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Programme Information & PLOs
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Title of the new programme – including any year abroad/ in industry variants
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LLB in Law
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Level of qualification
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Please select:Level 6
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Please indicate if the programme is offered with any year abroad / in industry variants Year in Industry Please select Y/NNo
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Year AbroadPlease select Y/NYes
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Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department
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Lead Department York Law School
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Other contributing Departments: n/a
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Programme Leader
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Patrick Gallimore
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Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
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The York Law School LLB offers a unique, innovative approach to the study of law. The LLB is based on a significant component of problem-based learning (PBL). In PBL, you will encounter a range of authentic 'problem' scenarios raising a wide range of legal issues. Through engaging with the scenarios and the learning activities associated with them, you will develop your knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of English law, together with a broad range of academic and practical legal skills: research; critical thinking; fact analysis; problem-solving; interviewing; advising; case analysis; negotiation; and advocacy. PBL also encourages you to reflect on how you learn, in order that you can become an effective lifelong learner in whatever future contexts you move into. You will work in a 'Student Law Firm' (SLF) - a group of student colleagues who work together across the programme for the full academic year. The SLF can provide an environment for mutual academic and personal support, and is an ideal forum for you to develop your collaborative skills, and to reflect with others on the process of learning. Throughout the LLB, you will also develop your writing skills, creating a range of pieces of original work in different formats, including academic essays, legal advice, case analyses, court documents and a final year dissertation in a chosen area of interest. You will also gain an understanding of the concepts of legal professionalism and ethics. If you wish to progress into the legal professions, the LLB meets the requirements for progression to the next stage of legal vocational training.
An important element of the programme design and of the way PBL works is the concept of integration. The problem scenarios you will deal with usually involve more than one area of law, so you will understand the interrelationships between areas of law that exist in practice and society, and you will see the 'messiness' of law as it arises in real-world contexts and in the experiences of citizens and practitioners. You will return to certain areas of law at different points in the programme over time, to progressively deepen your understanding of them. The case and transaction simulations you will work on in your student law firms will enable you to integrate your knowledge of the law with your ability to exercise a range of legal skills.
Both the core programme and our range of options are designed to allow you to identify and develop your own interests, so that you can create a programme – and in the final year, aspects of individual assessment – that will enable you to further your ambitions, and flourish. This could be in the form of: examining law in depth from a particular perspective, such as human rights; developing a professional career path advising business or individual clients; or considering the impact of law on a particular section of society, perhaps combined with providing advice to clients in our Law Clinic.
Your personal development, employability and professional ambitions are also at the core of the LLB. In addition to the academic, professional and communication skills described above, you will develop team-working, interpersonal and planning skills in your student law firm. You will be a professional and ethically aware graduate, able to reflect on your individual learning and career development, evaluating your progress and identifying how to develop further to achieve your personal ambitions. What you take from the LLB will be useful to you both if you elect to progress into legal professions, and if you choose to pursue a different career path. Knowledge of the law is useful in a wide range of professions, and to citizenship as a whole. Moreover, the skills which you will develop are valued not merely by lawyers, but in a broad range of contexts.
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Programme Learning OutcomesPlease provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the programme can be expected to do.
Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
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PLOOn successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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1Explain the fundamental principles and theories of English and EU law, and plan efficient and effective research strategies to identify, evaluate and apply relevant legal rules, principles, facts and theories to a broad range of integrated legal and practical issues [Knowledge and research/basic PSRB knowledge requirements].
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2Apply and adapt problem-solving skills developed through problem-based learning - analysing facts, parties’ interests and objectives, and identifying legal and practical issues - to deal confidently, creatively and in a structured manner with new and unfamiliar problems [Problem-solving/PBL].
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3Develop well-reasoned, critical and creative arguments, theories and solutions to legal issues and problems, with the capacity to draw on these to produce original responses in a range of media to topics in chosen areas of specialisation and interest [Critical and creative].
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4Holistically integrate and adapt well-developed legal, academic and interpersonal skills when engaging with clients, peers, and other professionals; which could include skills in interviewing, researching, problem-solving, advising, negotiating, communicating, planning, case analysis and advocacy [Clinical].
