Professional Legal Practice LLM

This module will introduce you to the core legal principles underlying criminal liability, by examining the way they shape criminal law (including actus reus and mens rea, and the definition of offences and defences), as well as key rules of procedure in the lead up to and during a criminal trial.

This module looks at the structures of the legal system, the court hierarchy, precedent and statutory interpretation. It considers the regulation of legal services and the regulatory role of the Solicitors Regulatory Authority including the application of the Equality Act 2010, money laundering legislation such as the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the regulation of financial services and legislation such as the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. It also considers the funding options for legal services such as conditional fee arrangements and eligibility for legal aid. The module considers the structure and principle characteristics of the constitution of the UK and analyses the unique structure of the UK constitution and its impact on the exercise of governmental power and the protection of human rights. It considers the principles of administrative law and the judicial review process by which public authorities are legally accountable.

This module will introduce students to modern English contract and tort law as part of the wider law of obligations. You will explore the legal and theoretical issues that form the core of contract law and the core ideas, concepts and principles which underpin the law of tort. The module will draw out understanding of these core principles and the ability to apply them to legal problems. The module will consider the practical context in which contract and tort law operate and how disputes in relation to them may be resolved.

The module explores the concept of legal personality as applied to companies registered under the Companies Act 2006, in contrast to other business vehicles. The rules relating to companies are analysed from legal, practical, historical, economic, sociological and political perspectives. Constitutional matters and the concept of limited liability are explored. You will consider what happens behind the corporate veil, looking at the rights and duties of shareholders and directors and the management of decision making. From a financial perspective, the module considers the ways in which a company raises finance, the principles of taxation and the rules of corporate and personal insolvency. You will also develop an insight and understanding of typical business transactions and commercial contracts.

This module provides an opportunity to consider the role of equity and trusts in relation to family and commercial trusts. The module will also identify the substantive law in key areas including express trusts, purpose (public and private) trusts, trusts which arise by operation of law, the nature of trustees’ duties, the nature of fiduciary obligations, liability of third parties and consider their application to solve factual problems. The module will address the ways in which equity may intervene to mitigate the common law and the significance of equitable remedies for individuals in the context of the infringement of civil law rights and the protection of human rights. The law and practice of wills and the administration of estates will also be considered.

This module will introduce you to the principles and concepts of modern English (and Welsh) land (and property) law. You will explore the legal framework of registered and unregistered land, the estates and interest in land (distinguishing between law and equity), the rights and obligations of the landlord and tenant, the landlord and tenant statutory framework, the law relating to mortgages, the creation and protection of easements and freehold covenants, the distinction between leases and licences, an overview of leasehold covenants, the devolution of estates and interests in express co-ownership and the creation of a constructive trust and quantification of land in implied co-ownership. The module will also consider the process of residential and commercial conveyancing.

As the culmination of the LLM, the project gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability not only to advise a client effectively but also to research and critically reflect on the issues, problems and legal trends raised by the chosen problem. The module introduces you to practical legal research methods including conducting literature reviews. It also introduces you to OSCOLA referencing and the analysis and interpretation of documents. From a choice of a representative subject area, you will produce a case file note and typical documents responding to a client’s issue. You will then identify an area of legal development arising from the underlying law in the scenario and independently research the literature in this area. You will then write a professional legal practice blog in which they will analyse the law. You will also discuss how the issue may be addressed and advise on any potential legal reforms.

This module allows and supports extended student research into a topic of your choice within a broad range of the field covered by the course. That topic must be agreed between the student and the module leader and must not replicate material covered in other coursework submitted for the award of the Master's degree, nor comprise the whole or part of any work submitted for any other award. The goal is to provide deep and systematic knowledge of concepts and principles in the specific area chosen by the student, to develop powers of analysis, synthesis, application and evaluation, to develop advanced research skills, and to promote awareness of specialist resources.