The Legal Cheek View
The University of Law (ULaw) has a legal education pedigree stretching back 150 years, and a prestigious Chancellor ― the well-known figure Lord Neuberger, a former President of the Supreme Court, accepted the role in 2018. ULaw, which was formerly known as the College of Law before rebranding in 2012, delivers legal training to 94 of the top 100 law firms from various locations throughout the UK. Students can take their pick from a wide choice of campuses, including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Southampton, Reading, Sheffield, Chester, Exeter and Guildford. It also has an international campus in Hong Kong.
Whether you are looking to do the SQE, PGDL, BPC or LPC, the location of the ULaw campus you go to is an important decision, if you are able to choose which one you want to attend. So read on to find out what the different campuses and courses on offer are like.
Starting with London, there is the choice of either the Bloomsbury or Moorgate campuses. The Bloomsbury campus is the original outpost and is spread across two main buildings. Students note its high quality lecturers and course materials – the general sentiment is one of sound preparation for practice by the end of your chosen course. Its bar career service has been described by one student as “genuinely excellent”. Incorporating an assessment day to sift candidates, those who make it through are generally high achievers. A strong pro bono programme also contributes to the university’s focus on applying classroom learning to real-life legal situations. The Bloomsbury campus is well-situated with Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road and Soho all in close proximity, so a mid-study shopping break or pub trip after a busy day are good motivators.
The Moorgate campus is the newer establishment and has been recently refurbished – situated in the heart of the City, it is surrounded by the biggest names in the legal industry, with Slaughter and May’s office across the road and Linklaters just around the corner. It’s a popular destination for future Magic Circle trainees, with some insiders suggesting the atmosphere can sometimes be clique-y on account of this. Nonetheless, its central location means social opportunities are aplenty, so most students tend to make good friends and enjoy the lively City during their time there.
A considerable downside to studying in either of the London campuses are the fees, with the LLM Legal Practice (incorporating the SQE1 and 2 as well as additional content covering key practice areas, which is highly sought-after by firms) costing around £17,000. Moreover, the additional costs of living in the capital must also be factored in. However, this burden can be alleviated by eligibility for a master’s student loan, and students undertaking the LPC and GDL have found it to be a fair price, “given the quality of teaching, amount of face-time and quality of the materials”.
Away from the capital, ULaw’s Birmingham campus is located in the trendy Jewellery Quarter, with students having access to the bustling city as well as historic streets lined with indie bars and art galleries. The campus is well-fitted out, boasting two libraries, albeit with an “overpriced” canteen, so a packed lunch might be a sensible option for long study days. Leading law firms’ offices are also in close proximity, with Pinsent Masons, DLA Piper, Eversheds Sutherland and Gowling WLG located a few minutes’ walk away, with great networking opportunities also available through paying a small membership fee to join the Birmingham Trainee Solicitors Society. Students praise the teaching at ULaw’s Birmingham campus, with experienced tutors and a good careers team plus connections to the many law firms mentioned above. Although some note that the careers service could be better resourced, the flip-side is that there are plenty of events to attend, so an enterprising attitude comes in handy.
Located in the building that used to house law firm RPC, ULaw Bristol is a modern campus with excellent facilities. It sits in the cluster of law firms such as Osborne Clarke, Simmons & Simmons and RPC based around the Temple Meads station. Bristol boasts a competitive legal market with a good work-life balance, so is becoming a popular choice for students not fixated on London. The Bristol campus has a strong reputation for enhancing students’ advocacy and interviewing skills. “Every time I talked to my personal tutor it felt like having a trainee interview,” one student tells us. This no doubt is also a huge plus for aspiring barristers for whom good communication skills are essential, something well-provided by ULaw Bristol.
In the North, you’ll find ULaw’s Manchester campus located in the heart of the city, with excellent transport links. Manchester Piccadilly Station, for example, is only a ten-minute walk away. Being central also means studying close-by potential future employers ― big-name firms such as Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper and Clyde & Co are just around the corner from the ULaw building. The Manchester building itself is described as “really nice”, with a “Wii and table tennis in the canteen” and “super comfy” chairs, so refreshing breaks between study sessions are easily accessible. Students here note too that they are provided with high-quality materials, pro bono opportunities and generally good teaching, although with the odd exception as with any law school.
