Study Overseas

Some students will have already decided that they would like to make a career in the legal profession, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree provides the quickest route to qualifying as either a barrister or solicitor in England and Wales. Similarly, overseas students will find that an LL.B may give them some exemptions from their country's professional qualifying examinations. Because the English legal system is based upon Common Law, and this also provides the basis of many other countries' legal systems, overseas students soon find that English law is not such a strange beast, and they can quickly recognise familiar concepts and institutions.

However, many students embark upon a degree course without having any clear idea of what they want to do. For these students, law is a good choice. Employers recognise that the discipline of law provides an ideal framework for the acquisition of certain key skills - notably the ability to research and present findings in a clear and logical manner, to understand and respond to arguments from the other side, and to recognise the importance of probity and honesty in dealing with other people. These are skills for life.

But it is not all hard work! Students of law find the subject fascinating, and the university environment will provide stimulation for the most active and creative mind.

Why Study Law in the West Midlands?

The West Midlands is located in the heart of England, and is able to boast an enviable range of attractions for visiting and native students. Several universities offer undergraduate programmes leading to the award of Bachelor of Laws. These include Warwick, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Coventry, and, in Birmingham alone, there are three universities offering such courses; the University of Birmingham, the University of Central England (U.C.E.) and Aston University. Each of these has its own particular style and emphasis, and no two courses are identical; for example, the course at Aston is geared towards business law, whereas at U.C.E. the students are introduced to a practical forensic approach through participation in the Free Representation Unit - dealing with real clients with real problems, and a course in American Legal Practice - involving a placement in the U.S.

Most students who graduate in law go on to practice as solicitors, and several universities are able to provide their law graduates with a Legal Practice Course (LPC) as part of the vocational stage of legal training. Those who wish to practice as barristers will need to take the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) and join one of the Inns of Court. Students who have chosen one of these routes into the profession also enjoy the benefits of the location: Birmingham holds some of the leading national and international law firms, and its universities have been quick to forge links. It is not unusual for the student to find themselves being addressed by a senior practitioner on the topic of "the problems and realities of criminal law practice", for example. In addition, such links can provide a student with a foot on the first 'rung of the ladder' to professional success, through short placements and 'mini-pupillages'.

Students who already possess a non-law degree are able to qualify for the professions by taking the Common Professional Examination (CPE) at one of the universities in the West Midlands before going on to the vocational stage of training.

Developing contacts is essential, and students are encouraged to participate in activities such as 'mooting' (presenting legal argument in a courtroom environment), which introduces the student to the wider legal community. The University of Central England and the University of Birmingham compete in an annual moot at Lincoln's Inn (one of the four Inns of Court in London), and both sides look forward to enjoying the legendary hospitality of the Inn! It is through such activities that students begin to get a feel for what life is like in the real world of professional practice.

Increasingly, students are becoming aware of the importance of higher degrees, and the universities of the West Midlands now provide a wide array of post-graduate programmes in law, leading to the award of Master of Laws (LL.M). Subjects include European Law, International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Socio-legal Studies, Feminist Studies in Law, Media Law, Law and Literature, Business Law, and Sport and the Law. For those who find that they have the necessary talents for research, then there are the possibilities of Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees.

A significant number of law graduates choose careers other than legal practice, and have found jobs for themselves in all corners of industry, commerce, publishing, journalism, local and central government, and even as television talk show hosts!

Much has already been written about the social, cultural and sporting attractions of the West Midlands - there is insufficient space here to list fully the pleasures and temptations awaiting students, as there is something for everyone! Whatever your taste, whether it be for jazz (Ronnie Scotts), classical music (Symphony Hall), premier division football (Aston Villa and Coventry), Shakespeare (Stratford) or the myriad diversity of ethnic restaurants, you need never be bored.

As befits the 'second city', Birmingham and the West Midlands can boast a first class road and rail network. London is only an hour away, and Birmingham Airport now flies to all major international destinations.

Author

Christine Hill
University of Central England in Birmingham
Faculty of Law and Social Sciences