Law shapes our society and influences every aspect of our lives. It defines our obligations and legal requirements, serves to regulate and define relationships and provides a means of redress when problems arise. To study Law is not only to study a challenging subject, but also to study the rules, principles and policies that underpin society. This degree gives you a theoretical and philosophical grounding in Law, as well as the ability to engage in its practical study and application.
To succeed in Law you will need to be able to think logically, enjoy solving problems, have a good eye for detail, be able to argue your point and test the views and opinions of others. The law we explore together is intellectually stimulating and rewarding, and a natural choice for those who are actively curious about current affairs, rules, principles, society, morality, ethics, the role of the state and value of the individual.
The Law LLB (a Qualifying Law Degree) sets out to give you the opportunity to study law in a contemporary, contextual and reflective setting. Our aim is to go beyond a perception of law as a set of rules to be learned and to encourage you to evaluate and critique current law and practice, to understand their theoretical foundations, to develop a thorough understanding of their social and ethical context and, in the context of professional ethics and client care, to analyse and reflect upon the role and identity of the professional in contemporary society.
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 15-20 students, and tutorials which typically have no more than 10 students. You will also have the opportunity to have a one-to-one meeting with your tutor each week.
In your first year of study, there are approximately 12 teaching hours each week, which reduces to approximately 10 teaching hours in your second and third years. On top of teaching hours, you are also expected to spend a number of hours studying independently each week, as well as studying in groups to prepare for any group assessments you may have.
The Solicitors' Regulation Authority has recognised Liverpool Hope University's LLB Law degree as a Qualifying Law Degree. This means that once you graduate from Liverpool Hope, you will be able to progress onto a Legal Practice Course or a Bar Professional Training Course.
Throughout your studies, you will have a number of assessments each year, including written exams, essays, reports, and portfolios.
You will be given written feedback on your assessments, and you will have the opportunity to discuss this with your tutor in more detail.
In your first year, you will study Core Law, which consists of three of the seven Foundations in Legal Knowledge subjects such as Public Law, Criminal Law and Contract Law. You will be taught by lectures followed by seminars, where the subject of lectures will be explored in further detail. There are also weekly tutorials which will provide an opportunity feedback on your work. Tutorials will also cover study skills, discussions and presentations.
Public Law explores the dynamic nature of constitutional and administrative law in the UK. This topic pays particular attention to the legislation, case law, treaties, history, politics, values and related phenomena that have shaped and continue to shape the British Constitution. Along the way, you will encounter key subjects such as parliamentary supremacy, separation of powers, the rule of law, judicial review, and human rights, all of which are essential to understanding constitutional and administrative law in the UK today. The topic also considers select issues from a comparative law angle.
This topic develops your understanding of Criminal Law as a particular subject in all its complexity. This involves a broad understanding of the conditions of criminal liability, the analytic structure of crime and its integral components (actus reus, mens rea and defences), and last but not least the machinery of Criminal Law in England and Wales. You will explore the political, social and philosophical background of Criminal Law by investigating its policies, aspirations and purposes in a modern (liberal) society. You also explore the legal framework which is common in every specific crime. Finally, you will deal with specific crimes such as murder, theft, fraud and sexual assaults.
In this subject, you will develop an understanding of the importance of Contract Law in commercial life and private settings and how contract problems may be approached and resolved. Emphasis is placed on developing a critical understanding of key principles of Contract law, as well as the ways in which its principles relate to the practical aspects of contractual relationships. Attention is focused on the ways in which legislation, common law, and equity have influenced the development of Contract law, as well as the impact of social, economic and business factors on case law during the last few hundred years.
You will also be exposed to the policy issues raised by Contract law. The approach that is adopted in the teaching of Contract Law is very much a problem-solving one. Topics include the nature, development and theory of Contract law; formation; formalities; contractual capacity; contractual terms and their interpretation; vitiating factors; termination of contracts and remedies. You will find this area of law interesting, challenging and relevant to your future career.
Legal Method is defined by Ian McLeod as “the techniques that are available to lawyers when they are handling the law.” You are introduced to a range of skills that you will then draw on explicitly throughout your degree, including legal research, case analysis, statutory interpretation and legal reasoning. These skills, together with the more generic skills of oral and written communication, are developed extensively at every level.
