LLB (Hons) Commercial Law LLB (Hons)

About the course

Programme Aims

• Provide students with the knowledge and understanding to equip them for a career in law, law related areas, or as a staging post for continued academic or professional study at post graduate level.
• Provide students with support for they require enhancing their eventual employability through taught skills within the programme.
• Provide exemption from the academic stage of training by satisfying the regulations of the SRA and the Bar Standards Board for qualifying Law degrees for the LLB (Hons); LLB (Hons) Commercial Law; LLB (Hons) Government and Politics; and BA (Hons) Law with (where Law is the Major subject).
• Provide the students with a sound educational experience that will enable them to acquire a solid grounding in legal principles, which will embrace all the subject specific abilities, transferable intellectual skills and key skills set down in the current Law Subject Benchmarks for England Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Stimulate students into adopting an enquiring and critical appreciation of the law as well as developing an appreciation of the contexts in which the law operates.
• Encourage students to accept responsibility for their own learning, supporting them to learn independently using initiative and self discipline.
• Encourage the engagement with Blended Learning Initiatives in co-operation within the School. More information on the School of Law

More information on the School of Law

Why choose this course?

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills and other attributes in the LLB (Hons) Commercial Law programme. Second year modules are where students spend time working in the Law Clinic providing practical hands on experience of Law.

You have the option in your 3rd year to study abroad. This will not count towards your final qualification, though is optional for those interested.

Study routes

• Full Time, 4 Years
• Full Time, 3 Years
• Full Time,

Locations

• University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Careers

The largest single career choice made by law graduates is the legal profession, with around 30-40% choosing to follow this path each year. Many of our graduates who have entered the legal professional are now in private practice or employed in such fields as industry, local government, or the Crown Prosecution Service. Of those who choose not to enter the legal profession, many have gone on to pursue higher degrees or enter other fields of employment such as personnel or management training programmes, the police, accountancy, teaching, local government and journalism.

Teaching methods

We believe that your skills can be best developed through a participative and interactive teaching environment. Besides the traditional teaching methods, moots, debates in class, workshops, guest speakers and video presentations are utilized. On arrival, you will be allocated a Student Support Tutor who will be responsible for your pastoral care throughout your first year, dealing with both personal and academic matters. We also provide disability and special needs support. International students at the Law school have access to free part time in-sessional English support throughout the academic year and dedicated international student tutors on campus.

Structure

Year 1

Core Modules

• Principles of Criminal Law

  This module considers the general principles of criminal liability actus reus; mens rea; causation; strict and corporate liability; general defences; inchoate offences; parties to crime; particular offences such as homicide, non-fatal offences against the person and theft.

• Constitutional and Administrative Law

  This module considers the role of Constitutional & Administrative Law in government. It examines the underlying constitutional concepts of the British constitution, including the separation of powers, the role of law, supremacy and constitutional conventions. It also considers the role of civil liberties and human rights and evaluates its effectiveness in protecting the citizen. Finally, the course analyses the part played by administrative law and particularly the role of the judiciary in acting as a check on government.

• Law of Contract

  The module will cover:- Formation of a contract: offer, acceptance, consideration, privity. Contents of the contract: conditions, warranties, express and implied terms, standard form contracts, exclusion clauses. Vitiating factors: misrepresentation, mistake, undue influence, duress; unconscionable bargains and inequality of bargaining power. Discharge of contractual obligations; performance, agreement, frustration, breach. Remedies for breach of contract: damages, specific performance, rescission, injunctions. An outline of the law of restitution.

• Legal Procedures, Ethics and Skills

  The module is designed to introduce students to research skills concepts, aspects and structure of the civil and criminal branches of the English legal system and the professional ethics of the legal profession.

Optional

Year 2

Core Modules

• European Union Law

  The module examines the EU institutions, the decision-making process as well as the key principles underpinning the EU legal order. The general principles of EU law are also examined, including the principles regarding the protection of fundamental rights. Enforcement procedures are examined. Students will also be introduced to substantive areas of EU law such as free movement of persons, free movement of goods and competition.

• Commercial Law

  This module introduces students to aspects of English commercial law with substantial reference to the laws relating to sale of goods contracts including the legal issues surrounding implied terms, exemption clauses, the passing of property and risk, nemo dat and exceptions to that rule, and remedies of the seller and buyer, including consumer protection mechanisms. Students will examine the wider implications of English commercial law with particular reference to the areas of codification and an introduction to agency and international commercial law.

• Land Law

  The module will contain a brief introduction to the meaning of land, the historical development of land law and the formalities for the creation of legal and equitable third party interests in land. A more in-depth study will be made of the registered system (with emphasis on the Land Registration Act 2002), trusts of land (including disputes), resulting and constructive trusts of the family home, proprietary estoppel, co-ownership, leases (with emphasis on enforceability of leasehold covenants), easements, freehold covenants, mortgages and adverse possession.

• Law of Tort

  The module considers the law relating to Torts including the tort of negligence, with consideration of 'special duty' topics such as psychiatric injury and economic loss. Statutory torts such as the Occupier's Liability 1957, 1984; Animals Act 1971 and Consumer Protection Act 1987 are also examined. The module also considers intentional torts of assault, battery, false imprisonment and the rule in Wilkinson v Downton. Nuisance and Rylands v Fletcher, together with employer's liability - vicarious and primary non-delegable duty are also covered in the module.

