Forget land law, strategic lawyering sounds much more fun
Law can be a pretty boring degree sometimes, especially if you find yourself studying a module you really, really hate.
To obtain a qualifying law degree, students have to study dry subjects like land law, equity and trusts, public law and tort law. But when it comes to picking optional modules, usually later on in your degree, some universities offer real corkers.
Here are 13 of Legal Cheek’s favourite undergraduate law modules, all of which are available to study at UK universities right now.
1. Strategic Lawyering
Though Legal Cheek is pretty sure ‘lawyering’ isn’t actually a word, law students have the downright pleasure of choosing to study either Lawyering: Theory, Skills and Ethics at De Montfort University, or Strategic Lawyering at Middlesex University. We are totally jealous.
2. Terrorism
Yep, a module at Northampton University simply called Terrorism.
3. American Legal Practice
We don’t know what is up with the folk at Birmingham City Law School but they bloody love America. Optional LLB modules include *clears throat* American Criminal Procedure and Evidence, American Legal Practice, US Constitutional Law and American Legal Studies Dissertation. Makes City University’s dedication to all things Canada (offering modules in Canadian Constitutional Law and Canadian Corporate Law) look lacklustre in comparison.
4. The LSE Course: Understanding the Causes of Things
We thought this was a joke at first.
All LSE undergrads, lawyers included, must study a module termed the LSE100, which is basically a jazzed up General Studies A-level. Students learn the “fundamental elements of thinking like a social scientist”, examining big questions like “how should we address poverty and inequality?” and “is nationalism a source of cohesion or conflict?” This is an actual, real core module.
5. State of Sheffield — Global Perspectives on Local Issues
Playing a similar “look how great our uni is, let’s invent a module with our name in it” card as LSE is the University of Sheffield, whose first year lawyers study something called State of Sheffield – Global Perspectives on Local Issues. This core module aims to teach students “what it means to be a social scientist”. Yay.
6. Violence Against Children in Cyberspace
Cyberspace-based modules are becoming more and more common in universities nowadays, but we can’t help thinking this option offered to students at the University of Liverpool is a tad specific.
7. Sex, Power and Legal Control
Again not another module we were expecting to stumble across, but there it was in the University of Plymouth law school syllabus. Sounds a lot more interesting than contract law.
8. Propaganda
There are all sorts of weird optional modules going on at the University of East Anglia. Final year students can do modules in — wait for it — Democracy; EU’s Future as an International Actor; Power and Society; In and Out: The Politics of Migration; or, if you fancy it, Propaganda.
9. Family Breakdown
A dramatically titled module on offer at the University of the West of England.
10. Penology
We shouldn’t find this funny but we do. This module is on offer at Brunel, De Montfort and the University of the West of England.
11. Animal Law and Ethics
Over in Lincoln, students can combine their passion for the animal kingdom with their love of law and study Animal Law and Ethics. A similar course is on offer over at the University of East Anglia, but this one’s called Animal Welfare Law.
12. The Portrayal of Justice: Screen Representations of Law and Lawyers
Though the option to take modules with weird titles usually comes later on in law school studies, this one is on offer to first year students at the University of Westminster.
13. Law School Without It No Success 1 (WINS1) and Law School Without It No Success 2 (WINS2)
*face palm*
Here’s another cracker courtesy of the University of Sheffield, which teaches compulsory modules in year one and two termed WINS1 and WINS2 respectively. These aim to support students throughout their first two years of study and while we don’t doubt the value of these modules, you have to agree the name is sort of lame.