Judge for yourself.Undergraduate

opportunities

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ContentsWelcome from Head of School 2

Key facts & figures 5

Why Southampton Law School? 6

Skills ensuring employability 8

Our academic programmes

LLB (Law) 3 years 10

LLB (Maritime Law) 3 years 10

LLB (accelerated programme) 2 years 12

LLB (European Legal Studies) 4 years 15

LLB (International Legal Studies) 4 years 15

Teaching, learning & assessment 16

Mooting 16

International students & scholarships 17

Admissions & fees 18

Visit us 19

Southampton Law School has built a reputation as one ofthe leading law schools in the UK. Its teaching was declared“excellent” by the Government’s Quality Assurance Agencyin 2003, and it was one of only eleven law schools to have95% or more of its research output regarded as being of“international standard or above” in the recent 2008Research Assessment Exercise.

Our 35 members of full-time staff are involved in the developmentof law both nationally and internationally. They bring the highestlevels of dedication and enthusiasm to their work, and years ofpractical experience as lawyers and teachers. Some have wonnational prizes for their work. One former lecturer of the Schoolwas one of the first judges to be appointed to the ConstitutionalCourt of South Africa, and played a significant role in the struggleagainst the apartheid regime. Other staff members are helping toshape law and society in equally significant ways, consulting withgovernments, agencies and research institutes throughout theworld on the complex issues of the day.

We are equally proud of our students, who have distinguishedthemselves in recent years by winning national and internationalcompetitions in legal negotiation and advocacy skills. Our alumniinclude judges, politicians and senior practitioners in some of thetop international law firms, both in the UK and abroad.

We offer innovative and challenging programmes, with caring,highly professional staff, and are unique in providing a two-weekprogramme dedicated to employability skills. The result is thatstudents are provided with the highest-quality legal educationand excellent career prospects on graduation.

I welcome you warmly to join this thriving, innovative academiccommunity, and wish you all the success that your predecessorshave enjoyed.

Professor Natalie LeeHead of the School of Law

Contact usFor full details of our programmes and courses,together with video clips of the studentexperience, please visit our website.

Undergraduate AdmissionsSchool of LawUniversity of SouthamptonHighfieldSouthampton SO17 1BJUnited Kingdom

Tel: (+44) (0)23 8059 2596Fax: (+44) (0)23 8059 3024Email: Undergrad.Law@southampton.ac.uk

www.southampton.ac.uk/law

Welcome fromtheHeadof School

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Research rating The School has had confirmed in the recent 2008 Research Assessmentexercise that 95% of its research output was of international quality, apercentage achieved by just ten other law schools. All full-time staff areengaged in research at the highest national level. The School is currentlyhome to one of the UK’s top generalist law journals, Legal Studies.

Teaching rating “Absolute confidence” (2003, Quality Assurance Agency)

Staff 35 (full-time)

The research expertise of our staff covers subjects as diverse as informationtechnology, e-commerce and intellectual property law; law, ethics andglobalisation; european, social, human rights and comparative law; healthcare and ethics law; family law; corporate law; criminal justice,legal theory andsocial security law; and maritime law. A full list of staff and their interests canbe found on our website at www.southampton.ac.uk/law/staff

Average tutorial group size Up to 10 students

Annual student intake 170 (UK/EU), 60 (international)

Key facts&figures

“I found Southampton’s collegiate approachof open discourse and academic collaboration,helped me to reach my potential. There wasalways an opportunity to develop and learnthrough sharing ideas and opinions in atolerant and open minded environment.

Classes were enthused by the knowledge andexpertise of world-leading academics at thecutting edge of their fields, meaning you comeout of classes inspired and with a uniqueunderstanding of the law you could not getfrom anywhere else”.

Thomas WebberLLB

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World-class facilities

Continued investment of £200million over the lastfour years ensures that you will benefit by living in oneof the best learning environments in the UK. Ouroutstanding facilities on campus, exceptional teaching,good accommodation and excellent social and sportingamenities make it easy to see why our students rate usso highly.

Academic excellence

The School holds the highest possible governmentratings for both teaching (Quality Assurance Agency,2003) and legal research. Our staff author many of theleading books and articles which define the law studentsare learning today. Their innovations in research allowpioneering course options on our LLB programme, withup-to-the-minute insights on the legal questions of theday. As experienced teachers, they will both supportand challenge you at the highest level.

