Masters of Laws with Placement Year

Why choose this course?

This course provides: 

• Expert well-connected and up-to-date teaching  

• Pastoral support throughout the course 

• Hands-on exercises and discussions, to consolidate and deepen your learning and give you the intellectual, transferable, interpersonal and practical skills you need to follow a career in private practice, commercial sector, academia or research.  

• Flexible module choices for you to tailor the course to your professional goals and interests 

• Participation within an active law society 

• Wide range of employability boosting co-curriculars 

• Access to careers support for duration of degree and 4 years following graduation.  

• Campus working locations in both our College Lane and De Havilland campuses,  

• Use of our LRC spaces , Law Court social area, Enterprise Hub, and Cafأ© Ambition. 

• The School follows a blended learning approach to the delivery of its programmes, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity. Our strategic focus centres around community, inclusivity, diversity of opportunity and employability in line with the University strategic objective (2020-25) of 'Transforming Lives' through the three pillars of Offering Opportunity, Building Community and Embracing Flexibility.    

• Students are well-placed in Hertfordshire to visit London and explore important legal landmarks such as the Supreme Court, Houses of Parliament, Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court.  

• Opportunities for students to attend Legal Talks and Conferences relating to their specialism. 

• In addition:

• Gain client-facing casework experience working within our award-winning pro-bono Law Clinic providing community-based legal services.  

• Apply to take part in a wide range of co-curricular and pro bono activities, including commercial awareness, adjudication, mediation, advocacy, mooting and legal technology, design & innovation. 

• Our academic staff range from specialists with PhDs to Qualified Barristers and Solicitors, Judges, Competition Law experts and Legal Risk Consultants, our teaching staff provide a wide range of skills and experience. Their connections with Law Firms and Industry ensure that they remain up to date with legal and commercial developments   

• We are a diverse and international Team, with staff from around the world, so many have themselves experienced being an international student so can empathize with our international applicants. 

• Strong Industry Connections: Benefit from our relations with law firms such as SA Law, Taylor Walton, Sherrards, Debenhams Ottaway, Machins, Curwens, Longmores, Cleveland Scott York and Spencer West, to name but a few, and institutions such as HSBC and Eisai. Students expand their employment and networking opportunities by attending regular Law Fairs, employer workshops, and networking events. 

• We're very proud of its diverse student population and is an active partner in inclusive futures 

• LLM students will have access to our inclusive futures fair in semester A

What will I study?

• You'll study two modules during Semester A and two modules in Semester B. Each module will be taught through a two-hour Seminar each week together with a rich blend of online activities.

• You'll also join a Research Methods and Skills seminar every fortnight in your first semester of study to help you develop your academic writing and research skills that you will need for your module courseworks and Dissertation. In Semester B and C you will study for your Dissertation with the help of an expert supervisor 

• Students with interest in mooting and advocacy can gain 'real life' experience of litigation in action in our replica Crown Court. 

• Digitally enhanced blended learning experience making full use of technology and using authentic activities and assessments to ensure you develop skills and understanding required in your future career

• Modules are taught by law specialists and involve group work, discussions, debates, and practical sessions to consolidate your learning and develop vital skills of persuasion and negotiation, leadership, teamwork and presentation.  

• Independent study will deepen your knowledge throughout the course 

• Assessment is carried out via a combination of coursework, written assessments and practical tasks, depending on the modules chosen. There are no exams.  

• Assignments will offer further opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge, formulate arguments and offer solutions to complex challenges.

• Students expect to leave with: 

• Research skills using a range of sources, including verbal questioning 

• Evaluation skills and the ability to interpret and explain complex information clearly 

• Analytical skills 

• Reasoning and critical judgement skills 

• Ability to formulate sound arguments 

• These skills are in demand by employers and connect with the graduate attributes outlined by the university enabling students to demonstrate professional capability in a number of sectors and roles through competency and strength-based evidence required throughout the interview process. 

• Lateral thinking and problem-solving skills 

• Ability to write concisely 

• Confident and persuasive oral communication skills 

• Attention to detail and the ability to draft formal documents with precision. 

• Extensive range of optional modules on offer, enabling you to tailor to your own professional goals and preferences. 

• We emphasise the importance of authentic assessment where students are assessed in a manner designed to replicate aspects of situations and tasks they may face in the workplace. 

• A number of our staff are very active researchers, with particular expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Cybercrime, Medical, Company and Investment Law.  

• Students have opportunities to explore and potentially become involved in local and international research projects and initiatives.

Careers

Students have career flexibility as you select modules to best fit your individual career goals and aspirations. 

Hertfordshire Law School has helped graduates forge successful careers for 40 years. You'll benefit from our global reputation for being forward-thinking, innovative, and responsive to the world around us. 

Students with ideas for a new business, or wishing to grow an existing business, can access the support and networks of our University's Enterprise Team. The award-winning Enterprise Hub building on de Havilland campus, which has been part-funded by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and our status as a University Enterprise Zone, reinforce an entrepreneurial vision that runs through the University. Support is available for early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs to use as and when it suits their needs, alongside access to our academic experts, talented graduates, facilities and equipment.  

You may wish to pursue a future in the private or public sector, as an in-house lawyer in a specialised industry, in academia or progress into a research career.   

Work placement

• This course offers a placement year pathway 

• Hertfordshire Law School host networking events providing students with the opportunity to meet with industry connections

• College Lane, LRC, آ£10m Law Building with a full-scale replica Crown Court Room [Law Court social area], Enterprise Hub, Cafأ© Ambition

• As shown by Brooks and Youngson (2016), 50% of placement students and more likely to secure graduate-level work and have higher starting salaries (on average آ£2,000 per year) upon completion of their degree in comparison to non-placement students.