Law (SQE1) LLM

The LLM Law (SQE1) at Birkbeck is a professionally focused master’s degree designed to combine essential professional preparation alongside internationally recognised, research-led teaching. As well as offering you the opportunity to follow a specialised pathway, this postgraduate degree allows you to undertake comprehensive preparation for Part 1 of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE1) with expert support from BARBRI, a global leader in professional legal education.<br/><br/><strong>Why choose this course?</strong><br/><br/><br/>• This LLM Law (SQE1) is ideal if you already hold a qualifying law degree (LLB) or a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and wish to take the first major step toward qualification as a solicitor.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• It is particularly suited to motivated students who want to secure their Functioning Legal Knowledge for the SQE1 exam.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• It will appeal to legal professionals looking to validate their legal knowledge for the SQE1 while gaining a master’s qualification in their specific area of interest. It will also appeal to those seeking a career change and wanting a structured, academically rigorous foundation before proceeding to qualifying work experience.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>What you will learn</strong><br/><br/>This LLM Law teaches you the Functioning Legal Knowledge required for SQE1 alongside a specialist pathway to equip you with a rigorous grounding in black-letter law, expertise in specialist topics, and commercial and contextual awareness.<br/><br/>You can also specialise by taking one of the following pathways:<br/><br/><br/>• Commercial and Business Contexts<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Technology and Sustainable Governance<br/><br/><br/><br/>• International Law, Justice and Human Rights.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Whichever pathway you take, you will graduate ready to pass the first stage of your solicitor qualification exams.<br/><br/><strong>How you will learn</strong><br/><br/>This is an intensive course, taught via lectures and seminars, in which you will balance postgraduate coursework with SQE1 preparation. You will gain access to industry-leading SQE preparation materials and mock assessments through Birkbeck’s partnership with BARBRI.<br/><br/>This course can be taken either full- or part-time, with <strong>classes in the evening</strong>, and some modules are available on campus or online. The SQE preparation module is delivered fully online and asynchronously.<br/><br/>Please note that if you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will not be able to apply for this course as the online study element may affect the conditions of your visa. <br/><br/><strong>Highlights</strong><br/><br/><br/>• This course offers you the chance to undertake the SQE1 assessment while also gaining a prestigious, specialised LLM degree.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• This course is taught in partnership with BARBRI, to offer students expert professional support in their preparation for the SQE1.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Birkbecks Law School is internationally renowned for its pathbreaking theoretical, political and humanities-based scholarship.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• You will be able to attend our Law School Annual Lecture and specialist research seminars. <br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Careers and employability</strong><br/><br/>On successful completion of this course you will have gained an array of transferable skills, including developing your ability to:<br/><br/><br/>- demonstrate self-direction, effective time management and resilience in balancing the demands of intensive master’s-level academic study<br/><br/><br/>- apply critical thinking, adaptability and professional judgement in addressing legal problems and communicate complex legal ideas clearly and persuasively.<br/><br/><br/>You will find graduates pursuing careers in the following roles:<br/><br/><br/>• Solicitor<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Barrister<br/><br/><br/><br/>• In-house legal counsel<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Paralegal or legal executive<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Compliance or regulatory officer<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Policy adviser or legal policy officer<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Legal researcher or academic<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Legal technology or innovation specialist<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Human rights or NGO legal officer<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Contracts or risk manager<br/><br/><br/><br/>Legal reasoning, research and analytical skills gained are highly valued, so graduates may also pursue careers in areas such as dispute resolution, corporate governance, project management or consultancy.