Warwick Law School | Warwick llb course | llb degree

Warwick University is highly regarded both nationally & internationally, due to its innovative & diverse academic departments & student body. It is currently 4th in the annual Guardian rankings, remaining consistently within the top 10. It aims to be within the top 50 in the world by 2015, which is the university's 50th anniversary.

The university is still relatively ‘young’ for an institution of its calibre. It is continuing to grow & develop – for example Warwick Digital Lab is near completion & a new Students Union building is underway.

The law department is regarded as one of the best in the country, currently also 6th in the aforementioned Guardian league tables. It is keen to be modern & diverse, with student-led seminars in amongst the traditional format & innovative modules on offer such as Alcohol & Licensing Law & An Introduction to Islamic Law.

The law department is situated in the winding corridors of the social studies building, with separate floors for undergraduate & postgraduate students. Large lecture theatres are used for core modules, as the department is a big one at approximately 750 students. Seminar rooms are a lot smaller as the department aims to have no more than 10-15 in a group at any given time. A room with facilities for mooting is always available as well.

The university does not have a dedicated law library, but it does have a dedicated law librarian. There is a range of law books available in both the library & the 24hr Learning Grid, but core textbooks are hard to get hold of. E learning is available in the form of Westlaw, Lexus Nexus Butterworth & Iolis that is very useful for case law research & quick revision.

The law common room is where you would find both personal & module pigeonholes, as well as a range of magazines & newspapers relevant to an aspiring law student. The department has recently created three new computer rooms for law students only, which is a big bonus as the general computer rooms are always full.

Lecture numbers are approximately 50 for core modules & around 30 for optional modules. There are usually 2 lectures a week, either over two separate days or consecutively. Seminars are held once a week, & can be student-led, presentation based or audiovisual for variation.

Total teaching time is usually 12 hours a week, with at least that needed again for self-study. There is a sizeable number of teaching & administration staff in the department, with all teaching staff being experts in their field.

Warwick University campus is actually in Coventry. Most students are happy to remain on campus as it has everything you need, such as a post office, supermarket, all the high street banks & a travel agency. The campus is green & landscaped & very busy during term time.

Warwick Arts Centre is at the heart of the campus so there is always cinematic or theatrical entertainment available. The Students Union hosts some kind of event every night. Tesco & Cannon Park Shopping Centre are right next to the campus & the bus journey into the city centre takes around 20 minutes.

Leamington Spa is around a 45-minute bus journey away for a more picturesque & upmarket shopping experience. On the whole studying at Warwick University is a unique experience because of its diverse student population & its campus layout.

The campus creates a feeling of community & safety within which to work. The downside of this being that since it is a sheltered environment, entering the ‘real world’ can be quite a contrast.

Tuition fees are the same as any other institution at present, & course books cost around £30 each. Students are expected to buy a textbook for each module, with most students taking four modules in an academic year. Law Society membership is the same as other academic societies at £2.50 for a year, after joining the Students Union for £8 a year.

The Law Society will often try to hire a coach to events off campus & so a nominal fee is charged, or students rely on their own transport. Union events vary widely in price from £1 to £7. The average price of a pint is £2, with a measure of spirits likely to be £1.50-2 plus 30p for a mixer. University accommodation ranges from £70/week to £120/week, with all being self-catered & within a 10 minute walk from central campus.

If you need to travel to Leamington or Coventry a day saver ticket can be bought for £2.60, with student bus passes being available for the term. The average meal on campus is £6 of an evening & £2-3 at lunch.

The Students Union caters for a wide variety of tastes, & activities such as quizzes, live music & charity events. One of Warwick’s strengths is the huge number of societies - over 200, which means there really is something for everyone. Anyone can start up a society as long as they have 30 people, who want to join, which has lead to a wide variety of academic, religious, food & performance societies.

There are also over 80 sports clubs available to join, ranging from the serious athletes to the occasional participants. Coventry city centre has a large number of pubs & bars, with many student offers if night life is your primary interest & Leamington Spa has a number of popular clubs & bars as well.

The Law Society is very active, with the Law Ball being a high point in the social calendar for both law & non-law students. Charity events & socials in Leamington bars are popular of an evening. During the day mooting is a regular activity at Warwick, as are pro-bono projects. The Law Society also produces a quarterly legal magazine called Obiter Dicta that is read by many students & top law firms.

There is a wide range of materials available in the Learning Grid for law students & law careers fair are held at least once a year. There are lots of legal employer presentations & skills workshops. One-on-one appointments are also available with a law careers counsellor.

Support given is through the Law Society & Careers Department rather than the Law Department itself. Support could include information about deadlines & tips on how to get yourself noticed, as well as help with application forms.