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Starting life as a Polytechnic, changing to a University in the early 1990’s, the Law School sets it apart. It has a reputation for providing an excellent start to a career in the Law, with it's thriving suite of LLB awards. As well as offering a standard 3- year LLB, the Law School also offers a number of combined honours LLB's and various specialist LLB's in areas such as Sports Law, Business Law and Human Rights and Criminology. The single honours LLB can also be obtained by part-time study, either during the day or the evening. In addition you can chose to study the LLB over a four year period, which includes a foundation year. Graduates from these awards then have the opportunity to proceed onto the well renowned LPC course or a number of various LLM courses.

Indeed, it has been given top marks by the Quality Assurance Agency and is one of only a number of a select few Law Schools to achieve the highest standard of “Excellent” awarded by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Much was invested in the Law School, reported to be around £3 million, which is housed separately from the other courses on the Leek Road Campus. The purpose built facility has as its centre piece a large law library, providing many of the required legal texts, free access to online publications and quiet study areas.

On the ground floor surrounding the library are numerous rooms, doubling up as offices for the staff and meeting rooms for the law workshops. On the second floor are further, similar rooms, along with two mock courtrooms used for Advocacy sessions.

The law lectures usually take place across the road from the Law School in a separate purpose built lecture theatre. Here, four large and airy theatres, fully air conditioned and equipped with audio and visual technology provide a comfortable and enjoyable learning experience.

There are three levels of postgraduate study awarded at Staffordshire University. There is the Postgraduate Certificate (PGC), The Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) and the LLM, which is a Masters in Law. As you would expect, these awards have varying degrees of difficulty.

To be awarded the PGC, a student need only to complete 60 credits worth of study. This is primarily awarded to part time students. For the PGD you need to complete 120 credits and this is awarded at the end of the taught content and prior to the submission of a dissertation. To be awarded the top award, the LL.M, you have to complete 120 credits as well as submit a dissertation of 15,000.

The LLM does not limit its recruitment solely to law graduates. Graduates from cognate disciplines are welcome, the only requirement being that they must study at least the first of two Common Law Tradition modules, specifically designed to introduce students to the UK legal system.

Although the main intake is usually in September in line with most academic awards, it is also possible to start the award in January, which may be of particular relevance to international students.

One of the key aspects of postgraduate study at Staffordshire, is its flexibility in terms of time, content and outcome. Whilst the LLM awards began on the basis of face-to-face delivery, which included seminars and lectures, it soon became clear that this prohibited some very able candidates from studying. As a result, in 2006, a distance learning initiative was set up, allowing people who were unable to travel on a regular basis, to supplement their studies with internet delivery. Both attendance and distance learning are means of delivering the same substantive content and essential skills and as a consequence they share the same outcomes.

Not only can you chose what postgraduate award to work towards, but you can chose to study either full time of part time. The minimum study period is 12 months, although this can be extended to accommodate the production of a dissertation. By studying part time, the student can work at their ow pace for up to a maximum of five years. This option is particular suited to students who wish to pursue postgraduate study whilst fulfilling other work or family commitments.

Staffordshire University also offer a unique way to specialise in a certain subject area. Instead of working toward a general LL.M, a student can be awarded a specific LL.M. This is done by studying a minimum of 30 credits in a specific area as well as completing a dissertation on the same topic. Where there is the possibility of a number of named routes being available, students will be able to select he designation of their award when they submit their dissertation.

The Law School is situated at the Stoke-on-Trent campus, within walking distance of the small town of Stoke and the train station, with a main line running to Derby one way and Manchester the other. The area around the University is largely made up of small terraced housing which is ideal for cheap student accommodation.

There are small convenience shops along Leek Road, next to the University, as well as a number of decent sized pubs. Further into Stoke itself, and also within walking distance of the University, are larger pubs and shops, selling everything from clothes to food.

Stoke is a small one way system in terms of driving and certainly cannot be described as a bustling metropolis. The larger, more useful area is Hanley. This is the largest town close by, and includes many more name pubs, such as Wetherspoons, and nightclubs, along with a modern indoor shopping centre, known as the Potteries.

There is also a theatre staging popular productions, sometimes before they reach the West End. Further out of Town, within 10 minutes drive, is Festival Park. This out of town facility houses, amongst other things, large supermarkets, a cinema, a pool hall, bowling alley, indoor water park and a dry ski slope.

Depending on how many credits you take and what mode of study you choose, the price for postgraduate study varies. For every face-to-face credit taken the cost is £25. However this price rises slightly to £28 per credit when they are studied via distance learning.

Textbooks for your course are a necessity and for a full years worth of text books a student can expect to pay around £200 to £300 depending on where these are bought. Of course, students can seek assistance in paying for such costs by contacting student finance direct.

As well as course and book costs, students who wish to join the law society can expect to pay a very low price of around £3 to £6, and for entry into the students union, prices start from £2.

For those students who wish to use the student accommodation at the university, prices will vary depending on what level of accommodation you choose. The University has on campus accommodation for undergraduate students and also provides off campus accommodation for post graduate students.

The University accommodation starts from about £60 per week, providing a very competitive price compared with other universities.

For university supplied events, there are many of them. The on-campus students union provides entertainment every night ranging from curry club, to Gobble on a Wednesday night and even super Friday which is a dress up night.

The law society also provides for specialist events such as guest speakers, and every year provides trips to Alton towers and has its annual trip to London to visit the courts. Many other events include debating and mooting which are excellent if you wish to improve upon these necessary areas of achieving a law degree.

For those students who also like to enjoy a bit of exercise, the on campus sports facilities offers many activities ranging from football to their own specialised gym.

The support from the staff of the law school is second to none as they provide all the information and support to students necessary to provide an excellent education and to help with any problems that a student may face.

The Law school continually offers workshops and guest speakers in lectures as well as employment workshops in order to provide students with the information necessary to make themselves and their degrees stand out from the others. There is on site careers office who continually speak to students and also offer assistance in finding part time work as well as helping students to achieve the career they seek.