Program Overview

Introduction to the LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar

The LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar is a professionally focused course that combines the essential practical skills and knowledge from the Bar Training Course (BTC) and masters-level legal research skills. This course is designed to help students develop the resilience, confidence, and leadership skills required to thrive at the Bar or in a related field.

Course Overview

The course is a masters qualification that consists of 180 credits. It is taught by a team of professionals, including practicing and former practicing barristers and solicitors, a King's Counsel (KC), and specialists in civil and criminal litigation. The course includes a range of modules, such as Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation Evidence and Sentencing, Professional Ethics, and Professional Practice.

Features and Benefits

• Specialist facilities for bar students, including chambers rooms, a legal library, and a modern moot courtroom
• Flexible modes of study, with full-time, part-time, and flexible study options
• Legal experts, including practicing and former practicing barristers and solicitors
• Explore professional practice, with a module focused on building professional skills and legal connections
• Funding available, including the Postgraduate Loan Scheme
• A legal hub, with Manchester having a dynamic legal sector at the heart of the Northern Circuit of the Bar
• Professional lecture series, with regular guest lectures offering insight from seasoned professionals
• Moot court room, supporting the development of students' legal advocacy
• Supportive community, with a student Bar Society that brings together students from all stages of legal study

Course Structure

The course is available in three study routes: full-time, part-time, and flexible. All three routes are taught together, on weekdays, in a supportive chambers environment. There is a minimum 80% attendance, preparation, and engagement policy for all routes on this course.

Full-time Route

• Generally consists of two and a half days on campus per week, during term time, between September and June
• Includes one full day for civil subjects, one full day for criminal subjects, and a half-day session for Professional Ethics and the Professional Practice Module
• Requires a time commitment of approximately 40-45 hours per week, including time spent in class

Part-time Route

• Generally consists of one and a half days on campus per week, during term time, between September and June
• Includes one full day on campus studying criminal (Year 1) and civil (Year 2) subjects
• Requires a time commitment of approximately 20-24 hours per week, including time spent in class

Flexible Route

• Allows the course to be spread across a maximum of five years
• Requires a time commitment of approximately 12-25 hours per week, depending on which units are being studied at the time

Entry Requirements

To be considered for a place on the LLM in Legal Practice at the Bar, students must satisfy one of the following criteria:

• Have an LLB degree from an institution based in the UK/Republic of Ireland, which included the seven foundation subjects, with a minimum grade of 55% (2:2)
• Have a non-law degree from an institution based in the UK/Republic of Ireland, with a minimum grade of 55%, and have successfully completed an eligible conversion course, which included the seven foundation subjects, at a UK/Republic of Ireland institution, with a minimum grade of 55%

Fees and Funding

• UK and Channel Island students: full-time fee £15,000 per year, part-time fee £834 per 10 credits
• EU and non-EU international students: full-time fee £15,000 per year, part-time fee £834 per 10 credits
• Additional costs, including compulsory estimate £100-125, optional estimate dependent on seasonal travel costs, and professional costs, including a Bar Registration Fee of £840

Careers Support and Prospects

• 93.7% of UK-domiciled, full-time, postgraduate taught graduates are employed or in further study 15 months after graduation
• Careers Service support, including Future Me and Rise, to help students get ready for what comes next
• Opportunities to meet employers and prepare for interviews
• Lifelong access to online career resources as an alumnus

How to Apply

• Online Application Form
• Supplementary Application Form
• Monitoring Questions Form
• Detailed academic reference from the most recent place of study
• Application deadline: international applicants 31st May 2025, home applicants 30th June 2025

Related Courses

• Bar Training Course
• LLM (Master of Laws)
• Graduate Diploma in Law (Common Professional Examination)