About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: M99017
- Applications: Frenchay
- Duration: One year full-time (September - June). This course is also available as a part-time open learning course (see separate entry).
- Delivery: Full-time
Introduction
The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is one of a group of professional law courses offered at UWE. This course provides a focused route of study for non law graduates to enter the legal profession by allowing those who wish to qualify as barristers or solicitors to complete the academic stage of training without having studied an undergraduate law course. The course also satisfies the requirements of Joint Academic Stage Board (JASB).
The course is primarily intended to prepare you for a successful transition onto the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Vocational Course (BVC), but will also be of significant value if you're considering alternative career options, where an appreciation and understanding of the legal system and basic lawyerly skills would prove valuable. Additionally, the credits achieved (along with further study) may qualify you to study at Masters level.
The course is highly rated as the starting point for graduate legal study and many solicitors and barristers currently in practice have chosen the GDL route into the profession, using the knowledge they obtain in another academic field to enhance their legal skills or as a change of direction.
Find out more about studying the GDL at UWE.
Structure
Content
The full-time course is structured into two teaching blocks and covers the seven foundations of legal knowledge, identified by professional legal bodies. An independent research project then enables another area of legal study to be covered in-depth.
All modules studied during the GDL are compulsory and represent the aspects of law that are most relevant in legal practice. These modules are divided between the teaching blocks, as follows:
Pre-Course Preparation:
- English Legal System - The aim of this module is to provide you with a basic understanding of the English Legal System; its concepts, institutions and procedures. In addition, you are given a basic introduction to legal terminology, legal reasoning and legal method, which you will continue to practice and develop throughout the course.
Teaching block one (September-January):
- Public Law - At the end of this subject, you will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the workings of the UK constitution and the theoretical principles which underlie it. The significance of human rights at both the European and national level will be studied and a sound knowledge and understanding of the legal machinery for the protection of human rights will be developed.
- Obligations I (Contract Law) - This module will provide you with a sound knowledge and understanding of the concept of a contract and an appreciation of contract law in the law of obligations. This includes factors and theories which have influenced the development of contract law, principles governing the formation and discharge of contracts and some of the key debates surrounding the subject area.
- Obligations II (Law of Tort) - This will enable you to understand the conceptual basis of tortious liability and to acquire a sound knowledge of the main areas of tort. You will be encouraged to draw contrasts and make comparisons with other areas of legal liability and to evaluate the law of tort as a compensation system.
- Criminal Law - This module will focus on providing you with a knowledge and understanding of the general principles of liability in criminal law, particularly the underlying policy issues which underpin criminal law and the difference between criminal law theory and criminal law in action.
Teaching block two (January-June):
- Equity and Trusts - This subject area covers the relationship of equity to law and enables you to understand the conceptual basis of the trust in order to acquire knowledge of the main substantive areas of trust law. You will be encouraged to evaluate the present day relevance of established equitable doctrines and to gain an understanding of the principal uses of the trust in modern society.
- Property Law - This draws heavily on practical problems and enables you to view these problems in a historical and social context. The methods by which a commodity or land may be held will be studied and the rights and interests a person may hold over a particular parcel of realty will be explored. It also gives a practical introduction to the transfer of title to land and rights over land.
- European Union Law - This will provide you with knowledge and understanding of the major components and workings of European Union law. You will also study law-making structures and processes in order to provide you with an appreciation of the pervasive nature of EU law and its effect on domestic UK law.
- Independent Research Project - You will be allocated a research task, focusing on a specific subject area, chosen by members of the teaching team. The research topic will fall outside of the taught syllabus studied during the course to meet JASB regulations. You must then construct a 4000-5000 word response to this research topic, which will form the assessment for the module.
Teaching and learning
Before the course begins, you will be expected to complete some pre-course preparation and attend a two week induction period, where you will be introduced to research methodology and given a comprehensive overview of civil and criminal court systems.
Attendance during the full-time GDL course is mainly in the form of interactive workshops, which are designed to help you develop an understanding of the foundation subjects and acquire effective lawyerly skills. Class contact is approximately 12 hours a week over three days and you will be expected to prepare for workshops effectively beforehand, giving you a chance to look at law topics in detail.
A mixture of lectures, workshops and seminars allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the course material and how it can be applied to practical contexts. Cases and legislation will be researched and discussed, based on developments in law, which enables realism to be brought to the course and to give you an insight into situations you are likely to face in your law career.
Assessment
Assessment for the seven foundation subjects is a mixture of coursework (accounting for 25%) and examinations (accounting for 75%), which are held at the end of each teaching block. The Independent Research Project will be assessed through the 4000-5000 word response given to your allocated research task.
Mock assessments with generic and/or individual feedback will be given throughout the course to provide you with the opportunity to continuously improve your performance and monitor your progress. This may be in the form of written or verbal feedback and helps you to develop the skills and techniques required to deal effectively with all forms of assessment.
Special Features
Study facilities
Bristol Law School has excellent, state-of-the-art facilities, including dedicated postgraduate study rooms and mock law courtrooms, where you can put your learning into practice. The courtrooms are equipped with the latest recording equipment to record advocacy sessions for later analysis. Our 24-hour law library and computer rooms allow you to access a wide range of legal resources, including Hein Online, LexisNexis, Westlaw and iLaw. Dedicated law librarians and a virtual learning environment provide you with a wealth of resources that will enable you to excel in your studies.
Students on the GDL course share common rooms with LPC students, so you have your own dedicated social space, where you can work on projects and assignments and also gain informal advice about the next steps in your career.
Simulations in Transactional Activities (SIMITA)is an online interactive learning environment which gives you the opportunity to acquire and practise case working skills, with the help of technology that behaves and feels exactly like that of a modern professional office.
Dedicated Support
We pride ourselves on the student experience we offer and our students are given the highest level of support both during their studies and after they have graduated. Highly experienced and supportive tutors, drawn from the academic side of law, as well as experienced practitioners, enable you to develop your knowledge quickly on the course. All of our tutors operate an “open door” policy and are happy to answer any questions you may have throughout the course.
Every student is allocated a personal tutor on arrival, who they can meet with to discuss all aspects of the course and is available to give you one-to-one guidance on career development. There is also a dedicated law careers support member of staff, as well as careers events, to help you further your career after completion of the GDL. A voluntary careers session is also held at the start of the course to assist you in thinking about how to develop your career in law during the course.
Pro Bono Unit
The Bristol Law School Pro Bono Unit has developed a comprehensive programme to provide opportunities for you to undertake legal Pro Bono work in and around the Bristol area. The unit (which includes its free Community Legal Advice and Representation Service (CLARS)) has also received national recognition through the various awards it has achieved.
Careers/further study
Studying for the GDL is a stepping stone in achieving a successful career as a solicitor or barrister. Many students who complete the GDL decide to go on and study the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) or Legal Practice Course (LPC) to achieve these career ambitions.
However, the GDL course alone provides you with the fundamental principles of law that may be required in other careers and is a valuable qualification in gaining lawyerly skills and developing other interpersonal skills, particularly through the review and analysis of case law.
Entry
Entry requirements
Applicants should normally have one of the following:
- A non-law degree (minimum 2:2) or equivalent international qualification, or
- A 'stale' law degree, where seven or more years have elapsed since graduation, or
- An academic or professional qualification at degree equivalent level.
If English is not your first language, you will also need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency. For example, you should have either:
- A minimum grade of 6.5 overall on the British Council International English Language Test (IELTS)
Or;
- A TOEFL score of at least 600 (written) or 250 (computer) scale.
Fees
Full details of fees for this course can be found on our postgraduate fees pages.
For funding options, please see our funding and scholarship information.
How to apply
Application for the full-time course must be made to:
The CPE/Diploma in Law Central Applications Board
PO Box 84
Guildford
Surrey GU3 1YX
Telephone +44 (0)1483 451080.
Or you can apply online at www.lawcabs.ac.uk
The closing date for applications is in early February prior to the commencement of the course, though later application is possible.
For further information on the GDL course, please contact the course administrator at:
For further information
Page last updated 14 December 2011