As one of ULaw’s newest campuses, ULaw Nottingham is based in Eversheds Sutherland’s former Nottingham office. It’s suitably high spec, with added ‘tech hub’ facilities that even include a retro gaming arcade. It too is situated in the city’s business district and conveniently close to the city centre, with national firms such as Shoosmiths and Browne Jacobson just a short walk away. Also benefitting from this combination of strong student population and vibrant legal scene are students at ULaw Leeds. The Leeds campus with its glass-fronted, seven-storey building designed to replicate “the corporate setting of a professional firm” helps those studying there to feel like they are already hot-shot lawyers. There’s also a rooftop terrace so you can revise for your exams whilst feeling inspired by the city skyline and the offices of DLA Piper, Irwin Mitchell and Eversheds Sutherland.
In contrast to these city campuses ULaw Guildford offers a good balance between charming countryside and bustling city, located just a short trip away from London yet offering lovely break-out areas full of greenery and tennis courts. The country mansion-esque ULaw building is itself delightful, an idyllic campus that offers a good breather from the rigorous courses on offer. There’s also the prospect of ‘MNG’ (Monday Night Guildford), the town’s celebrated weekly club night for those who feel they can handle it. Careers-wise, ULaw Guildford has “really good connections with firms in the area”, the most prominent of which are Penningtons Manches Cooper and Clyde & Co.
In addition to their standalone centres, ULaw has a number of campuses located within existing universities in Newcastle, Norwich, Exeter, Southampton and Liverpool. In these locations, ULaw has partnered with law schools to deliver its courses on their respective university premises, so students can benefit from the on-site teaching experience if they could not spend much time on a university campus over the pandemic years. Exeter and Southampton are the most recently opened branches, with the latter opening in 2023.
Overall, ULaw is widely seen as having had a good run in recent years, with students generally satisfied with its teaching during and after the pandemic. It has also been in growth mode, with several new centres being opened. Its courses are thorough and rigorous, developed in conjunction with law firms, which sets it apart from new entrant providers. It offers lots of options, allowing students to opt for not just the barebones SQE, but also more fleshed out courses like the LLM Legal Practice, which build in extra skills and knowledge of practice areas. A guaranteed four weeks of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) within ULaw’s Legal Advice Clinics and the practical experience of many of its tutors who are often former lawyers, are also part of what is on offer. The downside to all this is the cost involved, although the wide range of locations and courses on offer, combined with flexible study options (such as part-time, online, etc.) allow students to tailor their programme as it suits them. Students can also benefit from ULaw’s extensive alumni network boasting the likes of Londn mayor Sadiq Khan and politician/barrister Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, as well as the sense of community it manages to create through campus ambassador programmes and clubs.
Courses
Law conversion courses
Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)
The Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) is a law conversion course that teaches you to think like a lawyer and prepare for the realities of life in legal practice. This course replaces the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and provides the foundation for the pathway into practice for non-law graduates who want to progress onto the SQE to qualify as a solicitor or the Bar Practice Course (BPC) to qualify as a barrister.
• Full-time: 35 weeks
• Part-time: 87 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury & Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and online.
• Cost: £13,600 in London, £10,950 regionally or online
SQE Law Essentials Online
This short online course is for graduates from a non-law background and will give you an introduction into the essentials of legal knowledge required for SQE1. This course is designed for those who want to take the SQE but do not have a law degree or equivalent experience. This course prepares you to take ULaw’s SQE1 Preparation Course or LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2) to qualify as a solicitor.
• Full-time: 10 weeks online
• Part-time: 16 weeks online
• Cost: £3,900
MA Law
This is a specially designed postgraduate degree for non-law graduates who want to gain a general legal qualification at Master’s level. As an internationally recognised qualification, a Law Master’s is a great addition to your portfolio. With a strong level of support from the start, this course is a great introduction to law if you hold an undergraduate degree in another discipline. Successful completion of the MA Law (Conversion) qualifies you to progress on to study the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) to become a solicitor or the Bar Practice Course (BPC) to become a barrister.
• Full-time: 50 weeks
• Part-time: 112 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Online
• Cost: Domestic – £15,400 London, £12,700 outside of London, Non Domestic – £17, 850 in London, £15,050 outside of London
MA Law (SQE1)
This is a law conversion course and includes ULaw’s SQE1 Preparation Course, which prepares students for the SQE1 assessments. The course is designed for non-law graduates who want to qualify as a solicitor and gain a legal qualification at Master’s level. As an internationally recognised qualification, a Law Master’s is a great addition to your portfolio. With a strong level of support from the start, as well as four weeks guaranteed Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) within our Legal Advice Clinics. This course is a great introduction to law if you hold an undergraduate degree in another discipline. Successful completion of the MA Law (SQE1) also qualifies you to progress on to study the SQE2 Preparation Course to become a solicitor.
