LLB Law Senior Status Queen's University Belfast

This graduate entry accelerated law degree offers students the opportunity to study in two years the courses required to allow them to progress to the next stage of their legal education. This degree programme attracts students from the UK, Ireland and North America creating a cosmopolitan learning environment. Students benefit from studying law in one of the oldest and most prestigious Law Schools on these islands with an international reputation for excellence. In recent years our graduates have gone on to legal careers in Canada, the UK and Ireland.

At QUB Law School students have the opportunity to gain real-world legal skills as well as an excellent understanding of law from an academic perspective.

Law Senior Status Degree Highlights

Law at QUB is ranked 18th in the UK in Complete University Guide 2022. Law was ranked 8th in the UK for Career Prospects in the Times Good University Guide 2022.

Professional Accreditations

• The degree offers students the opportunity to study the modules required for the academic stage of legal qualification. In addition, students are offered the opportunity to explore their interests in the final year with modules offered that allow them to specialise in a particular area, or simply receive a more rounded sense of what ‘Law’ is. Many of these modules consider the law and law-like interactions on a local, national and international level.
  This means that the degree covers those subjects that are regarded as pre-requisites for professional legal studies. The Senior Status degree is particularly popular with Canadians as it allows graduates to qualify with a law degree in only 2 years.
  Queen’s University Belfast has a long history of Canadian students studying law with us. Upon completion of their studies, some students choose to stay and practice in the UK or Ireland whilst others return to Canada to embark on legal careers.
  For those planning on returning to Canada the following is a guide on the process of Canadian accreditation:
  • When returning to Canada LLB students will sit a number of challenge exams in order to fulfil the requirements set out by the Federation of Canadian Law Societies' National Committee on Accreditation (NCA).
  • Students can choose to prepare for their challenge examinations through self-study, where the NCA provides a syllabus and students study at home. Most students complete their challenge exams within a year of returning to Canada. Alternatively, students can complete a recognised common-law qualification, typically one year, in a Canadian Law School upon their return.
  • Students completing our 2-year LLB for Graduates with a 2:2 or above (equivalent to a C in Canada) in all modules generally have to sit seven challenge exams.
  • Students completing a 3-year LLB programme with a 2:2 or above (equivalent to a C in Canada) in all modules generally have to sit five challenge exams. Students taking a 3-year LLB straight from high school will also have additional challenge exams set by the NCA.
• The above information is for guidance purposes. We recommend that students carry out their own research and check with the relevant jurisdictions they wish to practise in for the most up to date information as the regulations are subject to change.

Industry Links

The Law School at Queen's has a well-established tradition of regular consultation with legal professional bodies and top international law firms that is very beneficial for students.

Law students have the unique opportunity of working with industry leaders through commercial awareness events and other negotiation exercises that offer insight into the legal practice (and services) world but also provide an enhanced skills development experience.

World-Class Facilities

• The £20m School at Queen’s offers students access to world-class facilities such as a fully interactive Moot Courtroom, a One Button Recording Studio and a wellbeing room.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• Students in the School of Law are taught by world-leading experts in the areas of Law, Human Rights, Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies. Our staff have close research links with the professions, government and Civil Society. Research in Law was ranked 15th in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment (2014).

Student Experience

• Students can join a number of student-led initiatives within the school including the Law Society, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, the Women in Law group and the Street Law project. Other initiatives include the Global Skills Project, LawPod, Queen’s Student Law Journal, Lawyers without Borders, the student magazine ‘The Verdict’ and the Mooting Society.
• Students can join a number of student-led initiatives within the School including the Law Society, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society and the Street Law Project. Other initiatives include the Queen’s student Law Journal, Lawyers without Borders, the student magazine ‘The Verdict’ and the Mooting Society.

Studying for a Law degree at Queen’s will assist students in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline, including Law.

Although a large percentage of our graduates are interested in pursuing careers in Law, significant numbers develop careers in a wide range of other sectors.

Employment Links

Employer Links – Consultations:

The Law School at Queen’s has a long and well-established tradition of regular consultation with legal professional bodies, employers etc. This includes, for example, The Law Society of Northern Ireland, The Law Society of England and Wales, The Law Society of Ireland, the Institute of Professional Legal Studies and employers from significant legal and other professional firms or organisations (see examples in placements and other employer links below).

Placement Employers:

Our past students have also gained work placements with organisations such as:

• The Council of the EU
• The European Commission
• The European Parliament
• The United Nations (UN)
• The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
• The Council of Europe
• Thomson Reuters

Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's, you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world-leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

This graduate entry accelerated law degree offers students the opportunity to study in two years the courses required to allow them to progress to the next stage of their legal education. In addition, students can select an elective module in their final year.

The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each course. The degree is designed to provide students with experience in a range of assessment methods to help them prepare for the next stage of legal qualification. Some courses are assessed solely through project work, written assignments or end of year examinations. Others are assessed through a combination of modes of assessment.

Stage 1

• Legal Methods and Skills
• Constitutional & Administrative Law
• Criminal Law
• Contract Law
• Tort
• Employability and Clinical Skills

Stage 2

Learning and Teaching

The Law School at Queen's is ranked as one of the top schools in the UK and Ireland. Teaching quality within the School was judged to be 'excellent' and our research was awarded a 5B (excellent) by the UK Higher Education Funding Bodies. There are over 800 undergraduate students enrolled in the School, 190 postgraduates, 70 PhD students and almost 50 members of academic staff. You will be taught by scholars from all over the world, many of whom have international reputations in their fields and all are committed teachers and researchers. Students will also have access to an excellent law section in the new library and extensive IT facilities.

The School operates a proactive system of student support. Advisers of Studies are allocated to each degree programme tasked to guide and support you throughout your time with us, together with the School's experienced and helpful administrative staff. In addition, students are allocated a Personal Tutor for their time in the School. We place considerable emphasis on facilitating good communication between staff and students. To this end, a Student Voice Committee, comprised of elected student representatives, the Director of Education, LLB Programme Director and other members of academic staff, meets at regular intervals throughout the academic year. This Committee provides students with a forum in which to raise matters of concern to them and also enables the School to keep students informed about matters affecting the School and wider university.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high-quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.

On the LLB (Senior Status) programme we do this by providing a range of learning experiences that enables our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world-class library that enhances their development as independent, life-long learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• E-Learning technologies
  Information associated with lectures and assignments is communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example, interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; the use of MS Teams; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in project-based work etc.
• Lectures
  Provide information about topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
• Personal Tutor
  Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during their time in the School. Tutors meet with their students on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.
• Self-directed study
  This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s Law student when important private reading and research, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Seminars/tutorials
  Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. Students should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.

Assessment

Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:

• The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of year examinations. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback

As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module coordinators, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Summative feedback is provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that students, as individuals or as part of a group, have submitted.
• Formative feedback opportunities such as face-to-face comments. This may include occasions when students make use of the lecturers’ advertised “feedback and guidance hours” to help address a specific query.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which students can review in their own time.
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
• Once students have reviewed their feedback, they are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of their work.