Course Summary

Description

This course offers students from a wide variety of backgrounds the opportunity to develop their legal knowledge and skills in some of the most intellectually challenging and practically relevant areas of trade and commercial law. The course has a particular emphasis on the international aspects of these areas of legal knowledge and practice.

During the first two terms of the course, you will study taught modules drawn from a wide variety of topics on international trade and commercial law. You then complete your studies by writing a dissertation on a topic chosen by you and supervised by a member of staff with expertise in your selected subject area. Teaching is a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led, seminar or tutorial groups. The dissertation is pursued by independent research with individual supervision.

Students attending the course are drawn from a broad range of countries, and their previous academic or professional experiences enrich the course. The School is host to the Institute of Commercial and Corporate Law, and students on the LLM are encouraged to participate in its activities.

Course Structure

You must study one compulsory module in Applied Research Methods in Law. You must also choose a number of additional taught modules, from a large body of optional modules. Finally, a dissertation must be completed, on a topic chosen by you in consultation with your allotted supervisor.

Core modules:

• Applied Research Methods in Law
• Dissertation (of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 words).

Examples of optional modules

Please note: not all modules necessarily run every year, and we regularly introduce new modules. The list below provides an example of the type of modules which may be offered.

• Advanced Issues in International Economic Law
• Advanced Issues of International Intellectual Property Law
• Advanced Law of Obligations
• Private International Law and China
• Corporations in an EU Context
• Current Issues in Company Law
• Competition Law
• Global Financial Law
• International Commercial Dispute Resolution
• International Investment Law
• International and Comparative Corporate Insolvency Law
• International Banking Law
• Introduction to Corporate Governance
• Introduction to Corporate Insolvency
• Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
• Law of Oil and Gas Contracts
• International Trade Law & Policy
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Takeover Regulation in the EU

Course Learning and Teaching

This course involves both taught modules and a substantial dissertation component. Taught modules are delivered by a mixture of lectures and seminars. Although most lectures do encourage student participation, they are used primarily to introduce chosen topics, identify relevant concepts, and introduce you to the main debates and ideas relevant to the chosen topic. They give you a framework of knowledge that you can then develop, and reflect on, through your own reading and study.

Seminars are smaller-sized, student-led classes. You are expected to carry out reading prior to classes, and are usually set questions or problems to which to apply the knowledge they have developed. Through class discussion, or the presentation of student papers, students are given the opportunity to test and refine their knowledge and understanding, in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The number of contact hours in each module will reflect that module’s credit weighting. 15-credit modules will have, in total, 15 contact hours (of either lectures or seminars); 30-credit modules will have 30 contact hours. Students must accumulate, in total, between 90 and 120 credits of taught modules for the course (depending upon the length of their dissertation).

In addition to taught modules, you must produce a dissertation of between 10,000 and 20,000 words. This is intended to be the product of your own independent research. Each student is allocated a dissertation supervisor, and you will have a series of (usually four) one-to-one meetings with their supervisor over the course of the academic year.

Finally, all taught postgraduate students on this course, are encouraged to attend the various events, including guest lectures and seminars, organised through the School’s research centres, including the Institute for Commercial and Corporate Law, and Durham European Law Institute.

Admissions Process

Subject requirements, level and grade

A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

English Language requirements

Please check requirements for your subject and level of study.

How to apply

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply

Fees and Funding

Full Time Fees

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and funding

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/finance

Career Opportunities

Law School

For further information on career options and employability, including the results of the Destination of Leavers survey, student and employer testimonials and details of work experience and study abroad opportunities, please visit our employability web pages. 

Open days and visits

Pre-application open day

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Overseas Visit Schedule

www.durham.ac.uk/international/office/meetus

Postgraduate Visits

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit/

Department Information

Law School

Overview

Durham Law School is one of the UK’s most distinguished law schools. We are a leading centre of legal research in the UK with an equally strong commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. We have modern, purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities. Featuring a moot court, the Harvard-style Hogan Lovells lecture theatre, spacious dedicated work suites with superb views of Durham Cathedral, attractive social areas, and modern wireless and audiovideo enabled research spaces, this is one of the most striking and best-equipped law buildings in the UK. Our complement of full-time academic staff has grown
to 49, and comprises researchers of high distinction as well as a number of promising early career researchers.

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