The overall aim of this course is to promote and develop skills and research in the field of employment law.
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
The Law School at Ulster University has joined forces with Legal Island and the Labour Relations Agency to create what we think will be the best employment law course in the UK.
The course includes 24 employment law and compliance lectures from the cream of Northern Ireland’s employment law expert practitioners and on-site visits and role play exercises with LRA staff and the President of Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand.
Year one:
Employment Law
The importance of the employment relationship between employers, employees, unions and other statutory bodies and agencies is such that a thorough knowledge of both the context and the substantive law is necessary for those involved in this area in any capacity. The module attempts to provide the basis for this knowledge and to put students in the position where they may not only have an understanding of the law both conceptually and substantively, but also be in a position to use that knowledge in the solution of problems.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Methods of ADR are increasingly being used within the legal system and advocated as a means of removing cases from overburdened courts. In appropriate cases they can provide an alternative to legal adjudication and can be used as a means of achieving satisfactory solutions to disputes. The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the processes of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and its relationship to law. The course will cover processes such as arbitration, mediation and conciliation and will provide students with a foundational knowledge of ADR which can then be developed in their professional practice. The module will comprise both theoretical and skills based elements. Students will consider the rationale and ethics of ADR before being introduced to some of the practical skills used in these processes. The study and practice of ADR will be undertaken in the context of a range of legal subject areas, including commercial law, family law and employment law.
Tribunal Representation
This module aims through a combination of lectures and practical exercises to enable trainees to further develop their own professional practice in relation to employment and social security matters. The module aims to develop a student's ability to apply and further develop the knowledge and practical skills gained in prior and concurrent modules. The module will encourage discussion of rationales and consequences of each available course of action in any given scenario, and students will be encouraged to critique solutions to any issues identified as arising from their choice(s). It is anticipated that students will examine the impact of the rules and procedures involved and their tactical application in practice with a view to developing their own individual work practice.
Year 2 :
Employment Compliance and Development
Whether you are a lawyer, human resources professional, personnel or industrial relations officer, this module will develop a range of skills, which will enable all students to remain fully abreast of the latest legislative and case law developments in employment compliance. It will ensure that all students acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding of how employment compliance issues operates in practice. Students will be provided with assistance enabling them to respond to complex practical, legal and ethical problems. Students will be encouraged to critically analyse the law and important legal issues they face in practice.
Those who undertake this course are likely to use this qualification for career development and progression purposes within their own organisations.
The BPTC is designed for aspiring barristers. It attracts students from around the world and from all parts of the UK. Students will have already completed a qualifying law degree or a non-law degree plus a Graduate Diploma in Law.
From recent graduates to doctors and front bench opposition MPs, the programme caters both for those who have always been dedicated to a professional legal career as well as people seeking a career change, and those who are able to make use of the training together with a professional legal qualification in business, management or administration.
In particular, the course is designed for students who want to develop their skills as advocates, and those who want to research and apply the law to help clients in presenting legal cases in court. Bar students often have a deep commitment to helping those who need assistance in protecting their legal rights.
The course offers two possible routes:
1) Postgraduate Diploma in Bar Professional Training (the BPTC) - If you successfully complete the compulsory taught elements (150 credits) you will be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma and will be certified as having completed the Bar Professional Training Course. This is the compulsory vocational qualification required to be eligible to be Called to the Bar of England and Wales.
2) LLM in Bar Professional Training - This is the BPTC together with an additional 30-credit practice-focused dissertation. You will research and write the dissertation following the compulsory taught elements of the course in order to achieve a Master’s Degree. There is no extra fee for doing so.
The Bar Professional Training Course is a rigorous programme designed to reflect the modern working Bar. We replicate life in chambers, so you learn how to represent a range of clients and to prepare for the demands of court.
Studying at Gray's Inn Place, in the heart of legal London, City Law School students achieve impressive academic success. In 2015, our students represented half of the national BPTC cohort achieving a grade of ‘outstanding’* – the most prominent indicator of success in securing future pupillage.
* Bar Standards Board BPTC Key Statistics report 2016
The programme is taught by a team of professionally-qualified experts who are the authors of the BPTC manuals in use across the country. Internationally renowned and highly skills focused, City’s BPTC provides a bridge between academic legal study and professional practice and covers three essential areas:
Underpinning all of these areas is a foundation of analysis and legal research, combined with the need to set priorities and organise your work in order to meet deadlines.
