Law with Professional Legal Practice

Law with Professional Legal Practice - LLB (Hons)

Would you like to make a difference in the world with a career in law? Law with Professional Legal Practice will prepare you with the foundations of legal knowledge and a hands-on approach to practising law. You will be equipped with the necessary skills for employment in the legal field where you will demonstrate your expertise and ability to communicate with fellow legal professionals as well as critically evaluate and research legal issues.

Year of entry

2023

Course type

Single Honours

Location

Keele University campus

Subject area / School

School of Law

UCAS code

M101

Duration of study

3 years / 4 years with international or placement year

Enquire about this course Book an open day Chat to students

Why study Law with Professional Legal Practice at Keele University?

Global Top 250 for Law (Times Higher Education World University Subject Rankings, 2023)

Explore all core foundational areas of law

Designed to provide experience in key areas of legal practice including Civil and Criminal litigation, Conveyancing, Wills & Probate and Business Law and Practice

Prepare for a career as a legal professional through Legal Advice Clinics, CLOCK initiative, skills competitions and work placements

Global Top 100 for International Outlook, Law (Times Higher Education World University Subject Rankings, 2023)

Course overview

Law with Professional Legal Practice is dedicated to a wealth of practical experience that will allow you to develop the required attributes for a career in law. You will delve deep into the core study of law and explore a range of areas of legal practice including criminal and civil litigation.

You will participate in a range of activities that allow you to develop and refine the practical legal skills which are critical to a career within the profession such as communication, client management, drafting, interviewing, and researching. You will gain insight into the diverse areas of the legal profession enabling you to explore the different areas of Law in a supportive environment. Your legal skillset will enable you to demonstrate your competence to future employers and will help to progress your career within the legal profession.

You will be equipped to critically analyse and consider the appropriate techniques and concepts for approaching a range of legal issues which will involve evaluating legal content to determine and specify proposals, as well as creating strong arguments for court cases.

Your first year will provide you with a strong grounding in the structure of the English legal system and in core subjects such as public law, the law of contracts, tort law and property law. It will also equip you with essential skills required for studying law, including researching legislation and case-law, reading judgments and legal writing.

In your second year, you will study remedies, the law of real property, criminal law and EU law, alongside two elective modules each semester.

In addition, you will start your journey into Professional Legal Practice with Civil Litigation which takes you through the practical application of the law by interviewing and advising a client and taking the role of a trainee solicitor acting for Claimant or Defendant. You will also study Residential Conveyancing where you will learn the practice and procedure of a conveyancing transaction.

In your final year, you will study the law of trust and contemporary case law critique, alongside three electives each semester tailored to your interests or career aspirations.

Your PLP modules in this year include Business Law and Practice, The Practice of Criminal Litigation, Wills Probate and Drafting. All will immerse you in the world of legal practice and help enhance your practical legal skills and knowledge of procedure.

Preparation for your career

During your studies, you will learn how to research, read and analyse case and statute law. Answering the legal problem questions, used in many of our law modules, will help develop your problem solving skills and give you experience applying the law to factual situations.

We offer a variety of additional opportunities for you to prepare for your career including Legal Advice Clinics, our CLOCK initiative and legal skills competitions. These are valuable, practical experiences that will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and apply your learning to real-life scenarios.

We also have links with partner organisations including the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Crown Prosecution Service and law firms in Birmingham, Manchester and London.

Legal Advice Clinics

At Keele, we have dedicated Legal Advice Clinics where, upon successful application, you will be trained and supervised by experienced Solicitors to deliver legal services, from the start of the client enquiry through to the resolution of their query. You will learn how to interview and advise clients, research the law using practitioner databases, and give practical legal advice. You may be involved in drafting legal documents and court forms as well as advising clients in writing and in meetings.

This valuable legal work experience will be advantageous to your professional development. You can record your experience on HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report) to showcase your volunteer work at university and use as your portfolio when you graduate.

Divorce Clinic - You will meet clients and advise on eligibility to divorce, and continue to help them navigate the various court forms required. You will research the law, draft divorce proceedings, court documents, and gain real life experience of helping clients at a difficult time in their lives. You will be responsible for keeping the client updated throughout the proceedings, learning in a safe supervised environment.

We offer our services online and in person so have a variety of clients across the country.
Commercial Clinic – Based online and at the Smart Innovation Hub (SIH) at Keele University, you will work with small businesses, entrepreneurs and employers to provide advice on a variety of areas of commercial law. You will advise on how to trade, for example as a partnership or company.

You will advise on the duties of directors in a company as well as drafting and amending terms and conditions of business for a variety of businesses. This commercial legal work experience provides an introduction to the work commonly done by general commercial lawyers at many law firms and provides a valuable legal service to start ups and SMEs. You will have the opportunity to have direct links with businesses in a working environment.

