You can choose optional law modules or take up to 20 credits of modules from outside the school.
Course overview
Looking to study law and excel in your career? Our LLB Law programme is designed to provide a thorough foundation in English law with a focus on professional development. Our core modules give you a thorough foundation in English law, through the study of tort, trusts, contract law, public law, criminal law, EU law, and land law.
In your second year, you can specialise in the areas of law that interest you with a range of optional modules. Topics include family law, intellectual property, human rights or criminal evidence. Alternatively, explore modules from other subjects to expand your knowledge and career opportunities in a variety of sectors .
Our programme opens doors to a wide variety of professions and organisations, including law firms, barristers’ chambers, consultancies, business advisory services, marketing, civil service, public relations, accountancy, and campaigning. Recent graduates have secured positions at Avery Dennison, BAE Systems, Clifford Chance, the London Stock Exchange, and PwC.
At our School of Law, we pride ourselves on providing not just academic excellence, but also a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Our law societies cater to a wide range of interests, from pro bono volunteering to placements, offering you the chance to make an impact and build your network.
If you're seeking a unique experience, you can apply in your second year to transfer to one of our four-year programmes, which include a year abroad at a partner law school. You could go and study in locations such as Australia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe or the USA. This experience sets you apart in the job market and makes you highly attractive to employers.
Modules
About modules
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. This content was last updated on Tuesday 30 May 2023.
Teaching is primarily by lecture and tutorial class, but some modules are taught by discussion groups and seminars.
You will be assigned to a tutorial class for each module studied. The group, which is usually made up of no more than eight students, meets on a fortnightly basis for each module to discuss pre-arranged questions and any other problems with the tutor.
Some of the second and final-year undergraduate optional modules are taught by the seminar method. This is a method, midway between the tutorial and the lecture, involving presentations from staff and students which are discussed by the class as a whole.
Visit our open days on demand to watch pre-recorded lectures and general talks and see some of our lecturers in action.
Skillegal programme
We offer a series of optional workshops on skills such as presentation, communication and negotiation. Delivered by a range of law firms and chambers from London and the regions, the workshops are designed to be interactive and fun and to provide you with an understanding of the skills needed to become a successful lawyer. The legal profession will be looking for evidence of these skills when you apply for legal training in your penultimate year.
Legal Skills Team
The Legal Skills Team help undergraduate law students with their academic legal skills. Their aim is to ensure that every student, regardless of background or performance, has someone they can approach to discuss the development of their legal study skills.
We run a legal skills programme that caters for all students throughout the academic year and offer a variety of seminars and workshops for different year groups to address and respond to the specific needs of each.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
Assessment is predominantly by written examination, although some modules are assessed only by coursework, and a few modules are assessed by a mixture of examination and coursework.
Where a module lasts for one semester, assessment is undertaken at the end of that semester. Where a module fills two semesters, assessment is at the end of the second semester, although your progress will be measured throughout the year.
Assessment methods
- Coursework
- Dissertation
- Essay
- Examinations
In year one, you will spend between 10 and 12 hours per week in lectures taught by leading academics. You'll have a tutorial every fortnight on Law of Contract, Public Law and Foundations of Tort. In Introduction to Law and Legal Theory, you will have a two-hour seminar, every other week.
Beyond formal taught sessions, you are expected to engage in self-directed study, including reading case law and legislation and preparing answers to tutorial questions.
This course will equip you with a thorough knowledge of English law and an in-depth understanding of the areas in which you choose to specialise.
Upon graduating, you can undertake further legal training to become a solicitor or barrister.
The University of Nottingham's law graduates are the 6th most highly paid in the UK above King’s College London and University College London.*
* Chambers Student law firms preferred universities study 2019.
Overseas practice
Law graduates from the University of Nottingham may be eligible to practise overseas including in Northern Ireland, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria and Singapore, where admission to the Bar (or equivalent) can be attained subject to meeting the jurisdictions' conditions.
Graduate destinations
A high proportion of our graduates go on to qualify as solicitors or barristers.
Those interested in a career outside of law use their degree in a wide variety of professions and organisations such as consultancies, business advisory services, marketing, the civil service, public relations, accountancy and campaigning.
Recent graduates have gone on to work at organisations such as Avery Dennison, BAE Systems, Clifford Chance, the London Stock Exchange, and PwC.
Average starting salary and career progression
87.4% of undergraduates from the School of Law secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £25,800.*
The School of Law ranked 5th in the UK for boosting graduate salaries, with graduates earning an average of £4,844 more than expected five years after graduation.**
* HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.
** The Economist British university rankings, 2017.
Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.
Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.
Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.
The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).
There’s a wide range of modules on offer so you can choose to study things that relate to your interests. The careers support is fantastic and comes in a wide variety of forms from three main sources: the School of Law, the university Careers Service and the law-related societies.
Benjamin Haynes
LLB Law
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