Law with European Legal Systems

Law with European legal systems at the University of East Anglia offers a distinctive approach to legal education that situates English and Welsh law within its broader European context, giving you both a strong domestic legal foundation and a genuine understanding of the civil law systems and European legal frameworks that have shaped and continue to influence UK law even in the post-Brexit era. Understanding European legal systems is increasingly important for lawyers working in international contexts, for those interested in human rights law, and for anyone who wants to understand how legal systems can be organised differently from the English common law model.

This four-year full-time programme develops your knowledge of English and Welsh law across its core areas, including contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional and administrative law, and equity and trusts, alongside a comparative and European dimension that explores continental civil law traditions, EU law as it continues to apply in areas such as human rights and international trade, and the legal frameworks of individual European countries. You will study legal theory and jurisprudence alongside the technical rules of the subject, developing the capacity to ask deeper questions about what law is for and how legal systems can be evaluated and reformed.

UEA has a law school with a strong research tradition and particular interests in environmental law, human rights, and comparative and European law, which enriches the teaching on the European systems strand.

Graduates of law programmes go on to qualify as solicitors and barristers, to work in government and the civil service, in international organisations and NGOs, in business and finance, and in academia. The comparative European dimension of this degree is particularly valuable for those who wish to pursue careers in international law, European institutions, cross-border business, or academic legal research.