Outstanding reputation

Southampton is ranked in the top 10 universities in theUK for research, and in the top 15 for law. We have aworldwide reputation for academic excellence, and youwill be taught by internationally respected staff workingat the forefront of their fields. We enjoy an excellentreputation with the professions and with prospectiveemployers, both nationally and internationally. OurLLB degree is accredited for practice in a wide varietyof countries worldwide, including Australia, Canada,Malaysia and Singapore.

Equality of opportunity

Our commitment to widening participation and theUniversity’s extensive range of awards, bursaries andscholarships mean that an education is open to allstudents with the necessary skills and ability,irrespective of age, race, sex, colour, religion,background or financial circumstances.

WhySouthamptonLawSchool?

Mooting

While some universities only offer the chance to a selectedfew, all students at Southampton participate in mooting(mock court cases) during their first year, working withopposing teams, researching and arguing points of lawin front of a judge. Many of our students go on to enter(and win) national or international competitions.

Team Building Development Programme

You will be involved with your fellow students and staffright from the very beginning of your course: startingwith a one-day development course, where you willmeet and form the team you will work with throughoutyour first year in tutorials, mooting programmes andother activities.

Wanting That Extra Global Edge?

We can offer a wide variety of ways for you to combineyour UK studies with a year abroad if you are interestedin adding or enhancing the global element of yourcareer. See our web site for more information.

Street Law

An ‘access to law’ pro bono programme offered atSouthampton where you work in teams, and supportedby your tutors, address the legal concerns of localcommunity groups and present your findings in a varietyof interactive ways.

BarLink

BarLink is a unique career development scheme for thosewho are seriously intending to go to the Bar, where youwill attend local Chambers to be twinned with a barristerspecialising in criminal law, employment law, family lawand housing law.

Housing Clinic

As part of the Pro Bono activities the School of Lawhas set up a ‘citizens’ advice-style’ housing clinic,offering free consultations for any student requiringadvice on renting property. The housing clinic is run ona voluntary basis by a team of second and third year lawstudents, collaboratively with local chambers.

Making a Difference

Through the University of Southapton Student Unionyou can get involved in a wide range of volunteerprojects in the arts, sports, animal welfare, translation,children and youth work, general support and advice,music, social welfare plus lots more. Whatever yourinterest we can help find a placement, a one-off projector partnership for you to get involved in.

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Southampton Law School graduates arehighly valued by prospective employers.

Our alumni include current partners andsenior partners in some of the top law firmsin the country, including Linklaters, HerbertSmith, Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance,Macfarlanes, Simmons & Simmons, NortonRose, and Farrers. Others are successfulbarristers featured in the country’s top lawdirectory, the “Legal 500”, while some havechosen to follow careers in the legaldepartments of international corporationssuch as Vodafone. Our international graduatesare also exceptionally well placed in practicein their home countries.

On average, 50 different law firms (both Cityand provincial) canvas students at our careersfair each year, which also attractsrepresentation from the Crown ProsecutionService and local government. Some of ouracademic posts and academic prizes aresponsored by these firms, who participateactively in our legal skills programme, as domany local barristers and judges.

In an increasingly competitive global market,employers are looking for more than thetechnical skills and knowledge of a degreediscipline.

During your legal studies, you will have theopportunity to develop a number of key skills,which are critical to your employability andprofessional effectiveness, whatever careerpath you ultimately choose:

– teamworking

– critical analysis

– communication

– problem-solving

– personal development planning

– advocacy (many students compete ininternal, national and internationalcompetitions)

– negotiation

– client counselling

– research and writing.

Careers advice and support is availablefrom the University Careers Service, whichoffers face-to-face guidance and has anexcellent careers library and online resources.The Law School also provides a dedicatedcareers coordinator, with extensiveexperience of the legal profession.

Skills ensuring employability

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LLB (Law)3 years (M100)Programme overview

The LLB programme teaches you the key principles ofEnglish law across a variety of fields, and introduces youto a wide range of more specialised areas of legal study.

On the course you will also develop key skills, such ascritical analysis, legal problem-solving and logicalreasoning, and will have the opportunity to sharpenadvocacy (via our mooting programme), teamworkingand negotiation skills. Throughout the course you willbe encouraged to think critically and creatively aboutthe adequacy of existing laws in meeting the needs ofmodern societies.

