Overview
Successful lawyers need more than legal knowledge. Our qualifying law degree offers an integrated professional placement and experiences that equip you for a successful career in the legal profession, as well as transferable skills for a range of career paths.
Course outline and modules
Practically minded and future-focused, our close links with Aston Business School and a strong network of employer links will help you put theory into practice.
Successful lawyers need more than legal knowledge. Our qualifying law degree at Aston University’s Law School has been designed with modern legal practice in mind, including real-world examples and practical opportunities, as we focus on the business of law, the future of law, and the law of business.
What you’ll learn
You will study the key foundations of law and choose a pathway tailored to reflect your interests and career aspirations. You’ll also have the opportunity to complete an internship with a major law firm, choose to spend your third year on an integrated placement and we also offer extracurricular experiences such as working in our community law clinics and mooting – in 2019 our mooting final was held at the Supreme Court in London, judged by Lord Lloyd-Thomas. Plus, you could publish your work in the Aston Student Law Review.
As well the diverse backgrounds of our teaching academics, we also invite external experts to contribute to the course and host an annual Law Fair to network with law firms, businesses, and potential graduate employers.
By doing this degree you will gain more than legal knowledge, you will also develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, together with essential professional and soft skills. This will enhance your employability and prepare you for a wide range of careers, including as a solicitor or barrister, one of the emerging careers in the law sector, in management, or as an entrepreneur.
As an Aston LLB graduate, you can proceed directly to the Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course. You will also be well-positioned for the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination with our range of option modules.
This course also offers an optional placement year. Aston’s professional work placements can greatly improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence, opportunities and, as an Aston student, you’ll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability, and our close links with businesses, industries, and professions make this possible.
Professional accreditation
The course is a qualifying law degree. It is recognized by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as satisfying the academic stage of legal training for solicitors. It also meets the requirements of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) for the academic component of training for barristers. As an Aston LLB graduate, you can therefore proceed directly to the Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course.
International students
Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programs. Students from over 120 different countries choose to study with us every year. And Aston is not only a great place to study; based in the center of Birmingham, it’s also a great place to live.
Modules
Year 1
- Legal System and Skills
- Liability in Crime and Tort
- Introduction to Contract and Property
- Law of Business and Business Concepts
- The Future of Law: Introduction to Technology and its Regulation
Learning, teaching, and assessment
You will experience a range of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials, a group work, guest lectures, visits to law courts, and case studies. Traditional teaching is supported by a virtual learning environment that is used to host a range of electronic supporting materials.
Mooting and presentations are used to develop advocacy skills and problem-solving exercises are used extensively to help apply legal knowledge to real-life situations. You will also have opportunities to contribute to a pro-bono law clinic, the Aston Student Law Review, and can choose to take an integrated placement year.
Assessment
Assessments will take the form of exams and coursework as well as presentations, posters, interviews, debating, and videos (for placement).
Personal development
This degree is designed to give you a range of transferable and practical skills to help you succeed within your chosen career. We make extensive use of group working and presentations to prepare you for the reality of working life and develop your teamwork and negotiation skills.
Our optional placement year gives you the genuine practical experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of the legal, business, and cultural issues which cannot fully be replicated in the lecture room.
Placement year
This course is available as a 3-year degree without placement or a 4-year degree with an integrated sandwich placement. Both options are available to home, EU, and international students.
Career prospects
Our close links with local law firms, businesses, industries and social enterprises, as well as extra-curricular opportunities and the option to undertake a placement year, means that law at Aston has a high employability focus.
Real-world Learning
Whilst our learning provides real-world examples, our assessments and extra-curricular opportunities are geared towards strengthening your CV and supporting your career prospects.
You will have the opportunity to undertake a placement year either in the UK or overseas. Studying English law means that you can practice internationally.
Career paths
This degree is ideal for those who want to become a solicitor or barrister and has been designed to help you acquire the knowledge and skills you need to become a successful legal practitioner.
However, a degree in law also provides an excellent foundation for other careers where legal knowledge is important, including taxation, human resource management, accountancy, regulation and compliance.
Recent graduates
Graduates from Aston University Law School have gone on to work in roles including:
- Associate Consultant Trainee Paralegal
- Negotiations Case Handler
- Legal Assistant
- Corporate Client Accounts Support
- Travel Money Advisor
- Banking Customer Services Advisor.
Graduates have gone on to work at organisations such as Hays Legal, Shoosmiths, DAC Beachcroft, Irwin Mitchell, Capita and HSBC.
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