law at LSBU
Promoted by London South Bank University

10 reasons to study law at London South Bank University

Career-focused programmes. Hands-on learning experiences. Opportunities for coveted work experience. These are just some of the things you’ll enjoy as a law student at London South Bank University’s School of Law and Social Sciences.

LSBU is located in the UK’s capital — London — a cosmopolitan city with enviable career opportunities. The School boasts an excellent reputation for both LLB and LLM programmes that produce career-ready graduates.

These including the LLB (Hons) Law, LLB (Hons) Business Law, LLB (Hons) Criminal Law, LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology, LLM Crime and Litigation, LLM International Commercial Law, LLM International Human Rights and Development, and the PgDip/LLM Law Conversion Course: incorporating the CPE courses.

Their LLB programmes are the first step of the journey to become a solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive. They also serve as a foundation for a broad range of careers, thanks to the transferable skills you’ll gain during each course. Their LLM programmes, conversely, build on your undergraduate study and give you the opportunity to specialise in a particular field of law.

If you’re eager to develop your legal finesse to succeed as a 21st century legal practitioner, here are 10 reasons why you should pursue your law degree at LSBU:

1. Happy Students

“London South Bank is one of the best universities, and I would recommend it to any student,” shares LSBU law graduate Dominik Mathew. Another LLB Law (Hons) graduate, Pricila Adesfisoye says, “I felt like I belonged here. They have a lot of activities going on like DJ nights or pub quiz nights.”

Third-year student Shereen Boucher enthuses, “This is my first time doing a university course, and I didn’t know how it would feel coming out of work and coming back into this, but it’s just been a wonderful experience.”

These are just a handful of testimonials that demonstrate how happy students are to study at LSBU. Unsurprisingly, LSBU has the second-highest ranked law degree in London for Overall Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2020).

2. Top Ranking Law Degree

LSBU has nearly 50 years of experience educating lawyers. Rankings are proof of its tradition of excellence. The university is ranked first for Graduate Prospects, Research Intensity, and Overall Score amongst London Modern Universities (Complete University Guide 2021).

Their professional practice focused LLB  programmes will give students a thorough grounding in the law across all the major disciplines and the opportunity to develop your career and professional skills simultaneously.

3. A Bustling Student Law Society

At LSBU, learning doesn’t only take place in lecture halls and seminars. The LSBU Student Law Society is run by a team of elected volunteers from the university’s legal courses and organises events throughout the year.

law at LSBU

Source: London South Bank University

These include visits from guest speakers, moots, competitions, visits to law courts and legal institutions and networking opportunities. Law students have attended open days in law firms, conferences, the European Court of Justice, and crown courts, to name a few.

4. Expert Academics

Law students at LSBU learn from seasoned practitioners; their lecturers are qualified solicitors and barristers, passing on their insights, real-world case expertise and passion for law onto students, making it an unbeatable learning experience.

So, whether you’re looking to improve your specialist knowledge in the area of international commercial law with the LLM International Commercial Law or wish to gain knowledge in international human rights law, development studies and refugee studies, in addition to critically examining conflicts in developing societies with the LLM International Commercial Law, relish in the fact that you’ll be learning from the experts.

5. Outstanding Facilities

LSBU’s law programmes are supported by extensive online learning resources; all students will be equipped with an iPad or tablet, in addition to online support and access to a personal electronic law library worth 6,000 pounds.

Law Trove, for instance, is a powerful search facility with some 200 law textbooks across core and optional modules for students’ easy access.

6. Opportunities to Put Theory into Practice

At LSBU, you get to put your in-depth legal knowledge and academic skills to practice while you’re still in school. LSBU’s Legal Advice Clinic, for instance, is a free public advice service staffed by LSBU law students who work under the supervision of practising solicitors.

Students also have opportunities to volunteer at the County Court Help Desk, Southwark Council, or with local law firms to develop your confidence and legal knowledge. There are opportunities to study abroad too, including international field trips under the Comparative Law option under the LLB (Hons) Business Law programme.

LSBU holds strong links with the local legal community, particularly the South London Law Society and the Southwark Legal Advice Network, and their LLB programmes offer various opportunities to learn from legal practitioners.

7. Choose from a Wide Range of Extracurricular Activities

There are plenty of law-related extracurricular activities for students, including internal and external mooting competitions serving as invaluable avenues to develop skills in a pressurised yet safe environment.

There’s also the Street Law Programme, run by the LSBU Student Law Society and the Law Department. It is designed to engage schools and colleges in a critical examination of their legal responsibilities and rights.

For students who want to test their writing and editing chops, The Devil’s Advocate — a student magazine — is where they can flex their creative muscles and craft compelling stories with special guest interviews.

8. Alternative Route

LSBU is the only university in London to offer a pathway to qualify as a legal executive via the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) modules on the LLB. CILEx is the professional association for 20,000 Chartered Legal Executive lawyers, paralegals and other legal practitioners in England and Wales.

Practising fellows of CILEx specialise in a particular area of law which means the everyday work of a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer is similar to that of a solicitor. Among the areas of law that Chartered Legal Executive lawyers often specialise in include Civil Litigation,Criminal Litigation, and Family Law and Litigation.

9. Launchpad for a Thriving Legal Career and a Head Start for the SQE

The professional skills and procedure elements of the LSBU Law degrees, combined with the forms of assessment used, mean that LSBU students will have a Head Start on their professional examinations, particularly the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

Their PgDip/LLM Law Conversion Course: incorporating the CPE programme also serves as a platform for non-law graduates aiming for a professional career in law. It satisfies all the Common Professional Exam (CPE) requirements of the professional bodies: the Bar Standards Board and Solicitors Regulation Authority. There are two alternative routes, both of which can lead to the additional award of LLM in Legal Studies.

10. Mentoring

Mentorships, formal or informal, are highly beneficial for both mentor and mentee.

At LSBU, law students can take part in a law mentoring scheme as a mentor or mentee. This programme gives mentors experience in supporting and leading, whilst mentees benefit from their guidance.

First-year students at LSBU can benefit from peer mentoring to help ease them into university.

Ultimately, LSBU provides students with an enriching learning environment to ensure their career success upon graduation.

Follow LSBU on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn