Mooting Competition, where judges are drawn from the Cour de cassation, UK courts, the European Court of Justice in addition to top law firms. This Mooting Competition has been created by one of our students in 2020 and keeps growing, attracting prestigious sponsors (such as the law firm ‘Reed Smith' and the Dalloz editions).
• Peer mentors guide you through your first year
• Take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the year with visiting law firms and our alumni association

Why choose a three-year Double Degree?

This three-year degree gives you more flexibility. Following France's Ministry of Education Reform in 2016, our new 3-year programme (LLB and Licence) gives you the flexibility, once completed at end of Licence 3, to select a 2-year integrated Masters course at a University in France or an LL.M. course in the UK (or abroad). The selection at master level takes place at Master 1 (at end the of Licence 3) and no longer at Master 2 (at the end of Master 1).

Under this new system the Master 1 and Master 2 must both be completed at the same University, so if you change from one degree to another at the end of Masters year 1, you will need to start a new Master's degree from the beginning. The LLB English and French Law (Licence) gives you the flexibility in choosing your masters route. We offer the largest Double Degree in the UK.

Please note that you are required to be bilingual in French and English in order to be accepted onto this course.

The English and French Law (Licence) student journey

Licence 1	Licence 2	Licence 3	Master 1	Master 2
University of Essex	University of Essex	One of our partner institutions: Université Paris-Nanterre Université Lyon III Jean Moulin Université Toulouse Capitole Université Côte d'Azur	Any University in France	The same institution as Master Year 1

How to apply

If you would like to study in Toulouse, you must apply via Parcoursup to go to the University of Toulouse in your third year. This is the only way for students to join our double degree programme with Toulouse.

If you would like to study in Nanterre or Nice, you can apply to our Double Degree programme via either UCAS or Parcoursup. If you would like to study in Lyon, you can apply to our Double Degree programme via either UCAS or Lyon's internal platform (ecandidat).

We offer 10 spots via UCAS. Interviews will take place in January and February. If you get an offer to study with us on UCAS, you will be guaranteed a spot with one of our French partners (Lyon, Nanterre, or Nice), and we will do our best to accommodate your preferred choice of French university.

Students who have been accepted in the Double Degree programme via Parcoursup/ecandidat will need to fill in a UCAS or Direct Admission application (depending on the circumstances) over the summer to register at the University of Essex. Students will be contacted in due time with an explanation of the steps to follow to proceed with their registration with UCAS/Direct Admission.