Law (LLB) (Full-time evening study) - 2013/2014 entry

The LLB is accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and students awarded the degree will be entitled to receive a Certificate of Completion of the Academic Stage of Legal Education for solicitors. It is also recognised by the Bar Standards Board as a Qualifying Law Degree for the purposes of completing the Academic Stage of Training for the Bar. The degree is accredited as LLB Law.

This programme is aimed at students who are working during the day, although we recommend that you do not work more than 20 hours per week during term-time in order to devote sufficient time to your studies. Classes take place in the evenings, which means that you have the unique opportunity to study full-time while gaining valuable work experience. You will be taught under the guidance of research-active staff, experienced in the needs of working students.

The first year provides an introduction to the basic concepts and methods of legal study and the classification of the common law. The following two years build on the knowledge gained in the first year and allow you to engage in in-depth study of the core subjects that lead to qualifying law degree status. Each year allows for some degree of specialisation, with the choice of one option in each year, one of which may be a dissertation.

Year 1

• Induction Course
• Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Law of Obligations I (Contract Law)
• Legal Methods and Legal Systems
• Law of Obligations II (Tort).

Year 2

• Criminal Law
• Property Law I (Land)
• 2 option modules (subject to availability): Family Law; Evidence; Criminal Justice; Human Rights; Labour Law; Medical Law; Refugee Law; Foundations of Company Law; Advanced Studies in Company Law; Private International Law; Public International Law; Multinational Enterprises and the Law; and Law and Commercial Relationships.

Year 3

• Legal Theory I and Legal Theory II
• Law of the European Union
• Law of Property II (Equity and Trusts)
• option module chosen from a range, which may include those listed under Year 2 above, plus Intellectual Property; Legal Practice; and a dissertation.

We offer dedicated academic skills workshops and have an academic support officer, who runs a study skills programme and can advise on academic matters, including advice on essay writing, time-management, efficient reading and note-taking, giving presentations and participating in seminars.

A range of extra-curricular activities are organised throughout the year. You will be able to hear guest speakers of international renown and can join our Student Law Society. An annual retreat takes place at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park, which allows students to explore a range of contemporary issues in law with specialist speakers. Students can also participate in our successful mooting programme, where advocacy training is given by experienced practising barristers, as well as attend our careers evening and get information on career opportunities.

Our study resources include extended office hours (10am–6pm) to reflect the needs of students who work during the day and technology such as electronic learning environments, film and podcasts to enhance teaching and learning.Student can access one to one tutorial support for their core modules via the School of Law's telephone tuition line. Read more about our range of teaching and learning resources. 

Birkbeck Library has an extensive teaching collection of books, journals and electronic resources in law and related disciplines such as economics, politics and sociology. For example, it provides access to over 17,000 electronic journals, including specialist law journals such as Westlaw UK and Lexus Library, which are available online 24 hours a day.

We offer a range of postgraduate programmes (LLM and MA) in various areas of law.

Many graduates go on to vocational training and obtain solicitors training contracts or pupillages in barristers' chambers. Others use the degree to develop their existing career, to further their academic skills, or as preparation for postgraduate study.

Find out more about the career advice and information we offer.

All teaching is in the evening, and full-time students will study four modules per year, made up of three core modules and one option module in each year of study. Lectures and seminars for core modules take place in one-hour slots on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays between 6pm–9pm. Option modules are taught on a Monday evening, in 90-minute slots, at either 6pm–7.30pm or 7.30pm–9pm, depending on the module chosen. You will need to attend on a maximum of four evenings per week.

Read our welcome information and sample timetable.

Media work

Find out about the School of Law and our staff's work with the media.

Background reading

It is recommended, although not obligatory, that students do a certain amount of preparatory reading, both so as to start thinking about legal systems and other forms of regulation or discipline and so as to prepare the ground for the subject-matter of the first year. The module outlines include references to introductory textbooks and to course texts. These are suggested books and readings but it is not recommended to purchase a textbook until after the introductory lecture in the subject in question. Programmes will be taught by a combination of lectures and seminars or tutorials. Lecturers and tutors will provide students with additional reading materials as well as essay and problem questions.

