Vocational electives
Acquisitions & mergers - you will consider the legal, commercial and taxation implications of buying a private company or its business. You will look at the structure of two typical acquisitions, the key documents required and the roles of the parties and their advisers.
Advanced criminal practice - Advanced Criminal Practice develops and builds on Criminal Law & Practice which is one of the core practice area subjects. It also expands on Criminal Law & Practice by looking at subjects beyond the core practice area outcomes.
Advanced property law and practice - an advanced exploration of Property Law and Practice for students who aim to specialise in this field. The course centres around a case study involving the acquisition of a commercial development site, the construction of the units, and the subsequent letting to occupational tenants.
Banking and debt finance - you will look at the processes whereby a company borrows money from a bank, together with the terms of the key lending, guarantee and security documents that are typically required.
Commercial dispute resolution - this course builds on your basic knowledge of litigation from the Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution course. However unlike Civil Litigation it deals with the subject matter topically rather than in a procedural line. It aims to cover most topics that the Commercial Litigator will come across, as well as looking at other methods of dispute resolution. It also enables you to develop your tactical thinking and problem solving techniques.
Commercial law - this course looks at the ways in which a business makes money out of its products. Starting with the intellectual property rights which protect them, the course goes on to consider how the business can sell its products or market them via agency, distribution or licensing arrangements. We also consider EU and UK competition law issues as they arise.
Employment law and practice - the employment law course is designed to introduce you to the key areas of employment law that are relevant to practice. By the end of the course you will be able to advise either employer or employee clients on key areas of employment law.
Family law - in this elective you will learn how to take instructions from low-income, middle-income and high-income clients, and advise them on a variety of issues including obtaining a divorce. You will consider local authorities’ powers to intervene to protect a child and the different perspectives of acting for a local authority, a child or a parent. You will also consider whether a client is eligible for public funding to pursue their claim and the implications of this.
Housing law and practice - in this elective you will learn how to advise clients involved in disputes with private or local authority landlords. This is a recommended elective for students following the Legal Aid Route.
Immigration law and practice - this is a practical elective that makes use of realistic case studies. This elective is strongly recommended to students following the Legal Aid Route or who otherwise may wish to practice in or learn more about these areas.
Insurance law - in this elective you will learn how the insurance market including Lloyds’ of London works and how it is regulated. You will be introduced to how different contracts of insurance are written to include the role of brokers, insurance agents and underwriters.
Personal injury and clinical negligence litigation - the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Litigation elective builds on the core of knowledge from the Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution core practice area. The course utilises a number of realistic case studies as a framework within which to teach the basic skills that will be required by those wishing to practice in this challenging and interesting area of the law.
Private client: wills, trusts and estate planning - the Private Client course looks at effective planning of clients’ affairs during their lifetime and after their death. Tax planning is obviously important but we also consider how clients can best make provision for family members and dependants. We also consider how clients can ensure that their own wishes are carried out if they lose mental capacity.
Public companies and equity finance - you will look at the formalities to be observed where a company invites the public to provide funds in exchange for shares. You will then consider how the investing public is protected by rules imposed on the company, its directors and on those who deal in the company’s shares on the stock market. Finally, you will consider the mechanics and regulation of a takeover of a public company.