Community Legal Outreach Collaboration Keele (CLOCK)

Our Law School’s pioneering Community Legal Outreach Collaboration Keele (CLOCK), co-created a multi-agency collaboration with the Stoke Family Court, law firms, mediators the Citizens Advice Bureau, Domestic and Sexual Abuse survivor support services, to design the unique and innovative role of the Community Legal Companion to assist litigants in person through the court process.

This opportunity is available between your 2nd and 3rd year of study where, upon successful application, you will be trained by court staff, solicitors, barristers, mediators and domestic abuse and sexual abuse support services to understand the complex needs of litigants in person, in a variety of civil legal issues, including:

Child arrangements
Suspending evictions
Non-molestation order
Small claims

You will be trained by the partnership as a Community Legal Companion to signpost for legal aid and where not available, assist within the remit of the McKenzie Friend principles to assist:

Filling in court forms
Arrange court paperwork
Accompany in court proceedings
Note taking

Mooting (A mock appeal hearing on a point of law)

Challenge your peers through mooting competitions and showcase your knowledge through practice. You will apply your research, writing and presentation skills in the staged legal environment we have here at Keele as a traditional court room setup. This experience will help you to build confidence when working independently as well as a team. You will learn how to work effectively under pressure and how to meet deadlines but you will also develop and refine your public speaking skills and ability to convey robust arguments which is critical within the legal profession.

You may have the opportunity to get involved with national and international skills competitions including Client Interviewing and Negotiation which you can document and use to support future job applications. Such events sometimes attract members of the bar and legal academics, providing a great networking opportunity.

Stand out from the crowd

Placement Year

Taking a placement year between 2nd and 3rd year is a valuable opportunity to make connections and build a network of professionals within you chosen field. Your experience will help you with deciding upon your career path and allow you to showcase your abilities in the workplace. the field. We will support you as you seek to find an appropriate placement and help you prepare for it.

International Year

Enhance your career prospects with an International Year at one of our partner institutions. Utilising this opportunity between 2nd and 3rd year can help in your employment search to stand out from the crowd and broaden your horizons, potentially working across the globe.

You will evidence your experience with a project submission and on successful completion of all modules across the year, you will graduate with an enhanced degree title. Given the international demand and necessity for legal professionals, this opportunity can be highly beneficial in demonstrating your awareness of the international legal context but also your ability to immerse yourself into a different culture. You can find more information here.

Related courses

Next Steps

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"I learned and developed during my time on the law degree key skills such as legal research, problem solving and the ability to critically think and analyse which are all important for any future careers. Being an undergraduate student at Keele I was able to learn from academics who were at the cutting-edge of their research and tutors who were genuinely interested in helping us as students to develop and challenge ourselves."

Shamin, Law

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Additional opportunities

Foundation year Learn a language Placement year International year GCP Elective Pathways Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities available when studying this course.
Please note, undertaking one may impact upon the availability of another.

Entry requirements

Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom and International students.

A Level requirements

A Level requirement ABB / 128 tariff points

GCSE requirements

English at C (or 4)

BTEC

BTEC requirements DDM

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

H6, H5, H5 or 32 points overall

ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS

Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 128 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction

T-LEVELS

Distinction overall in:

Education and Childcare
Health
Digital Production, Design and Development
Digital Business Services
Digital Support Services
Media Broadcast and Production
Legal Services
Management and Administration

If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

Preparation programmes for international students

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

Next Steps

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Community Legal Outreach Collaboration Keele (CLOCK)

Founded 10 years ago, CLOCK began as a research project, listening to 'Voices of Experience'; a group of women from a domestic violence refuge, who shared their fears and proposals for how to support women going to court alone following the significant withdrawal of legal aid under LASPO, the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, 2012. CLOCK has been Highly Commended by the Attorney-General National Access to Justice Award, 2016, and the Green Gown Awards for 'Benefitting Society', 2019.

The Community Legal Companion role has been endorsed by the President of the Family Court and has been cascaded to 12 University Law Schools to operate in 8 court centres; Stoke, Brighton, Canterbury, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Oxford, Liverpool and York.

"Studying Law at Keele meant that not only did I learn the black letter law but also, due to the hard work of the Law School, meant that upon graduating I knew fully what to expect from the current legal market. I got involved with the Community Legal Outreach Collaboration programme which enabled me to give something back to the community whilst also strengthening my key employability skills. I have found that the skills I developed here have been really useful to discuss in job interviews or on applications for training contracts."

Alice, Law

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Modules

Modules for Law with Professional Legal Practice

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

COMPULSORY MODULES

OPTIONAL MODULES

Lawyers in Society
Management in Context
Why Politics Matters
Introduction to Law and Society
Introduction to International Business
Modern Democracies

COMPULSORY MODULES

OPTIONAL MODULES

Introduction to Public International Law
Law and ethics
Family Law - FHEQ Level 5
Key Concepts in Employment Law
Law in Action
Mental Health Law - FHEQ Level 5
Introduction to Law and Society: Theory and Practice
Civil Litigation
Residential Conveyancing

As a Law with Professional Legal Practice, you will usually follow two skills based optional modules.