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5Communicate confidently and effectively, both verbally and in writing in a range of formats; presenting well-reasoned academic arguments and opinions, supported by evidence; providing structured, reasoned, practical legal advice; all adapted to intended recipients and audiences, whether academic, public, professional or clients [Articulate].
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6Draw upon a broad awareness of perspectives and interests in their work, capable of taking into account ethical, social, political, professional, commercial, financial, international, policy, human rights, ethnic, gender and client interest considerations when evaluating propositions and dealing with problems [Awareness].
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7Work efficiently and effectively, both independently and as part of a team, drawing upon personal and interpersonal skills and attitudes developed as part of a student law firm [Independent and interpersonal].
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8Record, reflect on and evaluate individual strengths, weaknesses and progress in personal learning and professional development, to then be able to identify and set future learning requirements and career goals to further improve individual knowledge and skills [Reflective].
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Programme Learning Outcome for year in industry (where applicable)
For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year in Industry’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year in industry b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year in industry by alteration of the standard PLOs.
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n/a
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Programme Learning Outcome for year abroad programmes (where applicable)
For programmes which lead to the title ‘with a Year Abroad’ – typically involving an additional year – please provide either a) amended versions of some (at least one, but not necessarily all) of the standard PLOs listed above, showing how these are changed and enhanced by the additional year abroad or b) an additional PLO, if and only if it is not possible to capture a key ability developed by the year abroad by alteration of the standard PLOs.
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Variation of PLO1: Explain the fundamental principles and theories of English and EU law, together with the law of their chosen year abroad location, and plan efficient and effective research strategies to identify, evaluate and apply relevant legal rules, principles, facts and theories to a broad range of integrated legal and practical issues. [Knowledge and research/basic PSRB knowledge requirements]; Variation of PLO6: Draw upon a broad awareness of perspectives and interests in their work, capable of taking into account ethical, social, political, professional, commercial, financial, international, policy, human rights, ethnic, gender and client interest considerations when evaluating propositions and dealing with problems – with additional, particular awareness of such perspectives and issues in the context of the cultures of their chosen year abroad location. [Awareness]; Variation of PLO8: Record, reflect on and evaluate individual strengths, weaknesses and progress in personal learning and professional development, and on the experiences of the year abroad, to then be able to identify and set future learning requirements and career goals to further improve individual knowledge and skills. [Reflective]
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Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning OutcomesPlease explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
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i) Why the PLOs are considered ambitious or stretching?
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The PLOs are ambitious and stretching because they:
incorporate academic, vocational and professionally focused outcomes;
are developed through a problem-based learning curriculum which integrates the foundation subjects of English Law, as compared to traditional LLB programmes where subjects are studied in silos; the integrated approach allows students to encounter different areas of law in the same learning activity, and to return to certain areas of law at different stages of the programme, in order to deepen their understanding in the relevant area
require students to demonstrate a wide variety of academic and practical legal skills on a progressive basis in a range of realistic contexts; and
require students to demonstrate that they meet the PLOs through a variety of assessment formats, necessitating high levels of articulacy and adaptability.
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ii) The ways in which these outcomes are distinctive or particularly advantageous to the student:
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The outcomes are distinctive because, as noted above:
they incorporate academic, vocational and professionally focused outcomes, in distinction to traditional LLB programmes which tend to be limited to narrower academic outcomes; and
are developed through a problem-based learning, spiral curriculum which integrates the foundation subjects of English Law, as compared to traditional LLB programmes where subjects are studied in silos.
They are advantageous in developing interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills, applicable not only to the legal profession but to a wide range of professions and employment.
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iii) How the programme learning outcomes develop students’ digital literacy and will make appropriate use of technology-enhanced learning (such as lecture recordings, online resources, simulations, online assessment, ‘flipped classrooms’ etc)?
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The PLOs require students to apply core ICT tools in their individual and student law firm activities: word-processing; e-mail; group documents; group sites; presentation software; and social media. In addition, students make extensive use of digital sources in carrying out legal and factual research. In doing so, they develop transferable skills in terms of developing and implementing digital search strategies, with the emphasis on being efficient and effective, and discriminating as to both quality and reliability of sources, and how retrieved information should and may be used. Specific modules require students to engage with particular types of digital tools - see the programme map for examples; and Student Law Firms are also able to exercise autonomy over how they make use of digital tools to organise themselves and their learning outside formal learning activities (for example, through the use of social media).
