Northumbria Law School and Law Society of Ireland partnership celebrates first graduates

An advanced law degree offered to qualified solicitors in Ireland through a collaboration between Northumbria Law School and the Law Society of Ireland has celebrated the success of its first graduates.

The LLM Advanced Legal Practice programme attracted its first 20 students in 2015, and has grown in popularity with larger cohorts each year since. A celebratory evening to mark the success of the first graduates was attended by students and representatives from both the Law Society and Northumbria.

The two-year degree, delivered primarily through distance learning, has attracted many students in Ireland looking for a flexible programme designed specifically for solicitors. It provides a career-building qualification directly relevant to the needs of a modern legal practice, including the opportunity to develop existing expertise and knowledge, and to build research and writing skills

The programme was also selected by the Quality Assurance Agency, which safeguards and improves standards in higher education, as a case study on transnational education. The report concluded the partnership was ‘very successful not only in numbers but in the fit and synergy of the relationship’ noting Northumbria’s reputation for ‘innovative learning methods’. The report also praised the high caliber of the graduates of the programme, which included a Circuit Court judge.

In addition, Northumbria Law School’s collaboration with the Law Society was strengthened further last year with the introduction of an LLM Employment Law in Practice programme. Again aimed at qualified solicitors in Ireland, take-up has been equally impressive.

Gemma Davies, Senior lecturer and Director of International Development at Northumbria Law School, said: “We have worked closely with our colleagues at the Law Society of Ireland to develop and deliver both the Advanced Legal Practice and the Employment Law programmes in a way that offers accessible learning opportunities and positive career outcomes for the students. Growing demand among solicitors in Ireland for the programmes shows we are offering a highly relevant qualification with an approach to learning flexible enough to accommodate their existing busy careers.

“Our collaboration with the Law Society of Ireland continues to develop and we’re delighted to share the share the first graduation ceremony event with them, and of course the students.”

T P Kennedy, Director of Education at the Law Society of Ireland said

“We have been very pleased to collaborate with Northumbria University on the provision of this innovative programme.  It’s been gratifying to see the level of interest in it and the variety of research proposals submitted.”

For more information on the Advanced Legal Practice LLM, as well as the other Law courses Northumbria offers please click here