• F Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Penguin)
• F Kafka, The Trial (Penguin)
• J Griffith, The Politics of the Judiciary (Fontana Press)
• H Kennedy, Eve was Framed (Penguin)
• D Rose, In the Name of the Law (Vintage) 1996.

Assessment guidance

During your LLB, you will encounter a range of assessment methods. These include essays, problem questions, seen and unseen exams, open and closed book exams, group projects, dissertations and oral presentations. The reason for this is that we are keen to ensure that you acquire a toolkit of skills over time.

The LLB examinations are usually scheduled during the period mid-May to early June, although dates are not confirmed until early March. Resit examinations usually take place in the first week of September. Examinations take place during the day, starting either at 10am or 2.30pm.

For those with little recent experience of writing academic essays or sitting exams, the academic support officer runs workshops throughout the year to help students brush up on their skills.

Each year the School awards a number of prizes to those students who have been particularly successful.

As a student here, you will get a range of study skills support:

• Induction course: this is held during the first weeks of term and is aimed at introducing you to the reading and understanding of a case, to following a legal argument and judgment, and reading and drafting legal language. These are skills that are necessary throughout the four years of the course. Very few students will have any prior knowledge of these skills, so this course aims to introduce you to some of the techniques specific to the discipline of law. First-year students will be given an induction pack which contains a lot of useful advice about studying law.
• Mentoring: our mentoring scheme pairs current students with Birkbeck law graduates and provides additional support for those students who would most benefit from it. Mentors can provide advice and guidance on how to manage work and study and how to draft curricula vitae and prepare for employment interviews. They also give general support.
• Personal tutors: all students are assigned a personal tutor for the duration of their studies. In your first year, you will see your tutor at least three times, and in subsequent years at least twice. The function of the personal tutor is to provide one-on-one academic support and guidance.
• Developing your skills: during your time with us, we expect you to acquire a number of different skills that will allow you to use your knowledge effectively. Our programme is based on the notion that we should introduce you to skills, give you time to acquire them, practice them and then assess you. During induction, we undertake a skills audit. Students who find that they need extra support in study or computer skills will be advised as to where they can go to get additional help by a member of the induction team. Each course focuses on a particular set of skills to be acquired or matured. However over time we have discovered that some students need additional help in skills acquisition. Our students can get help from their lecturer, seminar tutor, personal tutor or the academic support officer, as all of these will provide practical support and advice.
• Residential weekend for LLB students: every September, the School of Law organises a residential weekend away at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The Lodge is the ideal location for students to find time to reflect on the broader themes emerging across the LLB programme.
  Each year we choose a topic such as the ‘environment’ or ‘children’ and invite specialists to come and talk to our students about current legal debates in the area. As well as providing intellectual stimulation, the weekend provides an excellent opportunity for students to meet with each other and staff in informal surroundings. A different theme is selected for each year and past seminars have included: Law and Discrimination; Access to Justice; Asylum; Privacy; Law and Violence; Human Rights; Law and the Environment; Law, Culture and Crime and European Law; Children and the law; Law and Film; Dispute Resolution; Judges and Judging.

You can also take get the following support through Birkbeck services:

• help with study skills and other learning support issues.
• if you have a recognised disability or dyslexia, you can get support from our disability experts. Read about our full range of disability and dyslexia support.
• the Birkbeck Library offers a full range of support, from inductions, to specialist subject support. 

Applications for entry will only be considered through UCAS.

Welcome to Birkbeck, London's evening university: Number 1 in London for teaching and student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2012).

Birkbeck specialises in part-time, evening study. The Key Information Set has been developed for full-time, daytime courses. We are providing some additional information about our evening courses to help you make an informed choice.