As well as studying an Introduction to Law (Core), you will also undertake Additional subjects of Legal Theory and Ethics, Legal Praxis, and Criminal Process and Criminal Evidence These subjects not only provide an opportunity to analyse and discover different concepts of Law and procedural devices, but to put the legal skills that you have acquired throughout the year into practice.
This topic concentrates exclusively on criminal rather than civil evidence. It provides a critical insight into the modern law of criminal evidence in England and Wales. You will be invited to change your perspective and understand criminal adjudication as a decision-making process under uncertainty. A recurrent theme of the topic is the main procedural devices of the Law of Evidence: burden of proof, standard of proof, legal presumptions and the presumption of innocence. We examine how the police and the prosecution services gather evidence, especially confessions, from suspects and how the law regulates the admissibility, relevance and probative force of the evidence. Focus will be on the following themes and topics:
The societal context of the theory and practice of law is woven pervasively into different law subject areas. You will encounter a number of legal subjects in an applied manner, developing your advocacy, negotiation, interviewing and legal drafting skills. There is an opportunity for you to reflect on your own sense of professional identity and ethic, as well as encountering the various codes and standards that applies in the modern professional environment.
Law lies at the heart of our social and political life. In this subject, you will explore the main schools of thought which have analysed what law is conceptually. The theory and doctrine of the law (commonly called Jurisprudence) illuminates the structural relationship between law, politics, and society while also paying attention to universal questions of justice, rights, and morality. It analyses the nature and purpose of our legal system, and its practice by courts, lawyers, and judges.
Year two core subjects include EU Law, Land Law (two “Foundations in Legal Knowledge subjects”), and Business Law. Whilst you learn about these specific subjects, you are also taught general legal skills that aim to develop your critical thinking, logical and analytical reasoning, problem solving, mediation, negotiation and teamwork skills.
You build upon your knowledge and understanding of the key concepts that underpin the Constitutional and Administrative Law arrangements within the English Legal System. This theme aims to investigate the foundations, institutional law and constitutional principles of the European Union and on these bases explores the rights and freedoms that European Union Law affords the citizens of Europe. EU Internal Market and EU Competition Law are at the heart of these freedoms.
You will critically analyse the principles governing the English system of ownership, use and occupation of land and the concurrent rights of third parties in land. Land law must find a way to apply concepts that are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old to the very latest technologies for transferring and registering land, and do so in a way that means we maximise its use. This unit takes a critical approach to English Land Law’s ongoing efforts to meet these challenges.
Business Law will include encounters with aspects of Company Law, Partnership Law, and the Law relating to Sole Traders. In essence, this topic covers the law relating to business organisations, the most important of which is the limited liability company. The limited company (both private and public) is the entity that lies at the heart of economic activity in Europe and most of the rest of the developed world, so the rules that govern how companies are organised and behave have an impact on the lives of everyone in the community. You will go beyond the rules and constitution of the company to critically examine how Business Law attempts to achieve the correct balance between encouraging enterprise and curbing abuse.
Your second year also allows you to study the following additional subjects: International Law, Justice, Life & Law, and Law in Action. From studying these subjects, you will learn how to distinguish and differentiate different sources and sectors of Law (i.e. national and international laws using customs, treaties, and statutes in a public or private law sector). You will be given the opportunity to debate and discuss key issues surrounding Law, Ethics and Justice, as well as being able to consider an area of ‘Law in Action.’
This theme concentrates on active enquiry within a relevant law subject area. For example, the subject for 2017/18 was Environmental Law which offered active learning opportunities to explore the value of the environment as an object of legal protection. (N.B The content of this subject is varied each academic year.)
You will study some key concepts and contemporary debates on law, ethics, justice and the environment (life). This topic builds on Legal Theory and Ethics which you study in your first year, and presents an expanded exploration of concepts of law and ethics, and an enhanced exploration of contemporary issues of law and life understood in terms of social justice and environmental sustainability. A reading of a Course core text of Capra & Mattei, An Ecology of Law: Towards A Legal System in Tune with Nature and Community (2015) forms the centre of this topic.
Law is studied as a globalised legal system regulating the relations between states. It focuses first on the relevant institutions, the sources of international law as well as the concept of international legal personality and statehood. The substantive part consists, for example, of the use of force, the title to territory, the right to self-determination as well as the law of the sea. You will also study Conflict of laws, which deals with transactions between private individuals, rather than with those directly implicating States or international organisations.
