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Join our friendly and inclusive community – we are focused on developing our students into competitive, well-rounded candidates who are prepared for a wide range of careers.

You will benefit from one of the largest pro bono programmes in the country, and from our world-leading academics. We also offer you a wide range of exciting and relevant modules and co-curricular opportunities to enhance your learning and complement your studies.

 

Picture of law students during an EU Parliament trip
My favourite thing about studying law at reading is the close community that you can immerse yourself within. This is not apparent at many universities. There are endless opportunities to make connections with your peers and staff through extracurricular activities!
Lily Sainsbury, LLB Law Student
 

Career-boosting activities

At the School of Law, we believe that thinking beyond your degree is the best preparation for your future career. We offer you an array of career-related, co-curricular activities alongside your main academic studies. Participation in these activities can help to advance your professional development and build the skills and attributes that employers find most valuable.

Activities include taking part in client interviewing, negotiation, mediation, mooting competitions, and carrying out pro bono work. You will gain experience through real interaction with practicing solicitors and barristers, and real clients.

Find out more about our co-curricular activities

Pro bono projects

Work on a voluntary basis, with local charities and other institutions where you will give legal advice and support to real people with real problems.

We take pride in our extensive range of pro bono activities with diverse community organisations, including Launchpad Reading, Resolve Mediation and CommuniCare.

Find out more about our pro bono activities

Mooting

You will be given the opportunity to participate in our popular mock trials, known as moots.

Our students find that mooting improves their ability to formulate and present legal arguments and connect with local judges, barristers and solicitors.

Find out more about our mooting activities

Employability events and careers workshops

We host regular events including workshops, employer visits, alumni conversations, and career talks, which feature practitioners from a range of fields discussing their work. 

We also arrange employability and commercial awareness workshops where employers use practical activities with students to illustrate the legal work environment.

Professional development opportunities

We encourage you to engage with the many opportunities offered by the Careers and Professional Development Centre, including:


The Careers Centre also organises the annual Law Careers Fair, which is exclusively for our students to attend.

Work experience programme

Our dedicated programme provides you with opportunities to explore potential career paths, gain valuable practical insight, and strengthen your future job applications.

In the past, students have completed work experience with Thames Valley and City law firms (London), barristers, government agencies, not-for-profit organisations, and in-house legal counsel.

work experience bursary is available to ensure placements are accessible to everyone.

University of Reading [Law] students have been impeccable and exhibit a positive outlook and attitude towards their work experience. They have been enthusiastic learners and have conducted themselves in a professional manner. We appreciate each and every student's help and the impact they've had in assisting our team in completing matters. The dedication and a willingness to learn from all students is commendable and we continue to welcome them to assist them in getting a real insight of their legal career.

Ms Naheed Akhtar

Partner, Chatham Chambers LLP


What it's like to study law at Reading

Watch our graduate Manon Williams talk about her experiences as a law student at Reading.

Read Manon's story

Law students shape their university experience

Hear from Associate Professor Amanda Millmore discuss how staff in the School of Law work with students to shape how we teach and support our law students.


Research-led teaching

You will learn from experienced academics who are enthusiastic about their subject, and from leading experts in specialist areas such as medical, environmental, international, and commercial law, gender and justice, and youth and justice.

You will benefit from teaching supported by applied research led by our academics who contribute regularly to global and UK policy development and law and criminal justice reforms through their work with governments and regulatory agencies. They are regularly invited to speak at conferences and to provide their expert opinion in the media. Some of your tutors are advisers to government and policy-making bodies like the Law Commission and the United Nations, whilst others have been involved with, or cited in, cases before courts, including the European Court of Justice and UK Supreme Court or work closely with some of the main penal reform organisations like the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.

99% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Law).

Read more about our world-leading research

The Law Society

The popular Law Society provides a welcome respite for the School of Law students with a range of organised events throughout the year. They include the Freshers Reception, trips abroad, quiz nights, picnics, elections and so on.

The Society also boasts a vast network of law firm partnerships and careers contacts and hosts a whole series of academic events. Examples include mooting and negotiation competitions, careers workshops, and pro bono activities.

Find out more about the Law Society

International community

Join a community of students and academics from around the world. We have created a friendly and inclusive law school where ideas and experiences are exchanged in an international context.

We offer opportunities for students to study law and criminology in an entirely different context to their home country. This can be valuable both for a deeper understanding of criminology, law and policy and for those who may want to work abroad.

The School also welcomes undergraduate students from partner universities for a year abroad, including Brickfields Asia College and Taylor’s University in Malaysia.

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Meet our experts

Our academics are leading subject experts who contribute regularly to global and UK policy development and law reforms through their work with governments and regulatory agencies.

A photo of Shadha holding flowers at her graduation ceremony.

Read Shadha's story

I decided to pursue a law degree at Reading as I was looking for a University with a good ranking, good teaching faculty, multicultural community and sufficiently close to London.

Shadha Alkharusi

LLB graduate

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Our research

Our academics undertake a wide variety of research, much of which has produced a tangible impact beyond the University.