In years one and two, you will study the seven compulsorysubjects required to obtain your professionalexemptions:

– Constitutional and Administrative Law

– Law of Contract

– Criminal Law

– European Union Law

– Law of Torts

– Land Law

– Trusts and Equity

In year one you also take part in an introductory team-building course and a course on Legal reasoning andsystems.

In year three you can spread your wings and tailor yourdegree to your individual interests, by selecting fourmodules from our wide range of options (see the table onpage 11 for details). You will also complete a supervisedlegal dissertation as part of our Legal research and writingcourse. This can focus on any legal topic you choose andis a distinctive feature of the Southampton LLB.

LLB (Maritime Law)3 years (subject to validation)Programme overview

Our LLB (Maritime Law) is a new and uniqueprogramme providing an excellent foundation for acareer in international maritime law, commerce andrelated industries. It is a fully qualifying law degree,recognised by the Law Society and the Bar Council ofEngland and Wales, and carrying full exemption fromthe academic stage of legal education for the purposesof professional qualification. The University ofSouthampton Law School has for many yearsspecialised in the field of Maritime Law with itsinternationally renowned Institute of Maritime Law,and is the research base of many of the leading maritimelawyers in the world. Southampton is a medieval citywith a longstanding maritime heritage. It also has closetrain access to London’s Baltic Exchange, and the UKSupreme Court.

In years one and two, you will study the sevencompulsory subjects required to obtain yourprofessional exemptions as in the LLB (Law). In yearthree you will take specialised maritime modules;selecting three optional modules from the following:Admiralty Law, Carriage of Goods by Sea, CommercialConflicts of Law and International Litigation,Commercial Sales and Public International Law. Youwill have a free choice from the full range of final yearLLB options for your fourth final year module.

You will also complete a supervised legal dissertation,a distinctive feature of all Southampton LLB programmes,as part of our final year Legal Research and Writingmodule. This will be in the area of an approved maritimesubject. Visit our website for more details.

Our academic programmes LLB (3 years) (M100)Programme structure

Year One Core Units Year Two Core Units Year Three Core Module

Constitutional and Law of the European Union Legal research and writingAdministrative Law Law of Torts (leading to production of a legal dissertation)Law of Contracts Land LawCriminal law Equity and TrustsLegal System and Reasoning

Optional Full Modules (choose four):

Admiralty LawCarriage of Goods by SeaCommercial Conflicts of Law and InternationalLitigationCommercial SalesCompany LawCrime and Justice: Law and PolicyEmployment LawEvidence and ProcedureFamily LawHealth Care LawInformation Technology LawIntellectual Property LawInternational Protection of Human RightsJurisprudenceLaw, Government and AdministrationLaw of Unjust EnrichmentPublic International LawTax LawLaw and the Human Body

Or three full options, plus two half-options from:

Renting Homes: Law and PolicyYouth JusticeEC Competition LawPenal PolicyChild Support

LLB (2 years) (M101) Final Year Modules for LLB (Hons) 2 YearProgramme Only – from 2010/11 onwards

Legal Research and WritingEquity and TrustsEuropean Union LawLand LawLaw of Torts

Please note that options offered may differ from year to year. For full details of all our courses, please visit our website at www. southampton.ac.uk/law

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LLB (accelerated programme)2 years (M101)This programme offers a fast, qualifying route throughthe academic stage of legal training if you are alreadya graduate in another field. It allows you to completethe LLB degree in two years rather than the standardthree years.

You will complete the seven core units as outlined onpage 11 to satisfy the professional requirements of theBar Council and Law Society, and our Legal researchand writing dissertation module. This route isparticularly suitable for those who require groundingin the core legal subjects and research skills, but arekeen to progress to legal practice as swiftly as possible.This fast track route doesn’t offer much scope forspecialisation, so if you wish longer term to specialisein a specific area, you are advised to consider ourthree-year LLB programme.

If you are an international graduate you should checkthe accreditation status of this programme with yourlocal Bar Association, as local rules may differ.

Unique to Southampton LLB courses:Legal research and writing: the final-yeardissertationThis is an outstanding feature of the final year of ourLLB programme. It is popular with students andhighly valued by employers, as an indicator of abilityto work independently and creatively on a substantiallegal project.

You will be able to choose your dissertation topic withthe help of your personal tutor and dissertationsupervisor. You will learn how to research a subject indepth and how to present the results of your researchin a coherent, analytical way. Some of the workproduced by our students is of publishable quality.

