Given the many different areas of law, it is unsurprising that so many Law students decide to take on a postgraduate degree in order to help them acquire the specialist skills they need.
Here at Birmingham City University, we offer a range of postgraduate law degrees to cater for a variety of career paths:
- LLM International Business Law
- LLM International Human Rights
- LLM International Law
- LLM Legal Practice
- Postgraduate Diploma in Law / LLM Professional Law
These courses cater for both legal and non-legal undergraduates alike, so a postgraduate law degree can open up a different spectrum of career options to you depending on your past experience. . Here are just a few of the career paths on which these courses could take you.
Legal Practice Course-Solicitor
The next stage for law graduates (and non-law graduates who have completed the conversion course) who are aiming to be a solicitor is the Legal Practice Course (LPC). This is the first part of the vocational stage prior to a recognised period of two years training and completion of the Professional Skills Course (PSC).
Solicitors generally advise others on legal issues – whether that’s on a large or small scale. Most solicitors specialise in one area of law (property, criminal, family, etc.), and can offer legal advice and guidance to anything from a multinational company to a small local firm. So-called “high street” solicitors also help individuals with things such as buying a house, writing a will or obtaining a divorce.
In-House Legal
Outside of the typical law roles, in-house legal teams are commonplace in most medium to large businesses. They are comprised of individuals who look after all the legal dealings within a company, be they internal (contracts, data breaches, etc.) or external (mergers, acquisitions, legal challenges, etc.). Though companies still liaise with solicitors and barristers, having their own team of legal experts with intimate knowledge of the company can only benefit them.
This is ideal for those who are converting to Law after studying something else at undergraduate level. Someone from a health background for example could move into an in-house legal team within a medical company or hospital. Those with a business background can marry the two disciplines to become a specialist in areas such as marketing law, accounting law, and so on.
Research
It goes without saying that not only is the field of law vast, but it is also ever-changing. New legislation and policies replace the old frequently, sometimes as the result of research from universities and lobbying groups. We have a thriving legal research environment within Birmingham City University, which is pushing for a better understanding in fields such as American law and legal policies.
We pride ourselves on human rights research as well, with our Centre for Human Rights advising organisations such as the UN on the subject. Some members of the centre are BCU graduates themselves, having pursued their academic careers further, after completing a Master’s degree, by studying for a PhD. This is just one way you could elect to carry on studying in hopes of influencing law around the world.
Non-Legal Jobs
Not every job available to postgraduate Law graduates is directly linked to law! Our Postgraduate Diploma in Law course allows you to gain a better understanding of Law following graduation from an unrelated undergraduate degree. This means that some choose to pursue a line of work more aligned to their undergraduate studies, but complemented by a deeper understanding of legal matters related to that field.
If you want to set up your own business, knowing the related business laws will help immensely from day one. Those who get into the investment world could benefit from more in-depth knowledge about the laws that govern what you can and can’t do. Studying law also provides vital professional skills that will benefit you day-to-day as well, such as report writing, researching and communication experience.
Want to explore your options more? Find out about our suite of postgraduate Law courses.