• Full-time: 72 weeks
• Part-time: 124 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Online
• Cost: Domestic – £17,100 London, £13,950-£14,400 outside of London, Non Domestic – £18,450 in London, £15,200-£15,750 outside of London
SQE courses
SQE Law Essentials Online
This course is a potential first step for non-law graduates who want to learn the fundamentals of law and plan to progress to SQE1. It is designed for graduates from a non-law background and will give you an introduction into the essentials of legal knowledge required for SQE1.
• Full-time: 10 weeks online
• Part-time: 16 weeks online
• Cost: £3,900
SQE1 Preparation for Legal Professionals Online
This course is suited for professionals working full-time in the legal sector, including international lawyers, who wish to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales using the SQE pathway to qualification.
• Part-time: 40 weeks online
•Cost: £3,900 for UK students, $46,350 for Hong Kong students.
MA Law (SQE1)
This is a postgraduate degree which includes the SQE 1 Preparation Course, which prepares students for the SQE1 assessments. It is designed for non-law graduates who want to qualify as a solicitor and gain a legal qualification at master’s level.
• Full-time: 72 weeks
• Part-time: 124 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Online
• Cost: Domestic – £17,100 London, £13,950-£14,400 outside of London, Non Domestic – £18,450 in London, £15,200-£15,750 outside of London
SQE1 Preparation Course
This is for aspiring lawyers who want to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales using the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE) pathway to qualification.
• Full-time: 21 weeks
• Part-time: 32 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton and Online
• Cost: £ 5,900 in London, £4,200 – £4,650 regionally and $60,750HKD in Hong Kong.
SQE1 Exam Preparation Course
This is a short, intensive revision course to ensure you’re confident and fully prepared for the SQE1 assessments.
• Full-time: 1 day
• Part-time: 3 days
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Online
• Cost: £ 500
SQE2 Preparation Course
This is for aspiring lawyers who want to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales using the Solicitor Qualifying Examination (SQE) pathway to qualification.
• Full-time: 15 weeks
• Part-time: 27 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton and Online
• Cost: £ 5,650 in London, £4,000-£4,450 regionally
SQE2 Exam Preparation Course
This is a short, intensive revision course to ensure you’re confident and fully prepared for the SQE 2 assessments.
• Full-time: 2 days
• Part-time: 3 days
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield and Online
• Cost: £1,000
LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2)
This is for graduates who want to qualify as a solicitor using the new SQE route to practice and also gain a master’s award.
• Full-time: 66 weeks
• Part-time: 102 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton and Online
• Cost: £16,950 in London, £12,800 – £13,750 regionally
Legal Practice Course (LPC)
When you study your LPC with ULaw, you’ll be able to add either an MSc in Law, Business and Management, or LLM in Professional Legal Practice at no extra cost.
During the LPC you will experience working as a trainee solicitor and get hands-on experience processing client files and performing tasks relating to real case studies, giving you the best possible start for your entry into the legal job market.
• For a qualifying law degree (QLD) and exempting law degree (ELD), you must have completed, started, accepted an offer or paid a non-refundable deposit by 21 September 2021 to study the LPC.
• Full-time: 41-45 weeks
• Part-time: 92-95 weeks
• Available in Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Egham (Royal Holloway), Exeter, Guildford, Hong Kong, Leeds, Liverpool, London Bloomsbury, London Moorgate, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Online (Hong Kong), Reading, Sheffield, Southampton and Online
• Cost: £19,500 in London, £14,300-£15,350 regionally
Bar Practice Course (BPC)
Bar Practice Course (BPC) (LLM)
Qualifying postgraduate course allowing graduates to prepare and practise as barristers in England and Wales & the vocational stage of training, which you’re required to pass before you can go on to complete the final, practical stage of training; pupillage. If you choose to study this award and you will have the opportunity to add an internationally recognised LLM qualification to your CV and pupillage applications through; completing work experience via our Pro Bono clinics, study additional modules or write a dissertation.
