About the course

Commencing on 21 January 2023, the LLM is specifically designed for those who are qualified solicitors. Building upon your solicitor qualification, the course provides an ideal opportunity for professional development in a specialised area of law. You will undertake in-depth study of an agreed legal topic under individual tutor supervision. The programme starts with an induction day, followed by self-paced, independent research under supervision. Supervisors are drawn from a panel of subject-matter experts, comprising both internal Law Society staff and senior external practitioners/academics. The programme lasts for one year, with early exit points – a timescale designed to allow students the flexibility to complete the LLM in keeping with their work commitments.

The course focuses on legal research and coherent presentation of legal research in a written form. You will begin by attending an online course induction day, during which the legal research and study skills unit of the programme will be introduced. This unit is not assessed but is designed to update your writing and research skills. For the remainder of the programme, you will complete a dissertation of 15,000 words.

As part of the introduction to dissertation study and work on advanced legal research skills, the research methods training includes sessions on:

• finding the research idea,

• developing the research idea,

• methods and methodology,

• literature review.

Who should apply?

Applicants must either be:

• qualified as a solicitor in this jurisdiction, or

• enrolled on the PPC at the same time as they enrol to the LLM Advanced Legal Practice.

Any student enrolled on the PPC at the same time as the LLM must satisfactorily complete the PPC before they can be awarded the LLM.

The award enables students to upgrade their solicitor training to a master’s degree by specialising in a particular area of law and legal practice, with that solicitor training accounting for 120 Master’s level credits and the research-based dissertation making up the remaining 60 credits required.

For further information please contact the Programme Leader, Judith Tedders, by emailing j.tedders@lawsociety.ie.