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LLM Law (Juris Doctor)

Open the door to an international career in law

Year of entry: 2024 (September)

Length

3 years full-time

Department

York Law School

Start date

September 2024 (semester dates)

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Learn from experienced legal professionals and world-class academics as you immerse yourself in realistic simulations of legal practice.

Our LLM Law (Juris Doctor) can put you on the path to practising law in the USA. If you'd like to know more information about the course and admissions requirements, make an appointment with our Regional Manager for the US and Canada.

Intellectually challenging and skills-focused, this course will ensure you are ready to embrace the challenges of an international career in law. You'll graduate with a unique insight into how professional legal practice works, enabling you to perform at the highest levels and in firms of all types.

A University of York LLM is an internationally recognised qualification and the LLM Law (Juris Doctor) can put you on the path to legal practice around the world. Subject to any local requirements, completing this course could be a stepping stone to sitting Bar exams in jurisdictions as diverse as the USA, Australia and Hong Kong.

This degree also meets requirements that can enable you to progress to the next stages of professional qualification as a barrister or solicitor in England and Wales.

Problem-based learning

A modern, dynamic learning method that ensures you experience and understand law in its practical, social and theoretical contexts

Course content

In the first two years of the programme, you will work collaboratively with around 12 other students on a series of real-life legal problems. These will develop your knowledge of the core legal subjects:

  • Criminal Law
  • European Law
  • Obligations (Contract, Tort and Restitution)
  • Property Law (Land Law and Equity)
  • Public Law (Constitutional and Administrative Law) 

You will also develop an understanding of how professional ethics guide and inform practice, as well as vitally important legal skills such as critical thinking, communication and teamwork.

In your final year you will continue to gain an understanding of corporate and commercial law and legal practice. You will work on modules which will help you to understand how a global lawyer operates, and produce outputs which reflect the tasks they would undertake for clients. A key part of the final year will be an independent learning project which will enable you to pursue an area of interest related to modern legal practice, drafting a piece of professional know-how.

Modules

Year 1

Core modules:

Year 2

Core modules:

Option modules

You will also study two option modules. In previous years, options have covered topics such as:

Year 3

Core modules

Option modules

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.

The York approach

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Explain and advise on relevant English and EU law applicable to businesses and their core commercial activities, and the operation and regulation of legal services markets, law firms, and legal professionals; and plan efficient and effective research strategies to identify, evaluate and apply relevant principles and regulation to diverse, complex and integrated legal and practical issues that affect such businesses.
  • Apply and adapt problem-solving skills developed through problem-based learning – analysing and evaluating facts, parties’ interests and objectives, and identifying legal and practical issues, and risks - to deal confidently, creatively and in a structured manner, independently and collaboratively, to develop effective solutions to, and advise on, new, unfamiliar and complex problems commonly encountered in corporate commercial legal practice.
  • Develop well-reasoned, critical and creative arguments, theories and solutions to current legal issues and problems facing corporate commercial practitioners and clients, supported by researched evidence.
  • Integrate and adapt well-developed legal, academic and interpersonal skills to engage with clients, peers, and other professionals; including autonomous skills in interviewing, researching, problem-solving, advising, negotiating, communicating, case analysis; advocacy; planning; and basic project management; and apply these within the context of corporate commercial legal transactions and matters.
  • Communicate confidently and effectively, both verbally and in writing in a range of formats; presenting well-reasoned, structured, practical legal advice – adapted to intended recipients and audiences, whether public, professional or clients – in the context of corporate commercial legal transactions and matters.
  • Reflexively draw upon and apply a broad awareness of perspectives and interests in their work, taking into account ethical, social, political, professional, commercial, financial, business, international, policy, human rights, ethnic, gender and client interest considerations when evaluating corporate commercial transactions and matters, and solving problems.
  • Work efficiently and effectively, both independently and as a leading member of a team, and take the initiative to draw upon personal and interpersonal skills and attitudes developed as part of a student law firm to identify the applicability of these skills in the context of corporate commercial legal practice.
  • Record, reflect on and evaluate strengths, weaknesses and progress in their own and others' personal learning and professional development, to be able to identify and set future learning requirements and career goals to further personal professional ambitions.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2024/25

Study modeUK (home)International and EU
Full-time (3 years)
This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation.
£9,250£23,700

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.

