De Montfort Law School | DMU llb course | llb degree

De Montfort University is one of two universities within Leicester. Up until 1992 the University was referred to as Leicester Polytechnic, originating from the amalgamation of two colleges Leicester College of Art and Leicester College of Technology.

At present De Montfort University has two campuses, the main Campus based just on the outskirts of Leicester City centre and the other being Charles Frears, also based in Leicester. This houses the Nursing and Midwifery facilities. There are around 20,000 students inhabiting the University at present and this number will no doubt swell as De Montfort continues to develop.

De Montfort Law School itself comprises of the Department of Law and also the Department of Professional Legal Studies. This offers an extensive array of undergraduate, postgraduate and professional legal courses. The law school has a first class reputation for the quality of its teaching, offering both vocational and academic skills to prepare students for the legal profession.

Work is currently underway on a landmark new building for the Faculty of Business and Law. This major project, costing over £35 million, will transform DMU’s City campus immeasurably. The project will see the construction of a state-of-the-art new Faculty Law building and the creation of a tree lined pedestrian plaza area.

The De Montfort Law School is primarily located in the Elfed Thomas building, just a stone’s throw from the vibrant city centre. It is also on the door step of numerous major law firms, barrister’s chambers and Leicester magistrate’s court. The building itself has a fully integrated Law Library & mock courtroom to hone your legal skills.

It also boosts generous lecture theatres and seminar rooms. The lecture theatres are spacious, comfortable and light, with specific facilities for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The new building (completed by 2009) will offer a more expansive range of facilities on top of what is already available. There are plans for the building to house several large lecture theatres, break-out rooms for use in open days, a larger mock law court, meeting rooms and a new law library.

There will also be a new specifically designed postgraduate suite filled with the latest in ICT technology. There will also be retail units throughout & brand new bookshop offering discounted course books.

There are over 40 staff members at DMU law school across undergraduate and postgraduate fields. The Law school enjoys a first class reputation for the quality of its teaching and research, incorporating the latest developments within the legal profession to its syllabus. Depending on particular modules, students can expect around 10 to 14 hours a week of tutorials, lectures and group based seminars.

You will be expected to put in the hours in your own time to re-enforce learning and prepare for tutorials and lectures accordingly. As such, an additional 20 hours of self-study per week is expected.

For lecturers, research is a major priority. Various members of staff have published books in a wide range of legal areas; particular specialisms include Criminal Law & Criminal Justice, Medical Law, Commercial Customer and Company Law as well as Environmental Law. The Medical Law department in particular are especially good and provide a fascinating insight into the inner workings of Medico-Legal Law.

As mentioned before, the Law School is just on the outskirts of the city centre, a very vibrant multicultural/cosmopolitan town based in the Midlands. There is a sizeable student community that is gathered just minutes from the main campus. The location is great for getting around, with the M1 close to the city itself.

Nottingham, Sheffield & Birmingham also within commutable distances, with London just over an hour away by train. East Midlands Airport is only around 25 miles away for international students and other looking to get away from the stresses of studying.

There are a large array of shops, cafe’s, restaurants and of course bars, clubs and pubs to whet your appetite. Locally there are also large concert venues such as De Montfort Hall and theatres (The Phoenix). Further out of town there is cinema not to mention a hotbed of sporting venues including football and rugby.

Tuition Fees are in line with all other universities for it’s undergraduate course (£3070) and are very reasonable for the GDL/CPE. Books can be purchased at discount rate from the University book shop, however expect to pay a lot for the reading list. It is not uncommon for law students to spend around £200 a year on course material.

As for the local area, food is cheap with various takeaways and eateries in the local vicinity. Union admission is also very cheap and drinks are well below average compared to other large UK cities.

Full time course students are guaranteed an offer of a place in halls of residence in the first year. Prices are reasonable (between £2500 and £4500) with all locations ideal for the Law school. There is enough variety to provide for all needs, from budget to extravagance.

As for social life, there are literally always events going on in term time to cater for every need and want. DMU is renowned for providing very good entertainment and all students boast of its merits.

There is an active law society which regularly holds events. Such activities include mooting, debates, street law and involvement with various legal clients. The university is also well placed for clubs and pubs. Sports and general societies are available for almost every need. There are notable recommendations for Football and Rugby in particular.

De Montfort has an extensively resourced careers centre that provides full support for internships and work experience. Help is also at hand for GDL/LPC/BVC applications and training contracts for prospective solicitors and pupillage support for students looking to become barristers.

There is also a Guaranteed LPC place for successful LLB graduates. The LPC at DMU was given a SRA rating of ‘Commendable practice’ in almost all areas.