Law

Law with a European and international dimension addresses the reality that legal questions in the contemporary world rarely respect national borders. Commercial transactions, human rights, environmental regulation, intellectual property, criminal extradition and the governance of the internet all involve legal frameworks that span multiple jurisdictions. Understanding both the common law of England and Wales and the European and international legal systems that operate alongside and sometimes above it gives you a significantly richer legal education than a purely domestic programme, and it prepares you for a legal career in an increasingly interconnected world.

At the University of Sheffield, this four-year full-time LLB is a qualifying law degree that provides the academic foundations required for entry to the legal profession in England and Wales, alongside a structured engagement with European Union law, international law, comparative law and the specific areas of international practice such as trade, human rights, investment and environmental law. You will develop the rigorous analytical and argumentative skills that all legal education demands, through the study of contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional and administrative law, equity and other core areas, alongside the comparative and international content that distinguishes this programme. The four-year structure allows for deeper engagement with both domestic and international dimensions than a three-year degree permits.

Close reading of legal texts, careful argument, and the ability to apply legal principles to factual situations are the core skills developed throughout the degree. Written precision, research capability and analytical clarity are developed through problem questions, essays and moot exercises.

Graduates typically pursue professional legal qualification through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination or Bar Training Course, with the international dimension of this degree being particularly valuable for those interested in international commercial law, human rights, trade or arbitration. Postgraduate study in international law, European law, or public international law is a common pathway.