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The unique structure of Buckingham’s Law degree (LLB), with four full teaching terms per calendar year, enables you to graduate after just two years of study (eight, or nine terms with September start). Our LLB’s concentrated mode of delivery prepares you for careers in law, governance, public service, industry, and commerce. It also satisfies the necessary first step for qualifying as a lawyer in various common law jurisdictions, including Canada, Nigeria, the Bahamas, Ghana and Bermuda.

For those interested in qualifying as a solicitor in the UK, our LLB (single or combined honours) provides you with thorough preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam 1 (SQE1), enabling you to choose the accelerated SQE1 preparation courses after graduation. Our innovative and diverse curriculum also contributes to preparation for the practice-orientated SQE2, both SQE1 and SQE2 being necessary for qualification as a solicitor. Buckingham Law School graduates (LLB and LLM) also benefit from a 20% discount on the SQE1 preparation course provided by the leading professional legal educator BARBRI.

For those UK and international students wishing to qualify as an English barrister, our LLB (single or combined honours) satisfies the academic component of Bar training, the necessary first step to qualifying as an English barrister.

Buckingham Law School also offers a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities to develop your professional skills and experience of legal practice. These opportunities?include?the possibility, between the first and second year of your LLB, of a sandwich?year?placement with a professional organisation.

We often accommodate the particular requirements needed to practise in various common law jurisdictions other than the UK. If you are an international student from one of these jurisdictions, we are happy to discuss what subjects you must take to qualify.

Our LLB graduates who gain a second-class honours degree, or higher, are guaranteed a place on our LLM programme in International and Commercial Law. This opportunity greatly enhances specialist knowledge and enables our students to acquire two degrees in only three years.

Quality teaching

We offer high quality, traditional Oxbridge-style teaching, which leads to our degrees being recognised around the world. The standards of degrees and awards are safeguarded by distinguished external examiners – senior academic staff from other universities in the UK – who approve and moderate assessed work and by the QAA.

High calibre staff

Most of our academic staff teach for three terms out of four, with the remaining term used for research. Because of this, we have no difficulty in attracting high calibre, highly respected lecturers, many of whom also have a background in the practise of law either as solicitors or as barristers qualified to practice in the United Kingdom and also in other overseas jurisdictions with excellent contacts with the professions and can offer networking opportunities for students. We also have a ‘Streetlegal’ programme which assists students in obtaining legal practice experience.

Teaching methods

Teaching is carried out through a combination of lectures supported by seminars and tutorials. A key feature of the Buckingham teaching method is the use of small tutorial groups which provide the most effective means of ensuring that the students benefit from the academic expertise at their disposal. It is also the philosophy of Buckingham’s faculty to be available to students outside the scheduled tutorial times and to encourage good working relationships between staff and students with our excellent Personal Tutor system which supports student every step of the way:

We provide:

• Experienced teaching staff, many of whom are Barristers, or Solicitors, holding PhDs and having published articles and books.
• Masterclasses with world class advocates in which you can learn from, question and debate with guest speakers.
• An active, vibrant and ever-growing Student Law Society.
• The chance to make a difference via our Amnesty International Student Society.

The University of Buckingham’s distinctive style of small group teaching makes our Law School different from almost all others in the UK. A profession in Law invariably requires intense discussion of the nature of problems, understanding different viewpoints and analysis to resolve them and we believe our teaching style provides outstanding preparation for these challenges. Mooting and negotiating are compulsory elements in our Legal Skills module and our students also have the opportunity of practical sessions and stimulating external competitions.

Combined Honours Law allows students to take the core foundation subjects and devote the remaining one-third (120 units) of the degree to another subject area. This might be a Modern Language, Computer Skills, Psychology, Business or a wide range of others.

Assessment methods

The assessment of individual modules within each course varies according to the subject. Assessment is usually by examination, assessed coursework, or a combination of the two. Please check module information for more details.

Preparation for work

All our degree courses combine academic challenge with the transferable skills that will stand you in good stead for future employment. Many of our more vocationally-focused degrees offer the opportunity of work placements and experience in industry.

An annual Legal Workshop is held, in partnership with current practitioners, allowing you to practise advising clients and to present short cases as though in court.

Graduate employment

Our graduates have gone on to further study at most of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, London, Oxford and Cambridge and secured jobs in senior positions around the world. Among our alumni we have a graduate who became the head of his country’s civil service and one who became a leading Formula One motor-racing driver. Another secured a position as the Minister of Sabah, Malaysia and one female law graduate became the first British lawyer to become a French Advocate.

What our students and alumni say

“The 2-year degree at Buckingham really appealed to me. I have friends who had studied here so I knew it would be hard work! The best thing is that I feel really well supported; the Law School staff are very dedicated. Working in small tutorial groups helps – we can discuss our work with our tutors and gain a real understanding of the subjects. The library is very modern with excellent facilities – there is everything here to help you succeed. I’m hoping to continue studying for an LLM after completing my LLB at Buckingham – two qualifications in less than three years.”

Nnenna Ukachukwu
LLB Law

The Law School of The University of Buckingham appealed to me because of the small tutorial groups, which I was used to from my previous studies. It was important to me to get the most out of the teaching process and having a maximum of six other students with me during tutorials meant that I would not only have to get my work done, but I also had a better chance of getting to know the lecturer – this would ensure that I stayed on top of my work and any shortfalls would be noticeable. Studying an unfamiliar legal system during the pandemic certainly was a challenge, but I enjoyed every second of it and the unique teaching style in combination with the lecturers’ support, is one of the reasons why I managed to obtain First Class Honours at the end of my studies.

Anna Mueller
LLB Law