Open Day

Law with Business LLB(Hons)Law with Criminology LLB(Hons)

Alison Bone, Law with Business LLB(Hons) Course Leader

Dr Craig Johnstone, Law with Criminology Lecturer

We have strong links with industry and work with employers to develop relevant programmes

40 years’ experience of running courses

Most staff worked in industry before joining

Career-focussed courses – you will develop the practicalskills that employers are looking for

Brighton Business School

Law with Business LLB(Hons)Law with Criminology LLB(Hons)

Qualifying Law Degrees

Law with Business enables students to study the foundations of law subjects together with other law modules and business modules

Law with Criminology enables students to study the foundations of law subjects together with other law modules and undertake an in-depth study of criminology

What you need to study law at Brighton

A typical offer is ABB (Law with Criminology) and BBB (Law with Business) from three A-levels (ex General Studies).

GCSE Maths and English min Grade C

IB 34 points (Law with Criminology) and 32 points (Law with Business), inc 16 at higher level

Nat Dip DDM

IELTS min 6 (inc 6 in writing) where applicable

An enquiring mind!

The LLB courses at Brighton

Law modules make up at least 2/3 of the degree

Law with Business

Study of at least five business modules

Options to take further business or law modules in the final year

Law with Criminology

Study of at least five criminology modules

Options to take further criminology or law modules in the final year

What is a ‘Qualifying Law Degree’

It is a degree that is recognised by the professional legal bodies (the Solicitors Regulation Authority www.sra.org.uk and the Bar Standards Board www.barstandardsboard.org.uk) as the academic stage of training for a solicitor or barrister.

Law routes

Course structure of LLB (with Business)

5 modules in year 1

5 modules in year 2

Majority of modules have coursework and examination

Some modules (1 or 2 in each year) are 100% coursework

Minimum 12 hours contact per week in year 1 and 10 hours in year 2. Year 3 dependent on elective choice but minimum of 8 hours.

Year 1 modules

Law in Action

How to find and read cases and statutes

How the English Legal System works

Guest speakers – to provide context

Legal skills: research, writing, referencing, essay-writing, problem-solving

Employability skills: CV writing, communication, team building

Year 1 modules cont…

Law of Torts

Negligence

Defamation

Occupiers liability

Trespass etc

Public Law

British constitution

Human rights

Judicial review of government actions

First year business modules

Global Business Environment

Foundation level economics to give an understanding of business

Provided in a legal context with guest speakers

Business Planning

Introduction to forms of business organisation

Basic marketing principles

Financial aspects of business planning

First year criminology modules

Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies

What is criminology and what is it concerned with?

What do we know about crime?

What is the purpose of punishment?

How does the criminal justice system work?

Theories of Crime

Competing explanations of offending behaviour

Draw particularly on psychological and sociological perspectives

Understand offending in the context of race, age, class, gender

Second year Law with Business modules

European Union Law

Contract Law

Law in Practice: Moot

Criminal Law

Business Development

Second year Law with Criminology modules

European Union Law

Contract Law

Law in Practice: Moot

Criminal Law

Criminologies of Crime Control

Critical Perspectives on Criminal Justice

Optional year 3 work placement

On placement you gain work and life experience

It significantly adds to your CV

Placement companies include: Alfred James & Co SolicitorsGaby Hardwicke SolicitorsAcumen Business LawDevonshires SolicitorsHome OfficeHouse of Lords

Final year modules

Land Law Equity and Trusts Legal Research Project – group research project One criminology/business module

Options include:

Commercial Law, Company Law Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Family Law, Legal Dissertation, Law of Succession

Law with Business: Employee Relations, Business Marketing, Corporate Strategy, Entrepreneurship

Law with Criminology: Contemporary Studies in Crime and Justice, Cross-Cultural Criminology, Global Issues: Crime, Power and Harm

How are modules taught?

Generally through a lecture and seminar each week for each module

Some eg academic skills for Law in Action, Business Planning are taught through workshops

Where are modules taught?

