Your course – Teaching, Learning & Assessment
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What are the dates for my course this year?
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Teaching is due to commence on Monday 25 September 2023. Most years this is broken into two 12 weeks semesters, each followed by an assessment period. These are also broken up by our Christmas and Easter breaks. More information on Term Dates. |
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What does an average week normally look like?
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Timetables for each student can be different depending on the modules you are taking. You will be taught through a combination of face-to-face teaching in group lectures and small class sessions, tutorials and seminars, which are supplemented by opportunities to get one-to-one guidance from academic staff during their weekly ‘open office’ hours. These will be supported by active learning tasks such as MCQs for which you should also set time aside. Most importantly you should expect to spend approximately 10 hours each week engaging in independent study. This is a key element of your Law degree and will include seminar preparation, time completing your assessments as well as independent research. |
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How are my modules assessed? |
Methods of assessment differ depending on the module. Throughout your degree programme you will be required to undertake various assessments such as written coursework (including essays, blogs and research reports), exams, group work and presentations. All module assessment types are listed in the module choice guides, any updates to the way that modules are assessed will be updated in these guides. |
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Will my first year assessment count towards my final degree marks? |
Whilst not used to count towards your final degree marks, doing well in your first year assessment is still important. Students are required to have a minimum 40% pass rate on modules to continue into second year. |
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When will I find out about my modules and pick modules?
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You will be automatically pre-registered for required and mandatory modules for your programme. Optional modules will not be pre-selected for you. Optional modules will need to be selected by you during the registration period. Module selection deadlines will be set and communicated to you once available modules options are confirmed. In some instances, modules are subject to change depending on the demand for each module and academic availability during that academic year. |
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What will my timetable and workload be like if I’m on a combined degree (joint honours/major/minor course)?
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For combination courses, mandatory modules will be set out for each combination, this may differ for each course and the split (50:50 or 75:25) that you have chosen. Certain modules will have been identified to be the core modules which need to be undertaken. In some instances this may equate to having more mandatory modules than in a single honours course which reduces the amount of optional modules that may be available. We understand that choosing what to study at university can be daunting and that things can change once you start your degree. That’s why most combined degrees give you the opportunity to adjust the weighting of your chosen subjects by 25% at the end of your first year |
Careers & Employability and the Law Clinic
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What additional opportunities are available for law students? |
There are lots of exciting opportunities on offer for students studying at The Liverpool Law School. Enhancing employability is one of our key aims and we provide a range of opportunities for students to develop their transferrable skills. The Liverpool Law Clinic offers students the opportunity to complete a module developing important practical skills in a professional environment, whilst gaining credits which contribute towards their degree. During a Clinic module, students work on real legal cases under the supervision of a qualified lawyer, researching a client’s problem and drafting a detailed legal advice letter or other legal documents. The Clinic also offers students at all stages of their degree opportunities to participate in pro bono projects, for example working on criminal appeals in the Clinic or providing advocacy for welfare benefits cases in the Tribunal, as well as our ground-breaking Summer Placement Scheme offering legal experience to a selected group of first year students. The Clinic works to the highest of professional standards; students and staff have won national awards for their work Mooting and negotiation competitions give our students the opportunity to apply their skills in a practical way. With mooting, for example, two legal teams compete in presenting a legal argument and the winner is not the team who would win the legal point, but the team who presented their argument well, answered questions accurately and addressed the court correctly. The formative rounds are judged by a member of staff and the finals are judged by practising barristers or judges. These competitions are a fun way for students to develop their presentation skills and to test out their research skills on a new area of law. Placements in a legal firm or chambers are often offered as prizes to members of the winning team. |
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What services does the Careers and Employability Team offer? |
The Law School provides information on a range of placement opportunities, typically offering student the chance to spend 2-3 weeks during the summer break working within an international law firm or alongside in-house lawyers in major commercial companies. Students applying for placements are supported in preparing their applications by the Careers and Employability Service.Many local firms of solicitors and barristers chambers offer placements to winners of student competitions such as moots. In addition, participating in the Law School professional mentoring scheme often leads to an offer of a legal placement. |
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Are there visits and events to support Careers and Employability for students?
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Yes, the School of Law holds a dedicated events series (Law Extra) for all Law students to attend, these events/talks take place throughout the academic year during teaching weeks. All of these events will be publicised to students via our various communication outlets across the school and wider University. |
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Will I be able to take part in practical legal experiences, such as the Law Clinic this year?
