Whatever legal position you're hoping to achieve LSBU's Law course selection has something to offer you. Many of our graduates go on to become Solicitors or Barristers.
However, increasingly, changes in the legal services market is creating a rising demand for additional positions alongside the roles of solicitors and barristers. You may think of becoming a Paralegal – who are non-lawyers who assist lawyers in their legal work or a Legal Executive – who are lawyers who specialise in a particular area of law, similar to that of a solicitor.
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) is the professional body representing over 20,000 trainee and practising Legal Executives and is recognised by the Ministry of Justice as one of the three core routes to becoming a qualified lawyer. Our final year students have the opportunity to take the Ciminal Litigation and Civil Litigation options, successful completion of which enables them to become members of the Chartered Institute of legal Executives. This provides our students with an alternative route to the Legal Profession.
We are very proud of the links we have with professionals practising in the local community. They have a direct positive impact on our student experience and teaching quality. We host a number of CPD lectures, inviting guest speakers and practitioners to speak on current law issues. These events are great for student networking.
Our excellent and innovative law courses focus on practice and prepare you for work, as shown by our many successful alumni including Douglas Silas (above), national expert on Education Law, Peter Crisp, Chief Executive of BPP University College, Bridget Prentice, MP for Lewisham East from 1992 to 2010, and Mandie Lavin, Director of the Bar Standards Board from 2008-2010.
At London South Bank University we recognise and address the need for students to reflect upon their knowledge and skills when thinking about their chosen career path, with career services and careers advice forming a crucial part of the student experience.
Most students on the LLB aspire to become Solicitors or Barristers; however there will only be a select few who will know what skills and attributes are required in these professions. Far fewer will know about the alternative routes to qualification and career options available upon graduation. This is all a part of the learning experience and our students benefit from a dedicated module that has been embedded within the LLB to deliver just this.
Working in the Law is a compulsory module for all second year LLB students. The module delivers sessions on graduate employability, writing applications for law work, developing Curriculum Vitae and making presentations. Students actively use online materials developed by the University Careers Service designed to direct them to think about their knowledge, skills and attributes when considering their career options. Personality and psychometric tests are carried out for students to further reflect upon and provide an opportunity to develop further as part of the Personal Development Plan (PDP). The module goes further to introduce students to the contentious and non contentious areas of practice, providing an opportunity to appreciate application of the law in practice.
The module places a great emphasis on employability, students are supported in gaining work experience and additional evening sessions are arranged for practitioners to deliver talks to students about life in practice. We regularly arrange Continuing Professional Development sessions, which are open to our students to attend and provide an opportunity for students to network with practitioners.
We place a great emphasis on the learning experience of our students. We go beyond delivery of the substantive modules, as required by the regulatory bodies, and we offer a range of option choices for students, with the added benefit of professional skills development.
When embarking upon the LLB, we support you in successfully completing the degree and we further support you in realising your career goals.
A Law degree is highly valued by all employers (not just within the Legal Profession) due to the transferable skills acquired by students. Law students acquire analytical skills, research skills, paying attention to detail, distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant facts, time management skills, woriking to deadlines. These skills are highly valued by all employers, not just employers within the Legal Profession. Some of our graduates have therefore pursued successful careers outside the Legal Profession, such as Chief Exectuive of BPP Law School, Government Departments, and Politics.
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