Course summary

If you want to be a barrister and work in the legal profession, the full-time one-year LLM Bar Practice offered by the University of Hertfordshire is the course for you. Our course not only offers an established route into the legal profession but also enables you to obtain a prestigious LLM. In Semesters A and B, you will study Stages 1 and 2 of the vocational element of Bar Training both of which are required by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). Stage 1 contains the compulsory modules of Civil Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution; Criminal Litigation, Evidence and Sentencing; Professional Ethics and Conference. Stage 2 contains the compulsory modules of Advocacy; Opinion Writing; Legal Research and Drafting. Finally in Semester C, you will complete an extended project over the summer as well as be able to choose from a variety of taught modules. You will leave us with the knowledge and skills required by the legal profession – skills that are highly valued by potential employers. Why choose this course? We are one of the few providers of legal education in the country with a full-scale replica Crown Court room. This facility is fully equipped with the latest technology to enable you to perform your Advocacy skills and prepare you for practice We offer a flexible format to enable you to work in a variety of ways. This programme will prepare you for a digital practice as courts and legal professionals move increasingly online and paperless You want to be taught by qualified legal professionals who have experience in teaching and legal practice Hertfordshire Law School has close links with the Law Clinic and Careers Service, providing you with the skills and support you need to make the most of your time on the programme and succeed in your chosen career Our award-winning Law Clinic covers a number of practice areas and pro bono opportunities which will enable you to put the skills you learn on the programme into practice in the community. The LLM component involves a compulsory Legal Research project based in the Law Clinic which provides you with practical, real-world, client based experience. What will I study? This one-year intensive full-time course consists of face-to-face teaching and you will be required to complete guided study on your non-teaching days. Assessments may fall on any day of the week. In Semester C, depending on your elective choices, you may also be required to attend classes for face-to-face teaching on a number of days during the week. The focus of our teaching model is online lectures, face to face interactive workshops. Assessment is carried out via a range of methods in accordance with the BSB requirements including oral assessments and some open book assessments. Small class sizes and dedicated support from tutors will encourage you to give your best to your studies. You'll benefit from our experiential learning approach. Using our dedicated replica courtroom, you'll gain lots of advocacy and oral skills practice. We'll teach you the BSB Criminal and Civil syllabi through interactive workshops based on real cases, putting legal issues in context.