FAQs
Your Questions Answered
We are aware that you will have many questions regarding your choice of degree and mode of study.
Please use the list of questions below to discover more about what we offer to prospective LLB students, how the course is taught and about the city of Liverpool itself.
What's it like being a student at LJMU?
A good proportion, of course, want to be solicitors or barristers but an LLB provides a highly regarded degree award for work in the media, public service, management, business or a career as a self-employed/freelance consultant or entrepreneur.
The LLB is, therefore, an ideal vocational degree but can also be used to enhance job prospects in a number of lucrative and rewarding areas. Many figureheads in industry, business, and politics hold law degrees, evidencing its broad-based and intellectual appeal.
The course normally starts in the final week of Septmeber each year and runs for three academic years (around 30 weeks each). For part-time students the earliest opportunity for graduation would be the summer in the fourth year of study.
It is based in the Law School, John Foster Building on Liverpool's Mount Pleasant Campus. John Foster Building is home to the whole Business and Law Faculty and has some very impressive facilities, including a large, 'high-tech' lecture theatre. The city's Metropolitan (Roman Catholic) Cathedral and Everyman Theatre are opposite the building. Further down the road is the famous Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and the even more famous Philharmonic Pub. The city's Anglican Cathedral (the fifth largest Cathedral in the world) is also just a short walk away.
John Foster Building itself is a fabulous old 19th Century listed building which has recently undergone a major refurbishment. Together with the library, it is built around an enclosed garden where you can get some peace and quiet when the sun shines. The building itself contains many extraordinary features, the most notable of which is a beautiful chapel, which has been converted into a Moot Room, and is now used for debates, functions, lectures and mooting competitions.
We're lucky because it's hearth and home to everyone in the Faculty. The entire School and the work we do is based here: lectures; tutorials; staff rooms; cafeteria; reading rooms; legal clinic and a major Faculty IT suite with a vast number of workstations. The whole building is IT networked amd you can access anything that the library has on CD or on-line from anywhere in the School. As an LJMU student you have free Internet access and an LJMU email address, so contact with staff and each other couldn't be easier.
Situated between the two cathedrals and in a cosmopolitan area of the city, John Foster Building is in a good part of town. There are many restaurants and cafes in the locality - it is a foodie's delight, with every sort of cuisine on the doorstep - at reasonable prices. There a re numerous pubs, bars and clubs on the doorstep of John Foster Building, with atmospheres and tastes to suit all. The oldest Chinatown in Europe is just a short walk away, as is the city centre itself, with great shopping and a completely revamped waterfront.
The Students' Union and Library are a stone's throw from John Foster Building and on the other side of the site is Rodney Street - the University HQ.
You can find a lot of really high-class student accommodation situated in the vicinity of John Foster Building and Liverpool's social/nightlife starts here! By all accounts, it's a very safe place to be.
You can access further details on John Foster Building, including its location and facilities, here.
The course is delivered through the usual mixture of lectures (large group sessions) and tutorials (small group sessions) with some smaller options taught on a seminar pattern.
Lectures are normally delivered in large lecture theatres (capacity up to 300) and are usually almost entirely led by the lecturer and student participation is minimal. You will normally be asked to do some preparatory reading for the lecture and good note-taking skills are essential.
Tutorials are the opportunity to discuss topics set by the teaching team and to ask any questions you may have on the issues covered by the relevant lecture. For this reason, tutorials invariably take place after the relevant lecture. They are predominantly student-led and participatory. You may be asked to prepare questions for the tutorial or groups of you may be asked to deliver a presentation on a legal topic. Don't worry - this is not as scary as it sounds!
Just about everybody on the academic staff does - from the Director down. Teaching is a priority here and students have first call on their time, however busy people are. Because of the Legal Practice Course, Postgraduate programmes and Research activity at John Foster Building there is a broad mix of experience - professional, academic, management and consultancy. The Staff List gives an idea of what this place does, headed up by three Professors.
Staff maintain links with the legal profession (consultancies and placements), attend conferences and present papers at them, write books and articles, or review work for academic journals. Some also deliver Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses for lawyers. The Masters Degree (LLM) programme, for example, has full CPD recognition from both the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Bar Council.
Called the Aldham Robarts LRC, it's more than a library - it's a Learning Resource Centre: loads of workstations, state-of-the-art, and all encased in a beautiful modern glass building. Of course, LJMU also has a vast collection of books which you can utilise for your studies, and Aldham Robarts LRC contains over four floors of texts devoted to Business, Law and Economics.
Aldham Robarts LRC also holds extensive collections of many important and influential legal journals and Law Reports, and LJMU students have electronic access to tens of thousands of e-books, electronic journals and legal databases.
During LJMU term-time, access to Library facilities is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as we recognise that in today's ever-changing society, services must be accessible to everone at all times. The Library is just across the atrium from John Foster Building and handily located opposite the Students' Union.
