Law with French LawLLB

Experience an exciting year abroad in either France or Canada, comparing your knowledge of the English legal system with the law of France or Québec.

Our Centre for Employability, Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) gives Birmingham students the edge. With our opportunities to build practical skills, confidence and employability, you'll stand out in a competitive jobs market.

Primarily a qualifying law degree course with French as an important subsidiary element, during years one, two and four of the programme, you will study approximately two-thirds English law subjects and one-third French language and French law subjects. In your third year you will have the exciting opportunity to study abroad.

With a 100-year history and storied reputation, Birmingham Law School honours our tradition of legal excellence with global top rankings year after year.

• Think globally and study overseas at one of our 200+ partner institutions. Experience an incredible new culture and alternative perspectives on Law.
• Make an impact and join one of 30 Pro Bono projects offered at Birmingham Law School, such as the Birmingham Fraud Clinic.
• Connect to the legal sector with placement schemes, annual law fairs, and access to our employability resources.
• Expand your knowledge of the French language and legal system, supported by expert academics in our Department of Modern Languages.
• Pursue your passions and tailor your undergraduate Law degree in the final year with our vast range of optional modules including topics such as Counter Terrorism Law, Advocacy and Employment Law in Practice.

Build your career with modules that match your academic interests

Investigate the areas of Criminal Law, Tort Law, Legal Issues in Health Care, Law and Politics, Family Law and so much more at Birmingham. Combining your study and comparison of two differing legal systems with specialised modules and a second language will give you the skills to stand out in a competitive market. 

• Lectures: These give you an insightful, expert introduction to key topics; they also provide guidance to support your reading and assessments.
• Seminars: These are small group discussions where you share and test ideas with your academic tutor and your peers. Seminars help you understand topics better and build confidence in sharing your thoughts.

Support during your studies

At Birmingham, you’ll have plenty of support to help you adjust to university life:

• Personal Academic Tutors: You'll have a tutor assigned to you who will guide and support you throughout your studies.
• Wellbeing Officers: The Wellbeing team help with extensions, disabilities, extenuating circumstances, or any personal challenges. They’ll also connect you with further support on campus or elsewhere.
• Academic Writing Advisory Service: Tutorials, workshops and support in  structuring an argument and developing your own academic voice.
• Student Experience Team: They offer research opportunities, and cultural, intellectual and social activities to enhance your university experience.

Contact hours

Your degree is designed to help you achieve 120 credits per year, which equals about 40 hours of learning each week. This includes lectures, seminars, workshops, independent study, revision, and assessments.

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed in different ways to suit each module. At the start of a module, you’ll be told how and when you’ll be assessed. Methods will vary but may include coursework (e.g., essays), group or individual presentations and projects, exams, reports or computer-based assignments.

Feedback: You will receive timely feedback on each assessment, so you can learn from it and improve your performance in future assessments.

To secure a place at Birmingham, you'll need to meet our general entry requirements as well as those specific to your course.

Number of A levels required: 3

We do not require or consider the LNAT admissions test for entry onto our programmes.

We do not accept transfers into the School from any programme including other Law programmes.

A levels

A level French grade A or equivalent. Alternatively independent language diplomas will be considered when taken in addition to the three A levels or equivalent. The independent diploma we consider is DELF-B2.

General Studies is not accepted, but a good performance may be taken into account if you fail to meet the conditions of the offer.

BTEC qualifications

• BTEC Extended Diploma in the following subject areas will be considered: Business and Law alongside an A Level in French. Grades required - D*D*D*. Other BTEC Extended Diplomas may be considered if offered alongside an A level in French.
• BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Business or Law combined with two A levels (to include French) and BTEC Diploma in Business or Law combined with an A level in French will be considered.
• Other BTEC subjects combined with A levels (including French) are considered on a case by case basis provided there is an appropriate subject combination.

English language requirements

If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification or a Presessional English course.

• TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 in Listening, 22 in Speaking and 21 in Writing.
• IELTS: 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any band.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): PTE 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills.
• Cambridge English(exams taken from 2015): Cambridge English: Advanced Minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
• Language Cert ESOL SELT (UKVI): B2 ‘Communicator’ with no less than 33 in each skill
• Trinity ISE II: Not applicable
• Trinity ISE III: Pass in each Skill

Presessional English courses

If you have a conditional offer for Birmingham where English is a requirement, you can take a Presessional English course as an alternative to retaking IELTS or a similar qualification. We offer on-campus courses all year round starting from September, including additional online courses in the summer term. Teaching takes place in small classes with no more than 18 students to maximise class participation.

The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. If your offer is for 2025 year of entry, we expect that the tuition fee for your first year of study will be £9,535 for UK students.  If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay.  If you are applying for 2026 year of entry, you will be advised of the annual tuition fee closer to the time.

Undergraduate loans

To help with the cost of studies, undergraduate students from the UK can apply for student finance through the Student Loans Company. The support available is made up of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan which helps to cover living costs.

Scholarships, grants and bursaries

At Birmingham, we believe that financial worries should not be a barrier to accessing higher education. That’s why we offer a range of additional financial support for students through scholarships, bursaries and other awards.

View further information on how to apply for undergraduate courses, including advice for UK and overseas applicants.

CEPLER has strong connections with law firms, regulators, charities, and businesses, giving you opportunities to gain practical experience. These links also support important research, helping Birmingham Law School academics tackle real-world legal challenges.

Careers

• Our careers lectures and skills workshops offers advice and guidance on a range of specialist areas of law and legally-related careers. We also run practical skills sessions on how to present yourself and succeed at interview. 
• Keep career connected with the annual University of Birmingham Law Fair! This is exclusively for our students and recent graduates. You can meet firms, chambers, and key sector employers promoting training contracts, pupillages, vacation schemes and graduate work opportunities.

Pro Bono

• Our Pro Bono Group enables students to volunteer in a range of activities that benefit some of the most vulnerable people in the local community. You could get involved in one of 30 Pro Bono projects, from legal advice to streetlaw, policy research to our Fraud Clinic.

Mooting and advocacy

• All students can gain practical experience in a range of different types of advocacy and rhetorical skills, such as mooting, negotiation, client interviewing and debating
• Many of our students compete in events including the UK Sports Law Negotiation Competition, Helga Pederson Moot Court Competition on international Human Rights law in Strasbourg, and the Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot.

Education

• We offer two innovative practice-based modules: Regulation of the Legal Profession, which encourages you to question assumptions about lawyers and their role in society; and Advocacy, which covers a range of skills such as mooting, negotiation and mediation, along with court observations and presentation skills development.

Professional accreditation

Barristers

Our LLB Law degrees cover all the legal areas needed to meet the academic requirements for becoming a Barrister. After completing your degree, you’ll need to take the Bar Course, a one-year postgraduate course. Then, you’ll complete a one-year Pupillage, which is like an apprenticeship in a Barrister’s chambers. Birmingham Law School has a specialist advisor to help students who want to become Barristers.

Solicitors

In September 2021, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) introduced a new qualification system called the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). To qualify as a Solicitor under the new SQE pathway, you must:

• Complete or hold a degree-level qualification or equivalent (such as an LLB from Birmingham Law School); 
• After the degree, complete both stages of assessment, SQE1 and SQE2;
• Complete two years of qualifying work experience (QWE); and
• Satisfy the SRA’s character and suitability requirements

Birmingham Law School partners with a top SQE training provider to offer graduates discounted preparation fees. A dedicated staff member provides support and advice for students who want to qualify as Solicitors.

Career destinations

Our Law students have gone on to secure roles such as Solicitor, Director, Founder, and Senior Legal Counsel working for organisations such as:

• Goldman Sachs
• Shakespeare Martineau
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Defence
• Pinsent Masons

The University has commissioned Cturtle as our data partner for tracking our alumni destinations. The data above is a subset from 43,666 alumni who completed their course up to 31 July 2024.

Careers Network

Our aim is to make sure that success in your studies leads you on to a fulfilling career. Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offer support to help you identify your options, develop your skills and gain access to opportunities that propel you towards your career goal.

Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community, and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.