Optional

Year 4

Core Modules

• Equity and Trusts

  The module will commence with an introduction to trusts and a comparison of trusts with other legal concepts. The module will then cover the requirements for the creation of trusts, the three certainties, private purpose trusts, unincorporated associations, charitable trusts, secret trusts and trusts for the protection of family wealth. Variation of trusts and the management of trusts with an emphasis of trustees' duties and powers of investment and delegation will be studied. Finally, the module will consider personal and proprietary remedies for breach of trust.

Optional

• Legal Governance, Risk Management and Compliance

  This module analyses the complex set of processes, rules, tools and systems used by corporate legal departments to adopt, implement and monitor an integrated approach to business problems. Legal risk management and compliance refers to a specialised set of tools utilized by attorneys, corporate legal departments, general counsel and law firms to govern themselves and their corporations especially but not exclusively in relation to the law. In the current economic and commercial environment the ability to proactively identify and manage legal risk is crucial to the survival and profitability of a business. This module will look at best practice approaches to identifying and prioritising legal and regulatory compliance risks. Topics for lectures and seminars will focus on current high risk topics with the goal of training students to identify the real cost to business of legal and regulatory risk. Students will be required to structure and develop a project designed to deliver a cost effective change programme aimed at reducing legal risk to a company.

• Dissertation

  The module allows students to conduct in depth study in relation to a specific area of law.

• Intellectual Property

  The module considers how Intellectual Property is protected by the law, dealing with the development of IP Law within the English Legal System, the different types of IP protection available and the influence of EU and International law on these types of protection. The module examines the fundamentals of IP Law, particularly the different types of IP protection, such as patents, copyrights, design and trade marks. As well as introducing students to fresh concepts, the module will revisit areas touched upon in Year 2, such as the tort of passing off, and the effect of IP rights on the free movement of goods and throughout the EU.

• Employment Law

  This module will examine the definition of employment and the mechanisms for formation and context of employment contracts. It will examine employment rights, for example, continuity; rights and duties on termination of employment. It will examine protection against discrimination in the workplace. It examines legal issues relating to industrial action. The implications of the Human Rights Act 1998 will be considered, where relevant.

• E & M Commerce Law

  The module will consider the relationship between law and morality; the nature of moral arguments and cultural influences on law. The historical development of natural law theory and its contemporary legal relevance will be examined and critiqued. The module will also consider positivist theories of law, both classical and contemporary.

• Jurisprudence

  The module will consider the relationship between law and morality; the nature of moral arguments and cultural influences on law. The historical development of natural law theory and its contemporary legal relevance will be examined and critiqued. The module will also consider positivist theories of law, both classical and contemporary.

• E & M Commerce Law

  The module considers how E & M Commerce is protected by internet governance, how e-commerce contracts are formed, terms incorporated and regulated in relation to disputes. Spam protection and domain name acquisition and disputes are also considered. Other aspects of the module evaluate the nature of mobile technology and its regulation both nationally and internationally, considering EU and international regulation.

• Human Rights

  The module examines the basis for the Human Rights/Civil Liberties discourse moving from the particular UK legal situation to the wider aspects of the European convention, focussing on and establishing threads of similarities in order to establish a cohesive picture of Human Rights. The module focuses initially on the Human Rights Act 1998 and the effects on human rights in the UK since the Act came into force in 2000. This is followed by consideration of the European convention on Human Rights, how it takes effect and how that relates to UK law. Human rights concepts considered include the European Court of Human rights, examination of Article 3 on the constitution of Torture, aspects of Fair Trial, Public Order, Personal Liberty and Freedom of Expression, relating this to the specific areas of Obscenity, Official Secrets and Media.

• International Commercial Law

  The module will examine choice of law/choice of jurisdiction clauses, the different types of international commercial contracts (e.g. CIF and FOB and the respective implications for the parties involved. The module will also consider the various international conventions applicable to international trade, including multi-modal and carriage of goods by sea conventions, as well as the varying forms of finance available to the parties. In addition, the role of documentation will be analysed, in particular bills of lading and marine insurance policies.

• Medical Law

  The medical law module covers substantive issues in the areas of medical ethics, medical negligence, wider issues of medical law and relevant regualtion and practice.

• Company Law

  The module will examine the structure of the modern day company in both the public and private form. It will consider the constitution of the company, the rights and duties of directors and shareholders and the interests of employees and creditors. The financing of companies will also be considered, as will the key areas of corporate governance, minority protection and the current reform issues in Company Law as a whole.

• International Law and Politics

  The module considers how international relations and politics impact on international law. It provides a brief introduction to the theory and nature of international relations post 1945. The nature of some political ideologies is explored with reference to their consequences for international law and in particular on international institutions, security and today's global issues.

Fees & funding

Fees 2013

UK/EU Students

Full time: £8,500 for the 2013 academic year

International Students

Full time: £9,500 for the 2013 academic year

Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration

View detailed information about tuition fees

Scholarships

• National Scholarship Programme

Find out more about scholarships for UK/EU and international students

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

How to apply