LRC Opening hours:
Term Time: Full service to 2100 hours weekdays with reference and IT access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Vacation Time: Full service normal business hours with extended reference and IT access.
Evening and weekend services help both part-tiem and full-time students work around their commitments (work and social) and the IT/Computer support and provision is first-class.
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You've probably heard all about what Liverpool has to offer: a rich, cultural history; tremendous nightlife; political dynamism; musical excellence; and sporting tradition. Liverpool is home to half a million people - and 50,000 of them are students.
Liverpool has undegone a major transformation in recent years, as its transition from Europe's largest and busiest port to a more cosmopolitan and business-orientated metropolis has steadily progressed. Several multi-million pound projects have been undertaken to improve the city's infrastucture and tourism experience. The Grosvenor-sponsored Liverpool One, for example, promises to revamp the whole of the City's tourism and retail industries and Liverpool is now home to one of the UK's tallest apartment blocks. Liverpool now has the fastest growing jobs rate of any UK city.
Liverpool was recently awarded the prestigious title 'Capital of Culture 2008', which is a tremendous boost for the city and local areas. Cultural achievements in the city's history are legion; Liverpool is the only city (outside of the capital) in the UK with two cathedrals; Liverpool is home to some of the finest Georgian and Victorian architecture outside of London, resulting in one of the world's most recognisable waterfronts; the Beatles, the most successful pop band of all time, hail from here, and the city hosts a yearly festival devoted to music; the world famous Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is situated here; and much, much more. Many events were organised to celebrate this recognition, and the city received fantastic plaudits from around the world. Further details on future events can be accessed here.
The world-famous Albert Dock (the UK's largest group of Grade One Listed Buildings) is less than ten minutes walk from our campus and offers restaurants, bars, museums and tours. A brand new, purpose-built stadium for concerts and gigs, The Liverpool Echo Arena, now stands proudly alongside the Albert Dock.
Of course, the city's achievements are not limited to the realm of culture; Everton FC and Liverpool FC, two of the oldest and most successful British football clubs call the city their home and the city's inhabitants are known for their passion for the game. Furthermore, Liverpool is home to the world's most famous steeplechase - the Grand National - and it seems the whole world descends upon the city for the Aintree Racing Festival in April each year.
Finally - and perhaps most importantly for some of you! - Liverpool is renowned for its nightlife - there really is something for everyone here. Whether it be traditional pubs, restaurants, bars or clubs, Liverpool has everything you need and more. For further information on the varied and cosmopolitan places Liverpool has to offer for a night out, please click here.
For first-year studemts, there is the option of moving into students Halls of Residence, which are situated in various areas of the city. Further details on this accommodation can be accessed here.
Generally-speaking, second and third-year students move out of LJMU Halls (although this is not compulsory if there is room in LJMU accommodation) and share student houses, based on contracts with private landlords. The University offers advice and support for students in making the right choice of home when they move out of LJMU accommodation. Further details on student homes can be accessed here.
What's it like being a student at LJMU?
The culture at LJMU is friendly and supportive. Informal student study groups are encouraged and these can provide a lot of reassurance - it's not just you who may have trouble getting your head around a problem! Year tutors and personal tutors are 'there for you' and everyone's got an LJMU email address so contact is easy. Success is the idea here, not personal competitiveness.
But this is not at the expense of excellence. There are a number of prizes (all very prestigious) to which you can aspire; there are a host of awards up for grabs. Between these, there are extra-curricular activites and opportunities to participate in the way the course runs: invest some effort and there should be plenty to impress when it comes to drawing up your CV and preparing for job interviews.
For some specific comments on the rewarding and diverse experiences on offer to LJMU LLB students, please click here.
Of course, there is the chance to join the LJMU Law Society, which hosts plenty of social and work-related events. Further details can be accessed here.
There is also the Students Union, which can provide advice regarding a wide spectrum of issues and help you with any matters you encounter. Furthermore, there is a long list of target=_blank>clubs and societies which you are free to join, giving you the chance to pursue fulfilling activities and sports and create social networks which may last for life.
Full-Time Students
Please click here for further information.
Part-Time Students
Please click here.
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If you need any further information, please contact the School of Law Office. The details are as follows:
School of Law
John Foster Building
80-98 Mount Pleasant
Liverpool
L3 5UZ
Telephone: +44 (0) 151 231 3976
Fax: +44 (0) 151 231 3908
Opening Hours:
9am - 4pm (Monday – Thursday)
9am - 1pm (Friday)
For information on our location, please visit the How to Find Us page
For General Enquiries into LLB applications contact:
Carmel Flanagan (Law Admissions and Information Officer)
Tel: 0151 231 3906
Email: C.Flanagan@ljmu.ac.uk