• Full-time: 34 weeks
• Part-time: 95 weeks
• TBC
Cost: £15,650 (BPC), £18,350 (BPC LLM) in London, £14,200 (BPC), £16,600 (BPC LLM) regionally
Locations
The University of Law currently has campuses in the below locations:
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- ULaw at GISMA Business School Berlin – no courses on this page are available at this location
- Guildford – all courses except MA Law SQE 1, LLM Legal Practice and Bar Practice Course
- Hong Kong – all courses except MA Law conversion course, LLM Legal Practice and Bar Practice Course
- Leeds
- London Bloomsbury
- London Moorgate – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- Manchester
- ULaw at Newcastle University
- Nottingham
- Online – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at Royal Holloway, University of London (Egham) – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of Chester – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of East Anglia – all courses except PGDL, MA Law conversion, MA Law SQE 1 course and the Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of Exeter – all courses except MA Law SQE 1 course, SQE Prep Course and the Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of Liverpool – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of Reading – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of Sheffield – all courses except Bar Practice Course
- ULaw at University of Southampton – all courses except PGDL, MA Law conversion, MA Law SQE 1, SQE 1 Exam Prep, Bar Practice Course
Scholarships
Baroness Warsi and Sadiq Khan Full Fee Scholarship
This scholarship is applicable for all postgraduate law courses excluding short courses
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Have received an offer for one of our postgraduate law courses
• Meet the Widening Participation criteria
• Have the highest score in the online assessment
• Have a minimum of 2:2 (or equivalent) at undergraduate level
Value: full fee
Deadline: TBC
Bar Practice Course (BPC) Awards
This scholarship is applicable for all postgraduate law students studying the Bar Practice Course.
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Successfully pass the selection event stage and be in receipt of an offer
• Submitted a CV and covering letter and have received an offer for one of our postgraduate law courses.
Value:
June 2023 intake:
• 1 Senior Scholars – £3,000 each
• 1 Advocacy Scholarship (London) – £2,000 each
• 2 Advocacy Scholarship (Birmingham and Leeds) – £1,750
September 2023 intake:
• 1 Master / Mistress of Moots (London Bloomsbury) – £4,500
• 7 Senior Scholars (1 per campus) – £3,000 each
• 14 Advocacy Scholarships (London) – £2,000 each
• 20 Advocacy Scholarships (All other campuses) – £1,750 each
• 30 BPC Deans Awards for Excellence – £1,000 each
January 2024 intake:
• 2 Senior Scholars – £3,000 each
• 2 Advocacy Scholarship (London) – £2,000 each
• 2 Advocacy Scholarship (Birmingham and Leeds) – £1,750
• 10 BPC Deans Awards for Excellence – £1,000 each
Deadline: TBC
Campus Dean’s Award
This scholarship is applicable for the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and LLM Legal practice (SQE1&2).
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Have received an offer for one of the above courses
• Have a minimum of a 2:2 (or equivalent) at undergraduate level
• Have the highest score in the online assessment
Value:
• 150 awards of £2,000 each are available for courses starting in September 2023
• 26 awards of £2,000 each are available for courses starting in January 2024
• 4 awards of £2,000 each are available for courses starting in March 2024
Deadline: TBC
Career Changer Scholarship
This scholarship is applicable for all postgraduate courses excluding short courses.
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Have received an offer for one of our postgraduate degrees
• In the application form you’ll need to evidence: previous work experience, transferable skills that will assist you to progress to a new career and motivation for a career change.
Value: 12 full fee scholarships, the remainder of successful applicants will be offered a partial scholarship are available for Business, Criminology, Law and Psychology courses starting between July 2023 to October 23.
Deadline: TBC
Charles Russell Speechlys Scholarship
This scholarship is applicable for all postgraduate courses.
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Have received an offer for one of our postgraduate law courses
• Meet the Widening Participation criteria
• Have the highest score in the online assessment
• Have a minimum of a 2:1 (or equivalent) at undergraduate level
Value: 1 award of £6,000 to a student wishing to study a postgraduate course in September 2023.
First Class Scholarship
This scholarship is applicable for for MA Law, LLM Legal Practice, LPC and PgDL (and other non-vocation postgraduate courses)
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Have received an offer for one of our postgraduate courses
• Have the highest score in the online assessment
• Have a first-class undergraduate degree or distinction at Master’s level
Value:
September 2023
• 40 awards of £3,000 each are available for MA Law (Conversion), MA Law (SQE1), PgDL and LLMs.
• 50 awards of £5,000 each are available for LPC and LLM Legal Practice
January 2024
• 15 awards of £3,000 each are available for MA Law (Conversion), MA Law (SQE1), PgDL and LLMs.
• 18 awards of £5,000 each are available for LPC and LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2)
March 2024
• 2 awards of £5,000 each are available for LPC and LLM Legal Practice (SQE1&2)
Deadline: TBC
The Lord Blunkett Widening Access Scholarship
This scholarship is applicable for for all postgraduate courses excluding short courses.
To meet the eligibility criteria you must:
• Meet the Widening Participation criteria
• Have received an offer for one of our postgraduate courses
• Have the highest score in the online assessment
Value:
• 60 awards of £2,000 are available for September and October 2023
• 20 awards of £2,000 are available for January 2024
• 5 awards of £2,000 are available for February 2024
• 20 awards of £2,000 are available for March 2024
• 5 awards of £2,000 are available for June 2024
Deadline: TBC