Law (Senior Status) - LLB (Hons)

Course structure

Duration: 2 years full-time

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. 

All modules listed below are compulsory, with the exception of Company Law and Capitalism and the Law of Evidence, which may be substituted for other optional modules offered by the Law School. Please also note that the choice available in the first year is limited and dependent on space available on optional modules at the time of entry, with the choice usually defaulted to Company Law and Capitalism (subject to confirmation by the student).

Teaching and assessment

Kent Law School emphasises research-led teaching which means that the modules taught are at the leading edge of new legal and policy developments. All of our research-active staff teach so you are taught by influential thinkers who are at the forefront of their field. We also have one of the best student-to-staff ratios in the country, which allows small, weekly seminar-group teaching in all of our core modules.

Most modules are assessed by end-of-year examinations and continuous assessment, the ratio varying from module to module, with Kent encouraging and supporting the development of research and written skills. Some modules include an optional research-based dissertation that counts for 45% or, in some cases, 100% of the final mark. 

Assessment can also incorporate assessment through oral presentation and argument, often in the style of legal practice (such as mooting), and client-based work and reflection through our Law Clinic.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

• attract and meet the needs of both those contemplating a career in the legal professions and those motivated primarily by an intellectual interest in law and legal issues
• provide a sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the principal institutions and procedures of the English legal system
• provide a sound grounding in the major concepts and principles of English law, the law of the European Union, and the European Convention on Human Rights
• develop a critical awareness of law in its historical, socio-economic and political contexts, and to introduce students to a range of different theoretical approaches to the study of law
• offer a range of modules covering the foundations of legal knowledge, as defined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board, which will enable students who successfully complete them to obtain a qualifying law degree
• offer a range of options to enable students to study some selected areas of areas of law in depth
• provide teaching that is informed by current research and scholarship and that requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge
• offer the opportunity to acquire direct experience of legal practice and to critically reflect on it through participation in the University Law Clinic
• enable students to manage their own learning and to carry out independent research, including research into areas of law they have not previously studied
• develop general critical, analytical and problem-solving skills which can be applied in a wide range of different legal and non-legal settings
• provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in the legal professions and other fields.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• the principal features of the English legal system, including its institutions, procedures and sources of law
• the principal features of the European Union
• the concepts, principles and rules of a substantial range of English legal subjects, including an in-depth knowledge of some areas of law and, depending on options, an in-depth knowledge of the law of the European Union, International law and Comparative law
• the relationship between law and the historical, linguistic, socio-economic and political contexts in which it operates
• a range of theoretical, comparative and critical perspectives, which can be applied to the study of law.

Intellectual skills

You develop the intellectual skills to:

• effectively apply knowledge to analyse complex issues
• recognise and rank items and issues in terms of their relevance and importance
• collect and synthesise information from a variety of sources
• formulate and sustain a complex argument, supporting it with appropriate evidence.
• recognise potential alternative solutions to particular problems and make a reasoned choice between them
• independently acquire knowledge and understanding in areas, both legal and non-legal, not previously studied
• demonstrate an independence of mind and an ability to critically challenge received understandings and conclusions
• reflect constructively on your own learning processes.

Subject-specific skills

Application & problem solving

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

• recognise the legal issues arising in a complex factual situation
• identify and apply the case and statute law relevant to it
• provide an informed and reasoned opinion on the possible legal actions arising from it, and their likelihood of success.

Sources, research and evaluation

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

• identify the legal and related issues that require to be researched
• effectively locate and use primary and secondary legal and other relevant sources
• conduct independent legal research using paper and electronic resources
• critically evaluate an area of law both doctrinally and in terms of its socio-economic and other consequences.

Transferable skills

Communication and literacy

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

• use, orally and in writing, the English language in relation to legal matters and generally, with care, accuracy and effectiveness
• engage constructively and effectively in arguments and discussions of complex matters
• give a clear and coherent presentation on a topic using appropriate supporting materials
• read complex legal and non-legal materials and summarise them accurately
• employ correct legal terminology and correct methods of citation and referencing for legal and other academic materials
• produce work in appropriate formats.

Teamwork, numeracy and IT

On successful completion of the programme, students should be able to:

• work collaboratively in groups to achieve defined tasks, to respond to different points of view and to negotiate outcomes
• present and evaluate information in a numerical or statistical form
• word process work and use a range of electronic databases and other information sources.

Careers

Graduate destinations

The University has an excellent employment record, with Kent Law School graduates commanding some of the highest starting salaries in the UK. Law graduates can go into a variety of careers, including:

• solicitor or barrister in a private practice
• company lawyer
• legal work within government
• legal work within the charity and NGO sector
• non-legal careers, such as banking, finance and management.

A large number of Senior Status students are from outside England and Wales, and pursue qualification in their home jurisdiction upon graduation - for example, Canadian students will commonly return to Canada to meet NCA requirements and pursue qualification as lawyers.

Help finding a job

Kent Law School has an active careers programme – leading law firms and prominent members of the legal profession visit the University to meet our students. We also work with employers to create work placement opportunities for our students.

The Law School's dedicated Employability and Careers Development Officer can give you advice on how to:

• apply for jobs
• write a good CV
• perform well in interviews.

You also have access to the University's friendly Careers and Employability Service.

Work experience

Our award-winning Kent Law Clinic gives local people access to free legal advice and representation. As a student, this gives you the chance to work on real cases under the guidance of qualified lawyers. You take on clients and sometimes have the chance to act as the client’s advocate in court or at a legal tribunal.

Career-enhancing skills

Our approach to law helps you to develop:

• a detailed knowledge of the law
• sophisticated legal research and writing skills
• practical skills in mediation, negotiation and interviewing clients.

You gain intellectual, analytical and practical skills that are vital to lawyers but also useful in many other professions. These include the ability to:

• think critically
• communicate your ideas and opinions
• manage your time effectively
• work independently or as part of a team.

You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.

Professional recognition

Our degree programmes contain the foundations of legal knowledge required by the Bar Standards Board to satisfy the academic component of professional training for intending barristers. For entrants in 2021 who wish to qualify as a solicitor, our programmes can lead to the award of a Qualifying Law Degree, validated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They also provide a strong foundation for students who wish to take the Solicitors Qualifying Examinations (SQE).

Our critical approach to law and legal practice enables students to develop creative intellectual and transferable skills which prepare them for contemporary legal practice – in the UK and worldwide, and for successful careers in many fields.