Why study International Commercial Law at Northumbria?

An increasingly globalised economy requires international commercial law professionals to have a wide range of knowledge on issues relevant to international commerce. This includes the World Trade Organisation and the law of international trade, and in areas such as international finance, intellectual property or international energy law.

Northumbria Law School is one of the largest law schools in the UK, and houses academics with an international reputation for research in International Commercial Law. You will benefit from our strong links with the North East legal community, and learn from staff who continue to undertake high profile work in legal practice.?

You will study alongside a diverse cohort of LLM Law framework students, and have the flexibility to choose modules which inspire you and support your career aspirations.

You will study Commercial Contracts in your first semester. In this module, you will examine the key legal issues that commonly arise in commercial contracts relevant to conducting business successfully in the modern commercial world. Alongside that you will study Intellectual Property with patents and copyright playing a crucial role in the commercial world. You will also study Research for Advanced Legal Studies, which will equip you with the skills you need to thrive on the course.

In the second semester you will study a specialist module on International Commercial Law, led by an academic with an international reputation for research in this area. In this module, you will study You will study how an international sale of goods contract works, i.e., which law will be the governing law of the contract and how that law is determined. To compliment this, you will also study modules on the law of the World Trade Organisation and on International Dispute Resolution. In the third semester you will undertake either a dissertation or an applied legal project, on a topic related to International Commercial Law.

You will learn through lectures, seminars and group work, all supported by advanced TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning). You will have access to our eLearning platform Blackboard, where you can re-watch all Panopto-recorded lectures and read workshop presentation slides at your own pace. You may even be able to undertake your dissertation from home – in the UK or internationally – through the Blackboard Collaborate function.

Your assessment throughout will be coursework-based, with no exams.

Please note that to graduate with your specialist bracketed award you must undertake at least two taught modules within that specialism, and base your final research project on a topic in that area. It will be possible to switch specialism after the first semester if your contextual module was relevant to your new choice. If you don’t meet these conditions, you will graduate with an LLM Law.

The teaching staff at Northumbria Law School have a remarkable international reputation. They are carrying out cutting-edge research in established and emerging areas of law, and many are respected practitioners as well as theorists.

Lecturers on this course have expertise and experience in the areas of partnership law, travel law, legal education, international business transactions, international commercial litigation, international commercial arbitration and corporate personality; knowledge that you can draw on for your LLM project

Northumbria Law School provides first-class teaching in a world-class environment. You will be based in our award-winning City Campus East building, which houses our mock courtroom and Student Law Office as well as an array of lecture theatres, classrooms and a dedicated postgraduate study area.

It is also home to our specialist Law Practice Library, which contains practitioner materials as well as a wide variety of journals, databases, and law reports. The range and depth of resources reflects our position as the largest law school in the North East region.

The 24/7 University Library achieves some of the highest levels of student satisfaction in the UK, and has held the Cabinet Office accreditation for Customer Service Excellence since 2010.

You will be immersed in research-rich learning from the outset of your studies. The lecturers who lead each specialism are at the forefront of research in that area, and will take every opportunity to engage you in their ongoing work.

You will also develop your own skills as a researcher, learning to critically reflect on your own and others’ work, challenge your own thinking, and justify your own work in the context of wider theories and practice.

The Legal Research Project in semester three is your opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of legal research on a topic you’re truly passionate about, guided by a tutor with relevant expertise. This dissertation will allow you to contribute to the creation of new knowledge within International Commercial Law.

You will graduate from this course with independence of thought, boundless curiosity and a talent for collaboration – traits valued by every employer.

If you already have a qualifying UK law degree, this course will help you to enhance your CV with a specialism so that you stand out when competing for training contracts or pupillages.

If you are joining us from another legal jurisdiction you will be able to apply your specialist skills and knowledge in your home country, contributing to local priorities for growth in relevant areas. For students from countries that follow the Bologna Process and require two year of postgraduate study, it will be possible to study the LLM framework twice, choosing a different specialism each time. You will qualify for an alumni discount on the second year.

Students who have qualifications or careers in related areas such as finance will acquire valuable contextual understanding that helps them stand out among their peers.

This course is also an excellent route to PhD study if you are seeking an academic career within the field of law.