Examples of topics studied in recent years are:

– Legal regulation of the Internet

– Press freedom and the protection of privacy

– Crimes against humanity: the Pinochet case

– Football transfer fees and the law

– Domestic violence and the criminal law

– Constitutional reform of the House of Lords

– Prenuptial agreements

– The modern role of the UN Security Council

– Marine salvage

– Film censorship

– E-commerce

– Voluntary euthanasia

– Genetic experimentation

– Environmental protest

– Trans-racial adoption.

Our academic programmes

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LLB (European Legal Studies)4 years (M125)This popular course allows you to spend a full academicyear at a university in another European country,studying law and developing your language skills underthe Erasmus exchange programme. A specificrequirement of the course is that you should have a highlevel of proficiency in the language of the country youplan to visit (normally at least to A level standard).However this requirement will not apply if you attenda European University where the language ofinstruction is English. Please see our website for furtherguidance. If you apply for this programme you will beexpected to demonstrate that you are self-motivated,literate and articulate.

Please see our website for details: www.southampton.ac.uk/law/ugopportunities/llbels.html

You will spend your year abroad at the end of yoursecond year, following a selection process in year one.Funding is arranged in the normal way through yourLEA and student loans, with some funding from the EU.You will then return to Southampton for your final year.

Current exchange destinations for our students are:

– Athens

– Bergen

– Bologna

– Dresden

– Fribourg

– Hannover

– Leuven

– Lyon

– Madrid

– Malta

– Nantes

– Oslo

– Paris

– Rouen

– Vienna.

LLB (International Legal Studies)4 years (M130)We can you the exciting opportunity to study law in ajurisdiction outside the European Union, as part of yourLLB degree, experiencing a completely different culturein the process.

You will spend a full academic year at your choice of oneof our designated university studying aspects of thelegal system and substantive law of that country.Currently students may study in Canada, Chile, HongKong and Singapore. There is no language requirementas you will attend universities in which English is thelanguage of instruction.

This attractive opportunity for LLB students reflectsnot only the School of Law’s own international standingbut also the diversity of jurisdictions in which graduatesof English law may pursue their legal careers. You willreturn to the UK after the completion of the academicyear to complete your fourth and final year, after whichyou will be awarded the degree of LLB (InternationalLegal Studies) to highlight your international skills.

Our current partnership arrangements are with:

– Hong Kong University

– National University of Singapore

– University of Ottawa,Ontario

– Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile

– Singapore Management University.

Our academic programmesAustrian Parliament, Vienna

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Teaching, learning&assessment

You will also enjoy the benefits of the latest informationtechnology and online learning resources via theUniversity’s network of more than 1,700 campus-basedworkstations, 25 of which are situated in the lawbuilding itself, together with many Internet cafes,across our campuses and halls of residence. Most coursematerials are now available online.

Assessment and feedback

Most courses are assessed in June, though someassessment exercises are spread through the academicyear. We use a variety of methods of assessment,depending on the course. These include:

– traditional, closed-book, written examinations

– take-home examinations

– oral presentations

– team presentations

– written assignments

In addition to a comprehensive handbook to accompanyyour studies, you will receive written feedback on yourwork in all courses. Full details of the assessment methodsused on each course are available on our website.

International students& scholarshipsWelcoming international students

The University of Southampton is experienced atdealing with the needs of our international students andprovide a wide range of support on campus.International office staff travel overseas regularly tomeet students and we also have official representativesbased in many countries to help you with yourapplication arrangements prior to coming to the UK.

With a global reputation for excellence in research andteaching, the University attracts thousands of EU andinternational students from over 130 countries. Weencourage applications from international students,and welcome some 25–30 candidates each year, frommore than 25 different countries, including Canada, theUSA, Singapore, Malaysia, Greece, Cyprus, Australia,Norway, Hong Kong and China. Our three-year LLBprogramme is accredited for professional purposes inmany jurisdictions, including:

– India (Bar Council of India)

– Malaysia (Malaysia Legal Profession Qualifying Board)

– Singapore (Singapore Board of Legal Education)

– Cyprus (Cyprus Bar Association)

– Hong Kong (Hong Kong Bar Association and LawSociety o fHong Kong).

You can listen to podcasts, send your comments onYouTube, take a virtual walking tour of the Universityplus more through our iSoton interactive portal.Visit: www.soton.ac.uk/isoton.

