Bachelor of Laws (Law Plus)

The 4 year programme includes seven semesters on campus and one on Cooperative Education. In general, the programme consists of three law modules and two elective modules per semester. Extra law may be taken as one of the electives, in this way, you can study four law subjects and one non-law elective per semester. The law component of the cour se provides students with a sound knowledge of the discipline of law through the study of legal subjects like: Lawyering Skills, Contract, Torts, Criminal Law, EU Law and Land Law.

Law Plus is a flexible degree allowing students to choose two electives from a wide range of subjects and disciplines. Students can choose any combination from groups 1-6, as long as no two are in the same group*:
Law can only be selected as an elective once.

Group 1: Law or Psychology or German

Group 2: Law or English or Politics

Group 3: Law or Digital Culture or Gaeilge or Economics 

Group 4: Law or Public Administration or Spanish (beginners or advanced)

Group 5: Law or Sociology or Linguistics with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or Maths or Japanese

Group 6: Law or History or French

Students can attend as many lectures as they want in the first week of term and then choose the ones that suit them best. This flexibility is excellent for students who are uncertain as to their future career but know the value of a legal training coupled with exposure to other disciplines. The student can effectively design an individual programme of their choosing. Students are always welcome to speak with the Course Director about registration options.  

Students may choose not to study a language.

During the first half of Year 3, an eight-month period of Cooperative Education provides the students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge that has already been acquired. Normally this will take the form of a work placement in a range of sectors including legal, financial and government sectors.  

Students also have the opportunity to undertake a semester abroad as part of an Erasmus programme in the second semester of third year.

The School of Law is dedicated to ensuring that Law graduates are self-motivated and highly professional people who are equipped with invaluable transferable skills, skills which are integral to a legal training, but are also highly prized skills in general. Law Plus places significant emphasis on the development of skills including excellent oral and written communication skills, analytical and logical reasoning skills, negotiation, legal research, organisational and team work skills, particularly through the Lawyering Skills modules in their first and fourth year of the programme.

In addition, students are offered an Advanced Lawyering module which builds upon skills previously identified and imparts students with an understanding of the alternative mechanisms for solving disputes outside the legal system (ADR) and the skills inherent in these processes, an area of increasing importance to legal professionals in modern times.

Final year students will also participate in ‘Advanced Lawyering Projects’. These are group projects which focus on an area of law in which you have a particular interest (e.g. criminal justice, employment law or property law). You will work together with a lecturer to complete a project where you will develop practical research, writing and presentation skills.

Law Plus is a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree rather than a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) as it is a four year degree encompassing an eight month cooperative education placement rather than a traditional three year law degree.  

Yes! The Law Society of Ireland (Solicitors) does not require applicants to have a law degree to pursue a career as a solicitor, however, every student in the country must sit entrance exams to gain entry to the Law Society of Ireland. All of the subjects are offered by the School of Law in the University of Limerick. The Honorable Society of Kings Inns (Barristers, The Bar) does require students wishing to become a barrister to hold a law degree and Law Plus is an approved degree for these purposes. Students on the Law Plus programme will also have the opportunity to study the subjects on which there are entrance exams in order to gain entry to Kings Inns.*

Further information on becoming a barrister is available from www.kingsinns.ie and further information on becoming a solicitor is available on www.lawsociety.ie **

* Please note that the choice of electives is subject to continual change and not all electives may be available due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, scheduling and resourcing.

** Due to the regular alterations to the entry requirements for the professional bodies, students are advised to keep abreast of any developments in this regard.

No, the elective subject gives the student the opportunity to study an area outside of law that complements the study of law and enriches their knowledge. On graduation, you will be awarded a LLB in Law with the list of electives taken detailed your official student transcript.