Law and Language
Law and Language is a degree that prepares you for legal practice while simultaneously developing proficiency in a modern language, equipping you with a combination of skills that is increasingly valuable in an interconnected and multilingual legal and business world. Law provides the analytical and technical grounding of an LLB, covering the foundational principles of the English legal system and equipping you for the next stages of professional legal training. The language component develops genuine proficiency in your chosen language, whether French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, or Korean, giving you the ability to communicate professionally across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
At Birkbeck College, this programme is delivered flexibly, making it accessible to students with working or other commitments, while maintaining the rigour of a qualifying law degree alongside serious language training. You will develop the legal knowledge, research skills, and analytical reasoning that the profession requires, alongside linguistic competence that opens up unique opportunities for work and further study in international and multilingual legal contexts. The breadth of language options available reflects the global character of contemporary legal practice.
Graduates are well placed to pursue professional legal training as a solicitor or barrister, with the additional asset of a modern language qualification that is particularly attractive to international law firms, multinational businesses, and organisations with cross-border operations. Careers in international commercial law, European law, language-specific legal advice, and compliance in international organisations are all natural directions. Postgraduate study in law, comparative law, or international law is a natural next step for those who wish to develop specialist legal expertise.