The Business School

All Law modules

All Business modules

School of Applied Social Science

All Criminology modules

Criminology classes scheduled one day each week

Sample lecture - Employment Law

In order to claim unfair dismissal employee must show:

- that he is an employee

- has worked continuously for 51 weeks (1 weeks statutory notice is added) or, if they started after April 2012, 103 weeks

- that he has been dismissed

If there is any doubt the employee has the burden of proof

Employment Law

Employer must prove

has a potentially fair reason for dismissal

has acted reasonably in deciding to dismiss ie followed a reasonable procedure

Fair reasons for dismissal

Capability or qualifications

Conduct

Redundancy

Would be illegal to continue to employ

Some other substantial reason

Unfair reasons

TU membership or activity

Health and safety activities (also pension scheme trustees, ee reps)

Family-related reasons

Pressure er should have ignored

Assertion of statutory right eg time off

Transfer of an undertaking

Whistleblowing (disclosure under Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998)

Capability

Ill-health - note period of sick pay not conclusive

‘Sympathetic consideration’ required but NB provisions regarding disability in Equality Act 2010

Coleman v Attridge Law

Fair review required plus appropriate warnings

ACAS Code provides guidance

Sometimes abused as a reason by employees!

Seminar question

Marty has worked for Loambase Garden Centre for two years. He is twenty years old and rather frail in that he seems to catch colds easily and has been off sick for a total of thirty days in the last twelve months, usually for two or three days at a time.

He has now started arriving late at work saying that his mother has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and needs help in the mornings. His manager Susan is getting rather fed up and wants to dismiss him.

How would you advise her?

Virtual learning environment

All modules are supported through the use of studentcentral, our online learning site.

In addition to paper resources (books, journals etc in the library) students have access to a range of online legal research services, such as Westlaw, Lawtel, Lexis Nexis and HeinOnline. These can be accessed from students’ home computer.

How are modules assessed?

Generally through examination and coursework

Law in Action and Business Planning are assessed via 75% and 100% coursework respectively

Skills development: personal, academic and legal

Year 1: Law in Action is tailored to meet the needs of law students and support other modules

Year 2 and Final year: Law in Practice: Moot and Legal Research Project modules focus on the development of effective oral presentation, advocacy and team work skills.

Close links with local legal community

Local legal practices provide advocacy training, speakers on topical legal issues, shadowing, sponsorship and internship opportunities.

Students are encouraged to complete vacation placements with solicitors’ firms, mini pupillages with barristers’ chambers and internships with other institutions.

Members of the Sussex Law Society, Institute of Legal Executives and Sussex Young Lawyers sit on the advisory panel for course development.

Student Law Society

Membership of over 150 students.

Educational events have included visits to Lewes Crown Court, Brighton magistrates court, the Houses of Parliament and national law fairs.

Social events have included paintballing, go-karting, surfing, themed social nights, a Christmas ball and a trip with law students from other universities to Amsterdam.

Mooting

Law in Practice: Moot module develops advocacy skills.

The inter-university mooting competition between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex is an annual event. Students argue both sides of a fictitious legal case in a simulated court room setting – but in front of a panel of real judges.

Students also have the opportunity to take part in national and regional mooting competitions.

Career focused

Careers Service in regular contact with over 1,800 businesses and organisations.

Biennial Law Forum discusses routes into the legal sector and what it is really like to work within it.

Work shadowing scheme

Recent shadowing opportunities have included:

Five 2nd year students had the worked alongside five of Howlett Clarke’s Partners.

Five others shadowed a local judge.

Others spent time with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Graduate careers

Careers that some of our graduates have embarked upon:

Solicitor Barrister Legal ExecutiveAccountant Banking and financeHuman resourcesJournalismInsuranceManagement consultancy

Destinations of law graduates

Recent law graduates are now working for companies such as:

Adams & Reamers ParalegalBritish Airways Trainee ManagerDean Wilson LLP Legal ClerkLloyds TSB Business SpecialistMulti-international Commodities Broker / OilSchneider Group Financial TraderThe Royal Household Anniversaries CorrespondentWest Sussex Council Legal Assistant

Other law graduates went on to take vocational training courses to become solicitors or barristers.

What our students say

“The subject matter was always interesting and the lecturers are motivating and very approachable. Brighton is an awesome place to live and the student life is unbeatable.”

“Towards the end of my Law with Business degree, I was delighted to be offered a position at a local law firm, and I feel that the knowledge and skills I gained from Brighton University have greatly contributed to my early career success.”

“I would recommend studying law at the University of Brighton to any prospective students.”

Thank you for attending this presentation