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The Law Clinic is a key part of the Law School and there are opportunities available to students who both volunteer or choose the Law Clinic as a module. The work of the Law Clinic is an essential asset for those whom it supports, particularly in times of difficulty, so we ensure the work of the Law Clinic continues for our community, as much as for our students. For more about the Law Clinic, head to the Law Clinic webpages. There will also be a range of other experiences that we will ensure are available to students wherever feasible, and these will be advertised throughout the year through the Department and the Careers and Employability team. |
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What kind of links do you have with members of the legal profession? |
Members of the local profession are actively involved in the Liverpool Law School, participating in student-led activities including professional networking sessions, supporting pro-bono activities and the mooting competition. For individual students, we offer a professional mentoring scheme, where students are assigned to a local barrister or solicitor who will act as their mentor. The mentor will provide careers advice and assistance to their mentees on a personal and individual basis. Many of our students who have participated in the scheme have been offered work experience and placement opportunities as a result of taking part. |
Support Services
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What support is available at the School of Law and Social Justice? |
The School of Law and Social Justice has a dedicated support team based within the Student Experience team who can provide a wide range of support during your studies. The Learning, Teaching and Support Officers are your first point of contact if you need any support. They can help to assess what support you need and put you in contact with the relevant central teams who specialise in different areas. They can also help students to gain further academic support if it is required, any extenuating circumstances, exam extensions and more. |
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What support services does the University offer? |
Whether you are new to our University community or returning for another year of study, we know it can be a stressful time. The University’s Student Services team offer comprehensive support to all students across a number of areas including:
If you would rather talk to a fellow student, our Peer Mentoring programme connects students with a student mentor - for guidance, support or just someone to chat with. |
Extra-curricular opportunities
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What kinds of societies are available to join within my Department?
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Alongside the huge range of clubs and societies across the University, there are a number of societies specific to Law subjects, which students may want to join. These help students show a genuine interest in their subject, gain useful contacts within the industry and explore topics and issues in greater depth beyond the curriculum. In Law, there are a number of societies that reflect some of the common interest areas and career paths, these include:
For more information on the societies available at the university head to the Guild’s website. They are all student led and, if there is a new society that doesn’t already exist, you can set your up with support from the Guild. |
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Will I be able to get a part-time job whilst studying? |
At Liverpool we recognise that part-time work is an increasingly essential part of student life and do our best to help you fit work around your studies. Legally you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week, though the University recommends that you work no more than 15. As well as sourcing part-time work yourself, Careers and Employability also advertise local job vacancies - both inside and outside academia. Visit the Careers and Employability website for more information. |
Opportunities after Graduating
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What type of jobs can I apply for after graduating? |
Studying law doesn't mean you have to become a solicitor or barrister; many options beyond the legal profession will be open to you as a Law degree from the University of Liverpool demonstrates a strong set of transferrable skills which are highly valuable in a number of different industries. Job options directly related to your degree include:
Jobs where your degree would be useful include:
Our awarding winning Careers and Employability team offer a diverse programme of opportunities to our students. Throughout their degree programme, students are offered expert advice from a specialist Law Careers Advisor. Students can take advantage of tailored workshops on all aspects of legal careers, including how to secure a training contract, application form clinics, mock interviews and Solicitors Qualification Examination/Bar Professional Training Course workshops. We also hold an annual Law Careers Fair, which offers students an excellent opportunity to explore their career options, network with potential employers, seek work experience and receive advice from industry professionals. |
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What can I do with my Law degree? |
A law degree covers the foundation subjects that are required for entry in the legal profession. But the understanding of legal implications and obligations, combined with the ability to apply this knowledge in practice, is valuable in many parts of the public, private and voluntary sectors. The range of skills that a law degree provides includes:
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| How does work experience help and what opportunities are available? |
Employers value work experience as it can help to demonstrate that you have the skills they are looking for. Work experience that's directly related to the legal profession includes carrying out a mini-pupillage. This involves work experience and shadowing that lasts for one week in a set of chambers. Details of this can be found at the Pupillage Gateway. You can also search for law vacation placements in solicitors' firms. You could also try Judge Marshalling, a form of work experience that allows a participant to accompany a judge at a particular court for a short period of time. The opportunity to marshal a judge in court for a few days is generally available for any university law students wishing to learn about trial processes and advocacy skills through watching barristers or solicitors in action. |