We are one of the only law schools in the UK where you can gain real world experience from your very first year of study and where every student who wishes to gain pro bono experience can do so at all stages of their study.
Every first year student will study a Law in Society module in their second semester based in our national award-winning Legal Advice Centre, which provides free legal advice to the local. After studying legal ethics and professional conduct, you will observe our clinical work in action, supervised by our in-house legal staff and external volunteers from the local legal profession. If you wish, you can then choose options in your second and third years based in the LAC which will allow you to take on your own, more advanced casework under close supervision.
We act for individuals and companies and collaborate with external partners and policy researchers on a broad range of cases, including Family, Employment, Wills, Civil Litigation, Housing, Miscarriages of Justice, Environmental Law and Civil Liberties. Volunteering opportunities at local charities and third sector organisations are also available.
These experiences give you the chance to develop your professional network, along with transferable skills that are vital for the legal profession as well as a wide range of graduate level jobs. We believe that not only should our students gain the best possible legal education for their own benefit, but also that everyone with legal knowledge – even the most junior – can make a difference in their local community.
You can receive regular training by acting as a form-filling volunteer at Merseyside Welfare Rights. Many of our students also train as volunteers in their local Citizens Advice Bureau or marshal at the Queen Elizabeth II Court.
You can also volunteer at LJMU's Legal Advice Centre helping staff, students and the general public on cases involving family law, civil litigation, employment law and wills and administration.
Whatever you decide to do after graduation, every module you study will have given you the opportunity to develop vital skills – from good communication, critical and analytical abilities and problem solving to digital ability, research techniques and commercial awareness. In your spare time you might volunteer for our national award-winning mooting team to develop your advocacy and public speaking. Perhaps you will research and write an article for our peer-reviewed, open access Student Law Journal, or present a School of Law Podcast episode on current affairs, culture or important cases that matter to you.
Our dedicated Careers team will help you develop your CV and provide guidance at every stage of your study.
Level 5 and 6 students can audition to join Liverpool John Moores University’s Mooting team. Our Mooting team has enjoyed success in various competitions, including the English-Speaking Union/Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition and the International Student Team Mediation Competition.
If you are a Graduate Diploma in Law student, you will be offered a Mooting module, which has been designed to help you develop and enhance key skills associated with being a lawyer.
Your degree is just the start of an exciting journey. From your second year onwards (Level 5), you can choose options which have a traditional, liberal arts focus if you think you want to use your law degree as a springboard into further study or research, a career in business or local government, or any other career that needs a wide range of skills involving critical thinking, analysis and communication. If you think you might want to become a solicitor or barrister, we offer a range of options oriented to practice, such as Criminal Litigation and Advocacy. Whichever path you choose, every subject we teach is academically rigorous and taught to the highest standards. Before you start your final year you can review your pathway and, if your career plans have changed, you can choose whichever options are best for you and change focus to suit your needs.
As a School of Law student you can apply to study or work abroad as part of our Erasmus+ scheme. Past students have gone to Malta, Malaga, Hasselt in Belgium and Rome. The Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Science also fund some of its students to travel and study abroad via their International Bursaries Programme.
The Centre for Entrepreneurship has been helping students and alumni get their business ideas off the ground since 2003. The Centre can help you with funding, networking, as well as business, legal and financial advice. Find out more about the type of support on offer at the Centre for Entrepreneurship.
