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Kingston University has been offering Law for well over 40 years now, covering everything from the LLB to the GDL and various LLM courses. The law school has a notable reputation for its working law clinic, giving students the chance to assist on real cases. This seems to prove an extremely popular choice amongst the Kingston students, with many of them attributing future employment to the extra sparkle it brings to the CV.

In the wider legal community Kingston has developed close links with local and National firms. Whether assisting you with work experience locally or helping to secure that all-important training contract, Kingston Law School seems to have a surprising amount of contacts in the industry.

Life at the Kingston Hill Campus is reported to be lively and fun, with the grounds set amongst various eateries, coffee shops and information points. It is a well known fact that most students hate the thought of an early morning, let alone one which is set to outline the foundations and application of contract law.

So it seems to be greatly appreciated that the campus offers breakfast and coffee options at easy access points, whether it be from the restaurant, the KU Union or the Tikki café in the library.The main lecture hall at Kingston Hill campus is the Lawley lecture theatre.

The Building is fully equipped with multi media facilities, including disabled access and is fitted with an induction logs system. This lecture hall is used for regular student lectures but also holds functions as a space for seminars held by business professionals who make use of the facilities during vacation times.

It is reported that the lecture theatre never feel overcrowded (a big bugbear for students, and understandably) and provides the space to ensure that during one or two or even three hour lectures that the student is comfortable and can concentrate wholly on the task in hand.

The Library at Kingston Hill is a modern and well resourced asset to the University Law School. The learning resources centre provides access to specialist printed and electronic resources in business, education, law, music and healthcare sciences, together with computing and media facilities. There are continuous daily updates of newspapers, magazines and journals and plenty of spaces for study are accessible.

Studying at Kingston hill is relaxing and pleasant; the library encourages students to study with its absorbent outlay and amenities such as the Tikki café, which for the students who study into the early hours is a great benefit! There are various wireless hot spots for those who wish to bring laptops, otherwise it houses a dedicated business library holding major business and law texts and computer learning packages which can be accessed from over 200 networked workstations.

The staff at Kingston Law School are of the highest calibre, our source at Kingston claimed to find the Law School greatly informative and accessible when it comes to liaising with staff members. The Learning resource centre (LRC) plays a particularly big part for all GDL/CPE students, with many of the lectures and workshops taking place within this facility.

As with all other providers, the Kingston GDL focuses on the seven coure subjects; Criminal, Land, Contract, European Union, Public Tort and the law of Equity & Trusts. You will also undertake a module in the English Legal system and will have to complete an independent research project in an area of law other than the ones mentioned above.

Kingston is undeniably an attractive place, providing a taste of London without having to live in the City centre. The town is beautiful, filled with many shops and a great array of eateries. There are two shopping centres, the Bentall Centre, which contains all the high street musts and a Virgin active gym (which offers student discount memberships). Eden Walk shopping centre also offers a variety of shops in an elegant setting.

When you go to University the big question is nightlife. So here goes…….. Student nights mainly fall on a Monday and a Wednesday, these are the two nights where there are copious amounts of alcohol sold at student prices. There is McCluskies, OCEANA, Evissa, Baccus, The Works and a variety of Unions and bars and pubs to choose from.

These nights are normally student only and will require students to show their IDs to get into the clubs. However if you get fed up of going to the same clubs then there is also the option of going into Central London. By train from Kingston it only takes 15 minutes, however it will require a night bus to return home.

Kingston is a town full of great things to do and see so if you like the idea of accessibility to London, yet are not too sure if you would consider living somewhere so crazy and busy, Kingston is the happy medium.

Course fees for the Kingston GDL stand at £5,150 for the full-time programme or £2,575 per year on the part-time programme. For overseas students the fees are £9,000 full-time and £4,500 per year part-time. University Accommodation varies depending on the type of room you would prefer. This information can be found on the University website, but on average the weekly cost ranges from £87-97 per week.

Kingston is great if you want an active social life. When you first arrive at Kingston there is a fresher’s fortnight where there are various events at many venues around Kingston, including the fresher’s ball normally hosted by OCEANA with previous acts including Usher, NEYO, Missy Elliot and Ludacris.

Throughout the year there are many social events hosted by the unions including, school discos, themed parties, drinks promotions and society events. The Law and Bar society can be joined at fresher’s fair and at various points during fresher’s week, normally costing a few pounds to join. However there are various events throughout the year it will provide you with advice, socials and various meetings and dinners with solicitors and barristers.

Kingston has a very active careers centre. Whether you’re looking for advice on which LPC/BVC provider to choose, what to say in your training contract application or how to avoid tripping up at interview, help is at hand.

The centre also arranges regular workshops from various local and national law firms about what they offer, how to apply and what is required. Much the same is provided for Bar hopefuls. Rest assured, assistance is always there!