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iv) How the PLOs support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)?
The programme's employablity objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
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http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/staff/
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Taken as a whole, the PLOs support and enhance student employability most explicitly in the context of law and legal services. However, the situation of legal knowledge in broader contexts (social, economic etc), the focus on authentic, real-world type legal problems scenarios in PBL, and the emphasis on dealing with legal knowledge in the context of transferable skills means that the PLOs will also strongly support the employability of the approximately 50% of law graduates who elect not to proceed into the legal professions. PLOs 1 - 8 are aligned with the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Statement of Solicitor Competence, and the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes developed on the LLB will therefore support students who seek to qualify as a solicitor. Similarly, they will support students who seek qualification as a barrister, who look to follow any other career in legal services, or any career where knowledge of law and legal institutions is useful.
PLO2 provides transferable skills that can be applied in a wide range of problem-solving contexts within employability: fact analysis; considering parties’ interests; mind-mapping; identifying knowledge requirements for dealing in more detail with the problem. The latter are, in turn, supported by the research skills developed within PLO1.
PLO3 provides transferable skills in being able to read, interpret and critically evaluate complex material, then developing and communicating individual responses to such material.
PLO4 provides transferable interpersonal skills with wide application both in gaining employment and in employment itself. These are developed in the context of simulations, e.g., client interviews, bi-party and multi-party negotiations, court-room activities, student law firm case review meetings.
PLO5 also provides transferable skills with wide application both in gaining employment and in employment itself. Written communication skills are consistently rated as one of the most desirable skills by employers of all types. The programme has been designed to require students to write in a wide variety of formats for differing audiences and recipients. Verbal communication skills are developed through, inter alia: problem-based learning, where sessions are student-centred, chaired by a member of their student law firm; legal skills activities (see PLO4); round table discussions in Foundations, Introduction to Law and Society, and Legal Concepts; and discussions with dissertation supervisors.
PLO6 offers students the opportunity to develop a rounded awareness of a range of perspectives and interests that, although developed within the context of law and legal issues, have wider import for employability.
PLO7 is aimed at developing independent and team-based working skills, including planning and time-management. These are developed through to Y3 when they are at the core of the dissertation and core scenario modules. Students are also introduced to models of team roles, team development and performance, and learning, all of which are transferable to employment in a range of contexts.
PLO8 is modelled on the concepts of the reflective practitioner and Kolb’s learning cycle, both of which are standard reference points for learning and development in employment and professions. Reflection is embedded across all three years of the programme and, in addition to learning benefits, assists students in identifying their competencies as required for intended employments.
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vi) How will students who need additional support for academic and transferable skills be identified and supported by the Department?
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Relevant students will be identified: 1. Through the admissions process and scrutiny of the tarriffs of incoming students; 2. Through monitoring by PBL tutors in PBL sessions; 3. Through the Personal Advisor relationship and process; 4. Through formative assessment processes; 5. through strong networks of formal and informal peer support, including the 'Junior Partner' system, in which more experienced students are 'attached' to a first year SLF, in order to provide semi-structured mentoring and guidance. Those students identified as needing additional support will be supported through 1. personalised and individual development and feedback activity integrated into the standard operating procedures of YLS, facilitated by Personal Advisors, PBL tutors and Module Teams; 2. appropriate referral to skills support provision within the University
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vii) How is teaching informed and led by research in the department/ centre/ University?
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The curriculum as a whole is informed etc by research in a number of ways: The 'core' 'Foundations in Law' modules are designed to reflect the academic 'visions' of staff colleagues for their subject areas, and do not follow, by default, the way in which these subject areas are arranged either in law curricula elsewhere, or in standard textbook narratives of the subject areas. Option modules are, in several instances, aligned to staff research specialisms. In the Dissertation module, staff research expertise is utilised to support the production, by students, of independent project work.
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Stage-level progression
Please complete the table below, to summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of each year. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules.

Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each PLO, but this can be done if preferred (please add information in the 'individual statement' boxes). For a statement that applies across all PLOs in the stage fill in the 'Global statement' box.
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Stage 0 (if your programme has a Foundation year, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
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Stage 1
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On progression from the first year (Stage 1), students will be able to:Explain and apply the basic principles of the foundation subjects of English Law.
Within standard fact patterns, analyse facts, identify parties’ interests and objectives, and identify relevant areas of law and related practical issues.
Apply a range of academic and legal skills at a foundation level.
Undertake legal and factual research using a range of digital and hard copy sources.
Discuss basic legal concepts, theories and perspectives.
Explain the purpose of law and its interrelationship with society.
Develop and support opinions and arguments on legal issues and propositions.
Reflect on their personal and student law firm learning experiences, and identify further learning needs.
Demonstrate the above in clear, structured written outputs.
Actively participate in the full range of activities and opportunities designed to promote learning.
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PLO 1PLO 2PLO 3PLO 4PLO 5PLO 6PLO 7PLO 8
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Explain, at a basic level, principles of law and the workings of legal institutions and processes, and conduct basic research using an appropriate range of tools in (including print and digital), in the context of defined tasks, into these mattersWithin standard fact patterns and scenarios, identify parties' interests and objectives, the areas of law relevant to them, and potential approaches and solutions to problems.Develop a basic reasoned argument, using evidence, in the context of defined legal issues or problems.Integrate, at a basic level, knowledge of legal rules, knowledge of legal practice, legal and interpersonal skills in the context of basic simulated lawyering and other professional tasksCommunciate effectively in a variety of formats and contexts, using a range of appropriate tools (including print/digital; individual/ collaborative), and to a variety of audiences, with reference to basic legal and related issuesIdentify, at a basic level, issues relating to the connections between law and society, and between law and other disciplines.Work effectively on an independent and collaborative basis, in the context of defined tasks, and having regard to experiences in the Student Law Firm.Reflect, at a basic level, on learning and the development of understanding, and identify, at a basic level, further learning needs.
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Stage 2
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On progression from the second year (Stage 2), students will be able to:• Explain, apply, discuss and critique principles of the foundation subjects of English Law, and transfer these skills to further areas of law
• Within complex fact patterns, analyse facts, identify parties’ interests and objectives, and identify relevant areas of law and related practical issues
• Apply a range of academic and legal skills at an advanced level
• Undertake legal and factual research efficiently and effectively using a range of digital and hard copy sources
• Discuss and critically evaluate legal concepts, theories and perspectives
• Discuss and critique the purpose of law and its interrelationship with society
• Identify, explain, discuss and critique ethical and professional issues
• Confidently develop individual opinions and arguments on legal issues and propositions, supported by appropriately critiqued academic evidence
• Reflect in depth on their personal and student law firm learning experiences, identify further learning needs and plan steps to achieve such learning
• Demonstrate the above in clear, structured, persuasive written outputs
• Actively and confidently participate in the full range of activities and opportunities designed to promote learning, taking on leadership roles in student law firms
• Identify personal areas of interest and specialisation for further study and plan strategies to carry out such study [Query whether this box is now redundant given the development of PLO-specific progression statements]
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PLO 1PLO 2PLO 3PLO 4PLO 5PLO 6PLO 7PLO 8
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Explain, at a more advanced level, principles of law and the workings of legal institutions and processes, and conduct more sophisticated research, using an appropriate range of tools (including print and digital) in the context of more complex and less bounded defined tasks, into these mattersWithin more complex fact patterns and scenarios, identify parties' interests and objectives, the areas of law relevant to them, and potential approaches and solutions to problems.Develop a reasoned argument, using an appropriate range of evidence, in the context of more complex legal issues or problems.Integrate, at a more advanced level, knowledge of legal rules, knowledge of legal practice, legal and interpersonal skills, in the context of complex simulated lawyering and other professional tasksCommunciate effectively in a variety of formats and contexts, and to a variety of audiences, using a range of appropriate tools (including print/digital; individual/ collaborative), with reference to complex legal and related issues, while demonstrating increasing proficiency in regard to norms of scholarly and professional practice.Identify, discuss and evaluate issues relating to the connections between law and society and between law and other disciplines, and relating to contextual matters affecting or affected by law.Work effectively on an independent and collaborative basis, in the context of increasingly complex and less bounded tasks, and having regard to experiences in the Student Law Firm.Reflect, at a more advanced level, on learning and the development of understanding, identify further learning needs and interests, and design and implement effective strategies for meeting them.
