Chester Law School | llb course | llb degree

Founded in 1839, the University of Chester is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country. It is proud of its strong learning tradition, its ability to move with the times and its energetic student community. Its concern for each individual encourages diverse personalities, qualities and interests to flourish inside and outside the classroom.

Although very new, (only in its 4th intake from September 2008), the Law Dept of the University has started out with the implementation of policies which in the fullness of time will prove worthy of placing itself with the more established Law Departments in the UK.

With an average intake of 100 students per year, the Law Dept at Chester prides itself on the fact that students enjoy a more personal experience of University life than that of the larger institutions available to students in the UK.

The Department is based in the centre of the Campus next to the Learning Resource Centre (The Library). The law academic staff are mainly based in the offices on the right hand side of the building when you enter from the Learning Resource Centre side. The Law Department office is at the end of the right hand corridor. It is a modern looking building, with everything that the student requires under one roof.

It has rooms for seminars and a court room for the purpose already detailed above. It also holds the offices of all the tutors so access to them is relatively easy. The Department has a purpose built mooting courtroom in place which is used for both mock trials and mooting.

The Department also has a small library of reference materials, but the main law library collection is based in the main campus library on the ground floor. An initial investment of £200,000 for the establishment of the library has been spent and there is and will be a substantial continuing investment in the development of the law library.

The Law Dept at Chester is small and as a consequence there is only a small number of staff within the Dept. However, the numbers are more than adequate for the number of students. The quality of the staff is exemplary. Most lectures are in number no more than 40 – 50 at any one time. Only when combined students attend lectures do the numbers increase, although this never really rises above 100. Seminars usually consist of groups not larger than 20.

There is a minimum of one lecture per week per module with the length of no more than 2 hours at any one time. You should dedicate your day time to 8 hours of study, akin to a full working day.

One of the greatest advantages of the Chester campus is that it is situated only a short walk from the city centre. In recent years, the university has invested in a development strategy that has created a new library and media centre, a large auditorium, a science building, an art and technology centre, a floodlit all-weather pitch, a fitness suite and a swimming pool.

Some departments are situated in appropriate premises just off the campus. History, for example, is situated in the eighteenth century Blue Coat School, a listed building, and at the Cheshire Military Museum. English is housed in a handsome former Victorian vicarage. All these departments are within easy walking distance of the campus.

Fees are in line with most other University’s in England. Costs of books vary, as with all law degrees, are very expensive. Expect to pay anywhere between £200 to £300 a year just on books. As for local living, Chester is cheap compared to many other options around the country, sitting comfortably below the national average.

Law Society fees are nominal, the last price was only £10 and you got that back with reductions on events over the year, so well worth paying the initial fee.

Because university life is not just about getting a degree, social and leisure activities are an important and long-established part of campus life. The lively Students' Union headquarters are at the heart of the campus, along with facilities for social activities and sport.

So, too, is the beautiful Victorian chapel. Close by are squash courts, the fitness and leisure centre, the swimming pool and the all-weather pitch. Most of the student accommodation, and the student village, are also on campus. Molloy Hall, the main auditorium, is used for major gatherings, and also hosts public events, such as those connected with local arts festivals. This, along with an abundance of green space, and beautifully kept gardens, provides you with a genuine campus community in which to live and study.

Chester itself is an international city, known for its beauty, history and culture. The city centre is a colourful collection of cafés, shops and old historic buildings, providing an exceptional social, cultural and intellectual backdrop against which students can achieve their best.

Chester is ideally situated less than 40 minutes' drive away from Liverpool and Manchester, with their huge variety of shops, bars, restaurants, clubs and theatres; or you can indulge your cultural side, by visiting some of the country's finest art galleries and museums.

Local theatres offer a varied programme and film buffs can choose from general releases at large multiplex cinemas and foreign, art house and classic films shown in the intimate setting of the Chester Film Society.

In the summer months, residents and visitors can enjoy the Chester Races, the Rowing Regatta and Summer Music Festival. Between October and March, they can enjoy the Literature Festival, Jazz Festival, Christmas Extravaganzas and Chester Film Festival. There is an all-year-round street cabaret to entertain passers-by.

You can head into Chester to sample the nightlife available to suit all tastes and budgets, from the dedicated clubber to the indie rocker, from comedy buffs to theatre goers, and everything in between. The Students' Union has links with nightclubs in the city centre, which host exclusive student nights with prices to match.

RB's is the venue where students head to on a Monday night for their infamous student night 'Beans', whilst on Wednesday nights Brannigans nightclub is home to the official 'Mucky Duck' student night. The region is also home to four premiership football clubs - Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United - which means that a total of 76 premiership matches take place each year only a short car, bus or train journey away.

As you’d expect with other well-formed universities, Chester has a dedicated careers department able to assist you with seeking employment following graduation. There are regular workshops on CV building, interview techniques and finding that all-important job at the end of it.

The Department has already forged close links with The College of Law at Christleton which is only a few miles away. The College of Law have also confirmed that all of The Departments law graduates who achieve a 2:2 or above will be guaranteed a place on the Legal Practice Course run by the College of Law at any one of its five campuses.

The Department has and is developing other links with the local legal profession which will lead to possibilities of work placements and other opportunities. The Department has positioned itself to be at the heart of the legal profession in Cheshire.