Law with American Legal Studies

Course detail Description

Students on the Law LLB (M100) programme may apply during their second year to transfer to this course. The Law with American Legal Studies LLB is an exciting four-year degree programme offering you a fantastic opportunity to spend one year studying law abroad at one of the following partner universities:

• University of North Carolina

• Cornell University

• University of San Diego

• Northwestern University, Chicago

The programme structure involves three years of study at King's (years 1 + 2 and year 4), while year 3 is spent abroad in the US. Selection is on the basis of academic performance, seriousness of purpose and maturity.

By studying two legal systems for three years at King's and one year at one of the universities listed above, you will have a better understanding of the law by being able to compare both systems, will be in a better position to advise clients in legal practice and have the opportunity to widen your intellectual horizon. The course also allows you to appreciate culturally and socially diverse environments and thereby contribute to a better understanding of both countries.

We have a strong tradition of excellence in teaching, with consistently high student satisfaction ratings for Law in the National Student Survey. All required modules are taught through lectures, small group tutorials and seminars. These tutorials and seminars will give you the opportunity to apply the general legal principles you have learnt to specific problems, and allow you to engage with our academics and explore issues further in depth.

You will be assigned a personal tutor, who will provide academic and pastoral support during your studies. We attach great importance to maintaining good relations between staff and students and our Staff-Student Liaison Committee meets regularly to discuss how we can collectively enhance the student experience.

Assessment of required modules will typically consist of an examination supplemented by written coursework, such as a written essay, where applicable. Assessment in optional modules varies and may encompass, for example, examinations, essays, moots, or a negotiation exercise.

King’s College London is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

This programme is further regulated by the:

• Law Benchmark Statement (2015)
• Criteria for degrees (University of London)
• Joint Statement of the Law Society and the General Council of the Bar (1999)
• H-level descriptors of the framework for higher education qualifications (2001)

This course is primarily taught at the Strand and Waterloo campuses.

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

Students can engage in real client work through the School’s Legal Clinic established in April 2017. Students who spend their final year of their degree at King's can select the Student Law Clinic module, while students of all years can apply to volunteer with the clinic during the academic year or over the summer holiday. Supervised by the Clinic's in-house solicitor as well as solicitors from high street and corporate/commercial law firms (e.g. Duncan Lewis and Farrer), students learn transferable skills such as effective communication and teamwork and see the law in a practical context. Through the Clinic students can also engage with third sector partners such as the Personal Support Unit at the Royal Courts of Justice or participate in its Mediation project or public legal education activity).

We have many highly active student-run societies as well as King's award-winning students’ union, KCLSU, who organises a wide variety of social, sporting and cultural activities.

Both the King’s College London Law Society and Bar & Mooting Society organise a number of social and career-oriented functions such as: internal and external mooting competitions; skills workshops; mock interview sessions; lecture series with prestigious barristers and other legal practitioners; as well as the Inaugural Welcome Party at the start of the academic year and the Annual Black-Tie Dinner. The KCL Law Society supports students who wish to pursue careers as solicitors while the Bar & Mooting Society help students understand the path to qualification as a barrister.

The Pro Bono Society supports and promotes legally-related volunteer work and education to the community, and runs many exciting projects, including the Amicus Chapter, Human Rights Project, Junior Lawyers Against Poverty; Law Mentoring; and Legal Outreach. Involvement with the society is a great way to contribute to the community as well as looking great on your CV due to the skills gained in the process.

There are various other societies within the Law School which students can get involved in, such as Lawyers Without Borders, King’s Women in the Law, Intellectual Property and Information Law Society and Criminology Society.

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Structure

• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3
• Year 4

Year 1

Currently, students study the following modules shown below. King's reviews its modules on a regular basis, in order to continue to offer innovative and exciting programmes and this list is therefore subject to change. Please check here for updates, or contact the School for further advice.

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

You are required to take the following modules:

• Legal Reasoning and Legal Services (non-credit bearing)

Year 2

You are required to take the following modules:

In addition, you are required to take 30 credits from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

• Advanced Constitutional Law (30 credits)

• Anti-Discrimination Law (30 credits)

• Commercial Law (30 credits)

• Company Law (30 credits)

• Competition Law (30 credits)

• Consumer Protection: advising global businesses and their customers (30 credits)

• Criminology and Criminal Justice (30 credits)

• Criminal Law Theory (15 credits)

• Environmental Law (30 credits)

• Family Law (30 credits)

• Finance, Credit and Security (15 credits)

• Human Rights Law (30 credits)

• Intellectual Property Law (30 credits)

• Labour Law (30 credits)

• Law and Economics (30 credits)

• Law and Social Theory (30 credits)

• Law of Personal Taxation (30 credits)

• Medical Law (30 credits)

• Moral Philosophy (15 credits)

• Principles of Enterprise Governance (30 credits)

• Public International Law (30 credits)

• Russian Legal System (30 credits)

• Transnational Company Law (15 credits)

Year 3 Required Modules Studying approved modules at either University of North Carolina, Cornell University or University of San Diego in the US. Optional Modules

Year 4

You are required to take the following module:

In addition, you are required to take 90 credits from a range of optional modules. These may typically include the optional modules listed in Year 2, along with the following modules:

• Advanced Topics in Intellectual Property (30 credits)

• British Legal History (30 credits)

• Comparative Private Law (15 credits)

• French Legal System and Laws (15 credits)

• Hot Topics in Law, Technology & Society (15 credits)

• International Commercial Arbitration (15 credits)

• Machine Intelligence, Surveillance & Society (15 credits)

• Private International Law (30 credits)

• Student Law Clinic (15 credits)