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Stage 3
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(For Integrated Masters) On progression from the third year (Stage 3), students will be able to:Global statement
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PLO 1PLO 2PLO 3PLO 4PLO 5PLO 6PLO 7PLO 8
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Individual statements
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Programme Structure
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Module Structure and Summative Assessment Map
Please complete the summary table below which shows the module structure and the pattern of summative assessment through the programme.

‘Option module’ can be used in place of a specific named option. If the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided in the next section.

From the drop-down select 'S' to indicate the start of the module, 'A' to indicate the timing of each distinct summative assessment point (eg. essay submission/ exam), and 'E' to indicate the end of the module (if the end of the module coincides with the summative assessment select 'EA') . It is not expected that each summative task will be listed where an overall module might be assessed cumulatively (for example weekly problem sheets).

If summative assessment by exams will be scheduled in the summer Common Assessment period (weeks 5-7) a single ‘A’ can be used within the shaded cells as it is understood that you will not know in which week of the CAP the examination will take place.
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Stage 0 (if you have modules for Stage 0, use the toggles to the left to show the hidden rows)
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Stage 1
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term
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CodeTitle123456789101234567891012345678910
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10LAW00008CFoundations in Law 1SEA
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30LAW00007CFoundations in Law 2SEAA
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20LAW00010CLegal ConceptsSAEA
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20LAW00009CFoundations in Law – Portfolio and Reflection Year 1SEA
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20LAW00003CLegal SkillsSEA
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20LAW00002CIntroduction to Law and SocietySEA
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Stage 2
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term
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CodeTitle123456789101234567891012345678910
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20LAW00039IFoundations in Law 3SAEA
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20LAW00040IFoundations in Law 4SEA
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20LAW00038IFoundations in Law – Portfolio and Reflection Year 2SEA
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20LAW00011IProfessionalism and EthicsSEA
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20LAW00007IAdvanced Legal SkillsSAEA
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20Option module from list ASEA
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Stage 3
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CreditsModuleAutumn TermSpring Term Summer Term
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CodeTitle123456789101234567891012345678910
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20Case Study 1 from Option List DSAEA
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20Case Study 2 from Option List ESAEA
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40LAW00021HDissertationSAEA
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20Option module from List BSEA
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20Option module from List CSEA
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*Students may take an additional option module from the list for the relevant term in place of EITHER Core Scenario 1 OR Core Scenario 2
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Optional module listsIf the programme requires students to select option modules from specific lists these lists should be provided below. If you need more space, use the toggles on the left to reveal ten further hidden rows.
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Option List AOption List BOption List COption List DOption List EOption List FOption List GOption List H
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History of LawArt LawLaw ClinicCorporate Commercial Case StudyCorporate Commercial Case Study
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Law, Commerce and FinanceAlternative Dispute ResolutionCompetition LawCivil, Employment & Discrimination Case StudyCivil, Employment & Discrimination Case Study
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Human Rights: Law, Power & Global ChallengesLaw ClinicCrime & PunishmentHousing, Welfare & Immigration Case StudyCounter-Terrorism, Media & Family Case Study
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Key Themes of Criminal JusticeCompany LawCrime, Justice & PolicingCounter-Terrorism, Media & Family Case Study
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Law and the Business EnvironmentEmployment LawEnvironmental Law
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Health Care LawFamily LawIllicit Drug Use
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Philosophy of LawIntellectual Property LawInternational Criminal Law
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Law & LanguageLaw & History
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Law, Gender & SexualityLaw in the Welfare State
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Poverty & InequalityLegal Practice, Technology & Computer Science
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Prisons & Penal PolicyMental Health & Mental Capacity Law
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The Criminal TrialMigration, Immigration & Social Policy