Where could a specialised LLM take your law career?
In an increasingly competitive industry, developing solid specialised knowledge is important for career development and to keep a competitive edge.
In the initial stages of your career as a lawyer, you are likely ambitious and full of ideas, keen to make an impact.
So, we have developed a suite of master’s courses across eight main categories that are customisable, intended to help make our students more specialist and in turn more employable.
The eight categories that are not only topical but also where The University of Law (ULaw) has expertise include:
- banking and finance
- corporate
- data and technology
- HR and employment
- energy and environment
- human rights
- mediation and arbitration
- dispute resolution
Our masters’ specialisms are structured on applied academic study, combining core theoretical debates with practical context, which we know makes a massive difference to our students.
This is just one of the many benefits of a focused qualification at ULaw.
A student’s perspective
Amanda Lee (FCIArb), a former ULaw student, dual-qualified solicitor-advocate (Civil), New York attorney and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, spoke with ULaw about the LLM in mediation and alternative dispute resolution.
Recognising the opportunity it presents for students to hone their practical skills as a negotiator and mediator whilst also developing the advocacy skills essential to represent clients at mediation.
Amanda says:
“Expert knowledge of mediation and ADR opens up a number of different career paths.
“If you are considering the LLM in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, my biggest piece of advice would be to recognise the immense opportunities presented by this area of study.
"Whether you want to practise in the field of dispute resolution or focus on non-contentious practice, understanding the potential for conflict to arise is vitally important.
“When difficulties arise between parties, being able to identify the best way to resolve conflicts as efficiently, expeditiously, and inexpensively as possible is a vital skill.
"When drafting contracts and advising parties about disputes, it is important to understand that litigation is not always the way forward.”
Read the full interview with Amanda Lee
From a programme lead
Kate Smith, programme and student lead for ULaw’s online academic master’s in law, sheds light on how the LLM mental health law course merges the practical with academic rigour.
“We first of all define mental health. What is it? Is it the same as wellbeing? How is it defined in law?
"We also look at, for example, the relationship between mental health and society with a particular focus on housing, the crossover between criminal law and civil law as regards ‘psychiatric injury’ and how, when, and why a person might be ‘sectioned’ in a psychiatric unit by law.”
Kate continues:
“The nature of this LLM course combines the practical and the academic, so the ability to develop powers of critical analysis and reasoning is a skill that would help anyone in their everyday life in terms of informing our arguments about the world around us.
"Specifically, I suspect students studying this course will start to see the law in action all around them.”