Career opportunities

Gain practical real-world experience

We pride ourselves on the range of pro bono opportunities we provide - presenting you with the chance to put your legal skills to beneficial use in real-life situations. This experience is not only a valuable addition to your CV when it comes to applying for placements and training contracts, but also provides a valuable community service.

As part of your studies you will enjoy the opportunity to participate in mooting (mock trial) and negotiation skills competitions and to undertake training in giving legal advice or mediation. In many modules, you will also benefit from sessions given by outside speakers with a wealth of practical experience, bringing the subject to life.

Career development and advice

The University's award-winning Student Employment, Experience and Careers Centre is open all year round and provides a high level of ongoing support and information to students and alumni. Events including careers fairs, employer-run workshops, CV advice sessions and mock interviews prepare you to apply for graduate roles.

In addition, the School of Law hosts the annual "Working Internationally" careers forum for postgraduate students each January. This annual workshop looks at opportunities that are available to students with a postgraduate degree in law to find employment abroad or employment with an international dimension to it. Speakers from such organisations as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Amnesty International, EURES -- the European Partnership for Job Mobility and the University's Student Employment, Experience and Careers Centre have participated in these workshops in recent years.

Graduate career prospects

While many graduates of our postgraduate courses take professional exams and continue on to practise law, both in the UK and overseas, law graduates are also in high demand across many other areas, with potential destinations including European and international governmental and non-governmental organisations, the media and the public sector. A proportion of graduates instead decide to pursue a career in academia, continuing on to doctoral study.