Our BPTC offers:
The LLM in Bar Professional Training satisfies all the requirements of a traditional LLM but has a primary focus on practice. In addition to the taught classes on the BPTC, the LLM gives you the chance to focus on a specific area of professional legal practice related to the BPTC and to strengthen your knowledge and understanding of that area. This can be linked to pupillage applications, to underline a commitment to a particular area, or can be used more generally to enhance your CV.
City’s BPTC is accredited by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). The BSB sets out the education and training requirements for becoming a barrister, which means once you graduate, and provided you complete the Inns qualifying sessions, you are qualified for Call to the Bar.
The BPTC comprises compulsory modules (based on the Bar Standards Board requirements) and, in the term third, two options.
The course has been developed to give you the relevant legal skills and knowledge that all newly qualified barristers need. While there is a strong focus on advocacy, advisory and drafting skills are also important as well as knowledge of court procedures and evidence and the principles governing ADR and professional ethics.
Three of the option subjects (FRU, domestic violence and social security) are pro bono based, which gives you the opportunity to get real-life experience as part of the programme.
There is a strong focus on preparation, participation and practice. Students are encouraged to recognise that work on the programme is set in a realistic context and to approach the work in a professional, ethical, practical and problem-solving way.
Core subjects for the postgraduate diploma (BPTC)
Other important areas covered within the context of the main subjects:
If your goal is to become a barrister, the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at Manchester Law School is designed to provide you with the best possible skills, experience and training to prepare you for a successful career. We offer advocacy training and group sessions that offer true-to-life mock trials, assessments, 'mini chambers' and real-life legal work experience opportunities.
Manchester Law School has a proud history of providing barrister training in the North West and as a result has outstanding links to both the local legal profession and the Northern Circuit (Chambers in Cheshire, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston). Practitioners from the Northern Circuit will provide you with Additional Advocacy Classes for students and are on-hand at regular events to offer advice about your future as a barrister and obtaining pupillage.
You can expect exceptionally high standards of tutoring and a wealth of pro bono opportunity. We will support you preparing pupillage applications, with access to our specialist careers service.
Specialist BPTC facilities
Recognising the challenging nature of barrister training, the Law School offers a number of specialist facilities for the use of students on the BPTC programme. Students benefit from specialist postgraduate study areas, personal chambers rooms, legal libraries, personal study areas plus a mock courtroom where students can practice their advocacy skills in a realistic legal environment.
Advocacy
We will provide you with the opportunity to hone your advocacy skills with many opportunities to understand the skills involved and to put them into practice. Our advocacy sessions far exceed the minimum hours set by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and we are very proud of the skills that our students develop during the course. You will receive approximately 42 hours of criminal and civil advocacy plus assessments, which is over three times the minimum required by the BSB. We also offer Additional Classes with barristers who are in full time practice to give you further opportunities to develop your advocacy skills.
Additional Professional Programme (APP)
An innovative feature of Manchester Law School’s BPTC programme. The APP bridges the gap between student and professional life, and prepares you for the Bar. There is a whole range of extra curricula, career-boosting activities of which you can take advantage. From guest lectures provided by judges and clerks of chambers, to Pro Bono opportunities, the Student Law Society, mooting and other national competitions.
Practitioner Mentor Scheme
Each chambers group is allocated their own Practitioner Mentor, a locally based barrister who will be on hand to guide you along the path to practice.
Mediator Training Programme
We are exclusively offering the option to gain an additional independent professional qualification in mediation through the ADR group, normally costing £2,750 +VAT, at no extra cost to our BPTC students. The programme is practically orientated and focused on equipping you with the skills you need to perform well at mediation – either as a representative or as a mediator – and leads to ADR Group Accredited Mediator Status.
Award-winning Faculty environment
At Manchester Law School you will have access to an outstanding Faculty building, housing spacious study and IT zones, laptop counters, cafes and coffee shops, and free WiFi. You will benefit from highly modern facilities on our thriving campus too, at the heart of the UK’s second city.
The BPTC focuses on developing highly practical skills and features an innovative 'mini-chambers' approach designed to mirror the real life working practices of a barrister. You will be placed in a group (or chambers) with 11 other students and be provided with a permanent, multimedia-equipped base room. You will be expected to 'perform' regularly in front of your fellow students to encourage the development of strong working relationships similar to a professional chambers.