In the final year of your LLB Law degree, you will undertake a 45 credit “Advanced Studies in Law”, consisting of two topics selected from a range of topic options supported by the Law School.
Advanced Studies in Law will be delivered by means of lectures followed by seminars, with an enhanced focus upon student learning autonomy and contribution. Dissertation projects will have been provisionally specified towards the end of your second year, and will be supported by named tutor supervision and guidance through your third year, up to the submission date in late Spring.
You will build on the knowledge of equitable principles to which you were introduced to in the related subject of Land Law in your second year. You will critically analyse the role of trusts in their social and economic context and develop an appreciation of the nature of fiduciary relationships, drawing links with similar themes in Company Law. Equitable remedies are also included in the curriculum and related to learning in other elements of the degree, including Contract and Tort.
This topic considers the nature of Tort Law through a focused exploration of the Tort of Negligence. The Tort of Negligence concerns private law liability for damage caused to property, persons, and exceptionally for economic loss, where the party causing the damage is at fault. The topic moves through the full extent and depth of the Law of Negligence, cumulatively building a holistic engagement with the nature of Tort Law and the Law of Negligence.
You also choose two from the following to study:
You are introduced to sports law, international sports law and global sports law. You will learn about various aspects of sports law including anti-doping policies, legal issues in sports, the FIFA transfer system, corruption in sport, and the influence of Brexit on sports industry and law.
This theme explores the legal procedures and laws around death. You will look at wills, inheritance tax and the administration of estates.
You will look at some of the most emotive and contentious medical laws. You will study the doctor-patient relationship, medical paternalism and the ethical principles underpinning the doctrine of informed consent, medical negligence and medical confidentiality.
You are introduced to medical oaths, declarations and codes promulgated since 1947. You will also master the profound ethical and medico-legal issues of today such as abortion, donation and transplantation of organs, sterilisation, assisted dying, embryo experimentation, creating property rights in the human body, and biomedical human research.
NB: These options are subject to change dependent on staff specialties.
You will complete a research project on a legal topic which falls under the expertise of our current Law School Staff.
During the August/September admissions period we are able to offer some flexibility in our entry requirements for courses that still have vacancies.
We are also offering a Foundation Year on many of our courses for students who have the ability and enthusiasm to study for a degree, but do not yet have the qualification level to enter directly onto our degree programmes.
Please call us to discuss the options available to you: 0151 291 3111
This Qualifying Law Degree enables you to continue onto qualification courses - the Legal Practice Course (LPC) for those wishing to qualify as solicitors and the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) for those wishing to qualify as barristers. Many of our recent graduates have gone on to have careers as barristers, solicitors or general careers in the legal profession.
The Law LLB degree includes a range of subject knowledge, intelligences and skills appropriate for the modern legal services sector. It has been designed by academics and specialist practitioners: barristers, solicitors and the judiciary. In this way we aim to produce graduates who can demonstrate an adaptable approach to problem solving, an ability to work in a diverse range of situations and subject areas and who have a real concern and regard for their client groups and service users. We believe that it is these graduates who will have a real advantage in the workplace and are likely to be well regarded by prospective employers.
Whilst studying Law we offer a range of placement opportunities and internships with local law firms, charities and small businesses.
The Service and Leadership Award (SALA) is offered as an extra-curricular programme involving service-based experiences, development of leadership potential and equipping you for a career in a rapidly changing world. It enhances your degree, it is something which is complimentary but different and which has a distinct ‘value-added’ component. Find out more on our Service and Leadership Award page.
As part of your degree, you can choose to spend either a semester or a full year of study at one of our partner universities as part of our Study Abroad programme. Find out more on our Study Abroad page.
The tuition fees for 2019/20 are £9,250 for full-time undergraduate courses.
If you are a student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, your tuition fees will also be £9,250.
The University reserves the right to increase Home and EU Undergraduate and PGCE tuition fees in line with any inflationary or other increase authorised by the Secretary of State for future years of study.
On top of your tuition fees, you need approximately £10 to cover the cost of transport to fieldtrips, and in your second and third years, you need approximately £150 per year to purchase core textbooks.
You will also need to consider the cost of your accommodation each year whilst you study at university. Visit our accommodation page for further details about our Halls of Residence.
We have a range of scholarships to help with the cost of your studies. Visit our scholarships page to find out more.
The International tuition fees for 2019/2020 entry will be released in due course.
Visit our International fees page for more information.