Law LLB Honours Newcastle University

Gain an understanding of the foundations of legal knowledge and build transferable skills that will prepare you for a career in law and beyond with our Law LLB.

Build strong transferable skills and prepare for a career as a solicitor, barrister, or another profession with the Newcastle Law School LLB.

You'll study in a Law School that is globally engaged, yet rooted in its local community. This helps build knowledge and understanding, as well as empathy and cross-cultural awareness.

You can convert our standard three-year Law LLB Honours degree to a four-year LLB Honours degree with either a placement or international exchange year. The degree focuses on building the foundations of legal knowledge, as well as analysis and skills essential for a successful future career.

Studying the Newcastle LLB you'll learn about the law and develop practical legal skills such as:

• case analysis
• legal drafting and writing
• legal research
• client negotiation
• client interviewing
• mediation
• You'll also:
• gain direct experience in the community or in the industry through our pro bono schemes and work placement opportunities
• have the opportunity to broaden your cultural and legal frame of reference by applying to study at one of our prestigious international law faculties across Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America

You'll study compulsory modules in the first and second years. These modules cover the seven foundations of legal knowledge. You can choose from a broad range of exciting law electives in the second and third years. You can also explore non-law module options in the final year.

You'll benefit from the expertise of Newcastle Law School’s outstanding researchers and scholars. They'll put law into context and help you appreciate its societal, economic, cultural and disparate impacts.

Professional accreditation and recognition

Bar Standards Board

Our Law LLB satisfies the requirements of the Bar Standards Board and allows you to progress directly to the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) for barristers on graduation. We also offer the subjects required for entry by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, Northern Ireland.

The Newcastle LLB is also a recognised degree by the Bar Council of India for the purposes of enrolment as an advocate in India.

Study abroad

Experience life in another country by choosing to study abroad as part of your degree. You’ll be encouraged to embrace fun and challenging experiences, make connections with new communities and graduate as a globally aware professional, ready for your future.

You can choose to spend up to a year studying at a partner institution overseas. The year abroad allows you to explore European or International Legal Studies programmes and will extend the duration of your degree by a year.

Work placement

Get career ready with work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.

You'll gain first-hand experience working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year, and your degree title will show you have achieved the placement year. A work placement is not available if you're spending a year studying abroad. Placements are subject to availability.

• Global Top 125 University - QS World University Rankings 2023
• Top 185 for Social Sciences and Management - QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022
• 65% increase in research power since 2014 – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading research – Research Excellence Framework 2021
• 1st in the UK and 8th in the world for sustainable development – Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022
• Top 80 for Law – Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2022
• Global Top 140 University - Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023

Stage 1

All modules in Stage 1 are compulsory. They cover some of the foundations of legal knowledge modules essential for a legal professional qualification.

You'll learn about key legal areas such as constitutional law, contract, law and ethics, and the UK legal institutions. You'll gain an introduction to the principles of administrative law and the protection of human rights in the UK, and the relationship between UK and EU law post-Brexit. You'll also begin to develop core professional legal skills, such as using legal databases, developing legal research skills, and opportunities to develop client interviewing skills and mooting.

Before Stage 2, you'll have the opportunity to consider switching to a four-year programme. You can apply to either study on an international exchange for a year at one of our international law faculty partners, or to go on a year-long work placement.

Compulsory Modules

• Legal Institutions and Method 20
• Constitutional Law 20
• Contract Law 20
• Law and Ethics 20
• Administrative Law and Human Rights 20
• The UK and EU Law 20

Stage 2

In Stage 2, a mix of compulsory and optional modules will help you to further develop critical legal, analytical and problem-solving skills.

In semester one, you'll build on your foundations of legal knowledge and gain an understanding of criminal, land and tort law.

In semester two, you will study a compulsory equity module and choose two optional modules from a range of specialised law electives representing a broad range of legal and socio-legal fields. This is where you start to tailor your degree to your interests.

Compulsory Modules

• Land Law 20
• Criminal Law 20
• General Principles of Tort 20
• Equity and Trusts 20

Optional Modules

• Criminology and Criminal Justice 20
• Public International Law 20
• Medicine and the Law 20
• Legal Theory 20
• Terrorism and Counter-terrorism Law 20
• Family Law 20
• Law and History 20
• Intellectual Property Law 20
• Commercial Law 20
• Mediation and Commercial Dispute Resolution 20

Stage 3

All modules are optional in Stage 3. You must choose three modules per semester. You'll also have the opportunity to pursue a significant piece of independent research, supervised by experts in the field, through the 40 credit Dissertation module.

Optional Modules

• Competition Law 20
• Company Law 20
• Criminology and Criminal Justice 20
• Evidence 20
• Public International Law 20
• Employment Law 20
• Medicine and the Law 20
• Research Topic in Law 20
• Law and Literature 20
• Succession 20
• Legal Theory 20
• Fundamentals of Human Rights Law 20
• Terrorism and Counter-terrorism Law 20
• Family Law 20
• Law and History 20
• Law and Gender 20
• Intellectual Property Law 20
• Commercial Law 20
• Mediation and Commercial Dispute Resolution 20
• Dissertation in Law 40
• Private Law Remedies 20
• Animal Rights Law 20
• Career Development for final year students 20

Your future

The Newcastle LLB will give you a diverse range of skills that will prepare you for a number of careers. Our graduates are sought after by a range of high-profile employers.

Many of our graduates go on to qualify as solicitors or barristers. Some choose to enter private practice. Others join organisations such as the Civil Service, local authorities or large companies.

If you looking to pursue a career as a solicitor you will need to pass the two stages of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). You will also need to complete two years of work experience. You can now study your SQE with the University of Law at Newcastle University.

To qualify as a Barrister you will need to pass the Bar Practice Course before completing a final practical stage of training: pupillage.

Non-law graduates are also required to study for a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) before studying the BPC. You can now study your GDL with the University of Law at Newcastle University.

Join our successful alumni

Our graduates have gone on to enjoy successful careers for a diverse range of local, national and international organisations such as Clifford Chance, Eversheds and Morgan Stanley.

They include multi-award-winning solicitor and campaigner Funke Abimbola; Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary Mike Barton; partner at Clifford Chance and chair of our advisory board Andrew Carnegie; Chief Justice of the Isle of Man David Doyle; and Justice of the High Court Sir Matthew Nicklin.