International scholarships and support

The University offers a pleasant, secure, cosmopolitanenvironment. We offer a comprehensive range ofsupport services for international students, includingan International Office, a Student Advice andInformation Centre, International Student Advisors,and a Centre for Language Study.

We guarantee University accommodation to all newinternational students without dependants for the fullduration of your studies (as long as you apply by thedeadline of 1 August in the year in which your studiesbegin). The University also provides a free Meet andGreet service from London Heathrow Airport, designedto transfer international students directly to theUniversity at the start of the academic year.

All our students are supported by an academic tutorthroughout their degree studies. During your first fewweeks at Southampton you will also be assigned a second-or third-year international student “buddy” to offer anyhelp and advice you may need. In addition, we have specialacademic support seminars to help international studentsmake the transition to a new education system.

We offer a limited number of international scholarshipsworth a 50% reduction, and international meritscholarships worth a £1000 reduction on theInternational student tuition fees. Seeour website for more information.Mooting

We have an extensive and highly successful mootingprogramme, in which students argue cases in simulatedcourtroom surroundings. It has produced excellentadvocates. Our students participate in both nationaland international competitions. Our activities aresupported by local judges and barristers, andgenerously sponsored by several local chambers.

Every student participates in a moot as part of thefirst-year Legal System and Reasoning module.Many go on to our own internal competition, andthen to national and international competitions.

Right: Richard Sidonio, Raj Bhatt, and Liam Doughty whowon the Best Memorial Prize in a Mooting Competitionin Mumbai, February 2008

Teaching and learning

Under the most recent assessment of the government’sQuality Assurance Agency, our teaching received thehighest possible rating. We are particularly proud of ourworking relationship with our students and werepraised for this and the way that feedback is used toimprove the student learning experience. We use ablend of teaching techniques, including:

– lectures (to introduce new ideas and key concepts)

– seminars (intermediate-sized discussion groups toexplore ideas in greater depth)

– tutorials (smaller groups of up to about 10 students,led by your tutor and you playing a key role in thediscussion and debate)

– team and individual presentations (depending on thecourses you choose)

– group work

– e-learning

As a law student at Southampton you will have accessto the largest law library on the south coast of England,comprising some 55,000 legal volumes in a recentlyrefurbished and extended building, just two minutes’walk from the Law School.

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Admissions& fees Visit us

You are very welcome to visit us at any stage. There area number of ways of arranging this, details of which areavailable at http://www.soton.ac. uk/law/ugopportunities/visit_us.html

The University holds open days every year, in June andSeptember, which provide an ideal opportunity to lookaround before you fill out your UCAS form. If you are notable to visit us on one of these dates, you can take a

campus tour and/or arrange an individual appointmentto see our Admissions Tutor before you apply. For detailsand online booking for open days and campus tours, goto www.southampton.ac.uk/visit

Once you have applied to study law at Southampton viaUCAS, you will automatically be invited to visit the LawSchool to meet staff and students, view the excellentfacilities and look around the city.

This brochure is prepared inadvance. The University ofSouthampton reserves the rightto make any alternations orcancellations to any statementin this publication and acceptsno responsibility for anyconsequences of suchmodification or cancellation.

©University of Southampton2009

Application method UCAS

Fees Check our website for latest fee information

Standard entrance requirements A level: AAAIB: 36 points (18 at higher level)A wide range of international qualifications of equivalentstandard are accepted. Please contact us for advice.

Subject requirements A-level applicants must offer at least two traditional academicsubjects (excluded: General Studies; Photography; PhysicalEducation; Practical Music and Sports Studies). In addition, weprefer applicants to offer a fourth subject at AS level.

Interviews Candidates are not usually interviewed.

Mature candidates (over 23 years) We do not apply the same entrance requirements to maturecandidates as we do for school leavers, but we do look for acurrent or recent course of study. Most successful candidatesoffer one or two A levels or an Access course. Professionalqualifications and work experience will be taken into account.Candidates are usually interviewed and asked to take a writtenaptitude test.

English language requirements(where applicable)

IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 600 (paper)/250 (computer-based)

Law Taster Day - Once you have an offer you will be invited in to spend the day with us, meet other potentialstudents on your course and also discover first hand what a career in law might be like. You will prepare a civilcase, and present it before a mock small claims court.

www.southampton.ac.uk/lawUKandEUenquiries:undergrad.law@southampton.ac.uk+44 (0)23 8059 2596

International (nonEU) enquiries:global@southampton.ac.uk

+44 (0) 23 80599699