The BPTC begins with a participative and dynamic induction programme introducing students to the highly practical BPTC, compared with academic study. Students are almost immediately offered the opportunity to network with local practitioners during a team building exercise and social event. Following this induction, the remainder of the course features a combination of compulsory subjects and an opportunity to study two subjects of your choice, depending on your particular career aspirations.
This course combines the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) and further LLM elements of study. If you have ambitions of becoming a barrister, and are interested in developing advanced Masters-level legal research skills, this course gives you the opportunity to achieve both.
The BPTC element of this combined course is designed to prepare you for life as a barrister. The BPTC at Manchester Law School is focused on building highly practical skills and features an innovative ‘mini-chambers’ approach, designed to mirror the real-life practices of a barrister. You will be expected to ‘perform’ regularly in front of your fellow students to encourage the development of strong working relationships, similar to those of a professional chambers.
The LLM element of this course includes research methods study and an assessed research proposal leading to a supervised, assessed dissertation or research project of 15,000 words. You will be supervised by an experienced member of the teaching team.
LL.M in Legal Practice at the Bar allows you to develop good practical skills and to have gained advanced research skills and an ability to engage in critical thinking and knowledge application in specialist legal areas.
The LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar (combined LLM/BPTC) course is eligible for the Postgraduate Loan Scheme from the UK government, and may be offered to residents of the UK and EU. Find out more about your eligibility here.
Recognising the challenging nature of barrister training, the Law School offers a number of specialist facilities for the use of students on the BPTC programme. Students benefit from specialist postgraduate study areas, personal chambers rooms, legal libraries, personal study areas plus a mock courtroom where students can practice their advocacy skills in a realistic legal environment.
We will provide you with the opportunity to hone your advocacy skills with many opportunities to understand the skills involved and to put them into practice. Our advocacy sessions far exceed the minimum hours set by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and we are very proud of the skills that our students develop during the course.
You will receive approximately 42 hours of criminal and civil advocacy plus assessments, which is over three times the minimum required by the BSB. We also offer Additional Classes with barristers who are in full time practice to give you further opportunities to develop your advocacy skills.
An innovative feature of Manchester Law Schools BPTC programme. The APP bridges the gap between student and professional life, and prepares you for the Bar. There is a whole range of extra curricula, career-boosting activities of which you can take advantage. From guest lectures provided by judges and clerks of chambers, to Pro Bono opportunities, the Student Law Society, mooting and other national competitions.
Each chambers group is allocated their own Practitioner Mentor, a locally based barrister who will be on hand to guide you along the path to practice.
We are exclusively offering the option to gain an additional independent professional qualification in mediation through the ADR group, normally costing £2,750 +VAT, at no extra cost to our BPTC students. The programme is practically orientated and focused on equipping you with the skills you need to perform well at mediation either as a representative or as a mediator and leads to ADR Group Accredited Mediator Status.
Manchester Law School offers excellent Pro Bono opportunities, allowing students to undertake voluntary legal work with our partner organisations. Our dedicated careers adviser will provide assistance with finding mini pupillages and initiating new links to the profession. You will also receive support with careers from your tutors and you will have the opportunity to increase your network at our many events including external speakers and members of the Northern Circuit.
At Manchester Law School you will have access to an outstanding Faculty building, housing spacious study and IT zones, laptop counters, cafes and coffee shops, and free WiFi. You will benefit from highly modern facilities on our thriving campus too, at the heart of the UKs second city.
Our LLM Employment Law and Practice degree provides in-depth, current knowledge and skills in employment and labour law. The course is focused on equipping you with the necessary skills and knowledge to be effective, highly functioning employment law specialists. The course content is designed to give you an in-depth view of relevant employment law, within the UK perspective, and develop your core legal and professional skills. It is the only UK Employment Law LLM to give students an optional ADR stream. The Law School has been rated amongst the top providers of legal education in the UK by The Guardian University Tables.
The course is delivered fully online (except for one optional module, which requires attendance at an on campus workshop), and can be studied either full-time or on a part-time basis. Read the what you will study section below for further details and course structures.
Please visit the website to find out how to apply.
The course is intended for anyone wishing to demonstrate a commitment to contentious law in public and private international and commercial legal contexts. The taught part of the programme includes modules which reflect the three main forms of dispute resolution process, namely adjudication (litigation and arbitration), alternative dispute resolution (ADR – principally mediation), and negotiation.
This course differs from the International Commercial Law LLM course which is primarily concerned with non-contentious aspects of commerce (modules include competition law, trade, and insurance).