COMPULSORY MODULES

Law of Trust
Contemporary Case Law Critique

OPTIONAL MODULES

Evidence
Child Law
Company Law
International Human Rights
Jurisprudence
Health Care Law
CAB Legal Research Placement
Advanced Criminal Law
Professional Legal Skills - Interviewing, Mediation and Advocacy
Contemporary Issues in Environmental Law
Dissertation (Double Module) - ISP
Gender, Sexuality & Law
Commercial Law
Transnational Crime
Law and New Technologies
CAB Legal Research Placement
Wills & Probate & Drafting
Residential Conveyancing
Business Law and Practice
Disability Law
The Practice of Criminal Litigation

As a Law with Professional Legal Practice, you will usually follow four skills based optional modules.

Next Steps

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Your future career

96% of Keele graduates were in a job or further study within six months of graduating (HESA, 2017)

Enhance your employability

Law with Professional Legal Practice will equip you with the practical skills to help prepare you for employment and readily transition into the working environment following graduation.

Having developed various skills during your studies from writing, presenting and researching, you will be equipped with a reflective approach to your professional legal career.

Your degree programme and practical activities and opportunities mentioned above will help to prepare you for your next steps after graduation. At Keele, there are lots of opportunities available alongside your degree programme that will enable you to hit the ground running, including opportunities to discuss your options with potential employers. This includes events such as:

Law Fair: An opportunity to scope your legal career aspirations and graduate opportunities. Meet with employers and organisations to understand the skill set required in the legal world and guidance on applications.

Legal Dining: A formal dining event where we aim to pair you with potential employers and inspirational alumni. This is a great opportunity to network with professionals and is also an example of the type of events you may attend as a legal professional.

Our graduates work in a range of different legal and non legal roles and in a wide range of sectors, including:

Solicitor
Barrister
Lawyer/paralegal
Mediator/Arbitrator
3rd sector organisations (charities)
Civil service (both national and international)
Legal researcher
Business and commerce
Politics
Human Resources
Teaching (at all levels of education)
Legal technologist
Journalist

Keele’s Careers and Employability team (Shortlisted for Best University Careers Employment Service - National Undergraduate Employability Awards, 2021), offers a variety of personal and career development opportunities to enhance your employability.

From mock interviews, careers guidance and CV advice, to careers fairs, alumni mentoring and networking events, along with helping you find part-time and graduate employment - the team will support you throughout your studies and beyond.

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

Next Steps

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Foundation year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

The information within this section is for students wishing to start their studies in September. If you would like to start this course in January, please visit our January pages for further details.

Course content

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills which will be invaluable in your academic studies and beyond. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

This Foundation Year is a two-semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the LLB (Hons) Law with Professional Legal Practice course. For example, the Foundations in Law module provides a foundational understanding of English (Common Law) legal methods and how to apply them to disputes and recent or contemporary issues in society. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

Find out more about the Keele Foundation Year, including information about teaching and assessment methods by visiting the Foundation Year homepage.

Course structure

Semester one modules

FYO-00247	Foundations: Breaking the code - Understanding Academic Writing	15 credits
FYO-00263	Foundations of Social Sciences - 1	15 credits
FYO-00265	Foundations of Social Sciences - 2	15 credits
FYO-00273	Foundations of Law	15 credits

Semester two modules

FYO-00271	University Research Portfolio	30 credits
FYO-00269	Advancing Social Sciences	30 credits

Entry requirements

Between 40-48 UCAS points from at least 1 A level/level 3 qualification or equivalent, or
Relevant work experience

AND

GCSE English Language at grade 4 (C), or Level 2 Functional Skills, or
IELTS 5.5 (with 5.5 in all subtests)

How to apply

Students will need to apply for LLB (Hons) Law with Professional Legal Practice with Foundation Year (UCAS code M102) through UCAS at www.ucas.com

Direct entry students

If you already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

We also offer a January start for some of our Foundation Year courses. Adopting a blended learning approach, the January start is particularly useful for students wishing to return to education following time out of studying, or who are seeking a flexible approach to their Foundation Year studies. Our January start is available across most of our Science, Humanities, Social Science and Business courses.

Whilst still being a full-time course, our blended delivery model combines live teaching sessions - both online and on-campus - with self-directed study, enabling you to predominantly study at a time that suits your lifestyle. You will benefit from weekly online taught sessions which encourage you to engage with your teachers and peers.

In addition to online study there will be a series of full study days that you will be required to attend throughout each semester. These sessions may include lab-based activities, group work, review of course and assessment materials studied online. They will emphasise opportunities for you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of your chosen route.

Please refer to the September start tab for more information about the entry requirements and what you will study. The modules that you will take on a January start Foundation Year will be similar to those for the September start, but in a slightly different order and pattern.

For more information, including fees, the UCAS code for this course, how to apply, and how you will be taught, please visit our January Start Foundation Year webpage.

Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.

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