  • UK (home) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%).
  • International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2024/25 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Student Finance England's eligibility criteria states that student finance is only available for one- or two-year, full-time postgraduate programmes. As this is a three-year, full-time programme, unfortunately it does not attract government funding. As such, if you are applying for this programme, you would have to self-fund for your studies.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

York Law School is the only Law School in the UK to build its LLM (JD) programme around problem-based learning. In PBL, you will encounter a range of authentic 'problem' scenarios raising a wide range of legal issues. These will usually involve more than one area of law, so you will come to understand the interrelationships between areas of law that exist in practice and society, and the 'messiness' of law as it arises in real-world contexts.

Through the process, you will reflect on deeper social and theoretical issues, such as questions of justice, fairness and human rights. Tutor-facilitators will guide you through particular points and issues, helping you to gain the maximum possible from each study.

You'll also learn through a range of other resources including plenary lectures, written subject guides and a variety of relevant material in our virtual learning environment.

Teaching location

York Law School is located on Campus East. Nearly all of your teaching will take place within the Law building or nearby on Campus East.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

In your first two years, summative assessment includes coursework tasks, individual learning portfolios and reflective analysis, and formal assessment of contribution in PBL and Skills sessions.  Some modules have additional forms of assessment, such as presentations or drafting advice to clients.  All summative assessments will count towards your final module grades.

In your final year, your assessments may also include production of a range of internal and client-focused reports and pieces of legal advice, legal documents and presentations. You'll also prepare an extended piece of professional writing in the form of a major piece of client advice or a practice know-how report set by a current legal professional.

None of the modules offered by York Law School currently include formal examinations as a form of assessment.

Careers and skills

The LLM Law (Juris Doctor) is a key stepping stone to legal practice in jurisdictions across the globe. As an internationally recognised qualification with an emphasis on combining functioning legal knowledge and a strong base of practice skills, it provides a clear pathway into the law and legal services sector and corporate/commercial practice.

You'll have access to Link Days with law firms, plus a full range of employability sessions and networking opportunities on legal and other careers, arranged and facilitated by the Law School's dedicated law employability tutor.

Career opportunities

  • Lawyer
  • Paralegal
  • Commercial in-house lawyer
  • Arbitrator
  • Conveyancer
  • Advice worker 

Transferable skills

  • Time management
  • Research skills
  • Communication and presentation skills
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Project management
  • Reasoning and judgement
  • Document and case analysis
  • Negotiation and mediation
  • Advocacy

Entry requirements

Typical offer
Undergraduate degree 2:1 or equivalent
International pre-masters programme Pre-masters from our International Pathway College
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator) 7.0, minimum 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 in all other components
Cambridge CEFR C1 Advanced: 185, with a minimum of 185 in Writing and no less than 176 in all other components
Oxford ELLT 8, minimum of 8 in writing and no less than 7 in all other components
Duolingo 130, minimum 130 in Production and 120 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT C1 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic 75 with a minimum of 75 in Writing and no less than 70 in all other components
KITE 495-526, with 495-526 in writing and 459-494 in all other components
Skills for English C1: Pass overall, with Pass in each component
PTE Academic 67, minimum 67 in Writing and 61 in all other components
TOEFL 96, minimum 24 in Writing and 23 in all other components
Trinity ISE III Distinction in all components

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

Part of our selection process involves a formal interview. The interview is designed to explore and assess attributes and competencies, such as your suitability for problem-based learning, from your written application. We want to identify students who are best suited to our unique learning environment, and so are likely to thrive here. It is also a means by which you can find out more about the programme. If you want to find out more, you can read our interview guide.

As we interview, we do not require the LNAT to apply for our course.

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