Class sizes are, in general, quite small, and you will be able to mix with students on other Masters courses at Westminster Law School.
The course provides an opportunity for in-depth study of the substantive and procedural issues involved in the field, and also the acquisition of skills involved in some of the processes. It is centrally concerned with law and other rules (international and commercial) which are applicable in adjudication and also in the other dispute resolution processes.
In addition to taught modules, there is also the Dissertation module which provides an opportunity for developing a specialist knowledge of a small area of the field, which might lead to a publishable article.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Other approved modules such as International Commercial Litigation and Private International Law might be made available depending on demand and the Head of Westminster Law School’s approval.
Core modules
Option modules
This course is designed to benefit a wide range of individuals, including graduates progressing towards PhD programmes; practising lawyers; other practitioners such as arbitrators, civil servants, diplomats, insurers, journalists, judges, linguists and mediators; and commercial directors and managers.
The course is ideal for anyone with a gap year between career stages, and for anyone from the European Union and other countries wanting to improve their English for career purposes.
The Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution LLM degree should interest and benefit a broad range of students.
If you are already professionally qualified having taken the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or Legal Practice Course (LPC) it will develop your understanding of practice and enhance your career.
If you have legal qualifications in another jurisdiction it will provide understanding of legal process in England. You can enrol in the course straight after a law degree, although some experience of legal practice is an advantage.
This Specialist LLM in Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution programme provides a unique opportunity to enhance the development of a career in legal professional practice as a barrister, solicitor or other qualified legal practitioner.
The Masters course investigates the ways in which civil litigation can be managed strategically and effectively, and provides a practice-focused understanding of mediation and arbitration as alternative ways of resolving a dispute, both of which are becoming increasingly important to commercial and non-commercial practice alike.
This innovative specialist Masters degree is designed to provide a sound understanding of the rules under which litigation, arbitration and mediation operate, based on current scholarship including areas such as procedure, evidence and ethics.
Each year a small number of internships become available and you will be provided with information about such opportunities and how to apply during the year of your study.
This course is taught by leading academics as well as visiting practitioners including barristers and solicitors who work in private practice and in legal departments of major companies.
All modules are structured as 10 weekly two-hour seminars which comprise both lectures as well as interactive tutorials. All modules are supported by our online learning platform Moodle.
Assessment is by way of coursework which comprises 100% of the final mark in each module. Each module carries the same weight in terms of the overall qualification.
You will be allocated a dedicated supervisor for your dissertation who will help them develop a specific topic and provide support in terms of resources, content and structure.
As with all LLM specialisms at City, University of London, you may take either 5 modules and a shorter dissertation (10,000 words) or 4 modules and a longer dissertation (20,000 words).
All modules are of the same duration and are taught per term (September – December or January – April) rather than the whole academic year. If you take 4 modules you will take 2 per term in each term and if you take 5 modules you will have 3 in one term and 2 in the other. Dissertations are written during the summer term when there are no classes.
In order to obtain this specialism, you must choose at least three modules from within this specialism and write their dissertation on a subject within the specialism.
Specialism modules
Choose from the following 30-credit modules:
Elective modules
For your remaining elective modules you can choose from more than 50 modules covering diverse subjects – everything from Human Rights and Energy Law to Mergers or Money Laundering.
Dissertation
Those students who start the course in January will take two (or three) taught modules in the spring term (January-April), write their dissertation over the summer, before completing the remaining taught modules in the autumn term (September – December). Please be reassured that this structure does not disadvantage January entry students in any way; the dissertation is a separate piece of individual work, it does not directly build on the teaching and assessment which takes place on the taught modules. All students are allocated dissertation supervisors who assist students topic selection and in research methodology.
Dissertation (incorporating research methods training)
Example topics include:
It is an important objective of this course to assist individual students who wish to build effective careers in managing and conducting civil cases, whether through litigation, arbitration, negotiation or mediation.
With so much competition for those seeking to enter and develop a career in the legal profession, this LLM is designed to provide a depth of understanding and a range of skills that can make a real difference in building your career.
As a graduate of this specialist LLM programme you will be well placed to pursue careers in this area of law in private practice, in-house in a law firm, policy and government, non-governmental organisations and a wide range of non-legal careers in litigation and dispute resolution.
100% of graduates responding to the 2014/15 DLHE survey were in employment or further study six months after graduation.
The City Law School has a vibrant Pro Bono programme including our award-winning commercial law clinic for tech start-ups Start-Ed.
