English and French Law LLB, Maîtrise
4 years
This four-year bilingual course is a collaboration with the University of Strasbourg. You will graduate with two law degrees: an LLB studied at Leicester and the Maîtrise de Droit “Droit Français et Anglais” from Strasbourg. Studying for two years in France permits you to gain a specialisation in private, corporate, or public European law at maîtrise level.
Course information
Typical offer AAA-AAB
UK fee £9,250
UCAS code M120
International fee £9,250
Institute code L34
Taught by Leicester Law School
20th in the UK for Law (Guardian 2024)
Course description
Course description
Our well-established course is designed for bilingual students and is run jointly by the University of Leicester and the University of Strasbourg.
The first two years of your course is spent here in Leicester, leading to the award of the LLB degree (conferred at the end of your time in Strasbourg). You then move to the Université de Strasbourg for a further two years. Successful completion of the programme there culminates in the award of a Maîtrise de Droit with the designation 'Droits Français et Anglais'. You will also gain a specialisation in private, corporate, or public European law.
Your transition to study in Strasbourg is supported by a non-examined bespoke French law conversion module and you have access to optional additional courses with Languages at Leicester (for French) or the English Language Teaching Unit (for English). During the 3rd and final year of the degree in France, you will pay French university course fees.
When you graduate you will be awarded with two qualifying law degrees: LLB and Maîtrise. These qualifications will reflect your competence in English, French, and European law. The Maîtrise is similar to the LLB in that it qualifies you for the professional examinations in France.
Strasbourg is the home of European integration. You will study within walking distance of the World Heritage Site of the Grande Île, the official seat of the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights.
Your bilingualism and proficiency in multiple legal systems will make you a perfect candidate for employment within European governmental bodies. As many leading law firms have branches in other countries or undertake cross-border work, and Strasbourg is the host of many international organisations of the highest order, this course will give you a distinct competitive advantage when beginning your legal career.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
No LNAT required - Unlike some universities, at Leicester we do not require you to have taken the National Admissions Test for Law. We are not convinced that LNAT scores provide any information we cannot get from your exam grades and school report.
- A-levels: AAA-AAB including French. General Studies accepted.
- GCSE: English language at Grade C/4 or above.
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 36-34 points including 6 in Higher Level French. Plus grade 4 in SL English if not held at GCSE.
- French Baccalauréat: 15 overall with at least 14 in English
- French International Option Baccalauréat: 14 overall with at least 12 in English.
Other national and international qualifications considered. If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you can apply for the International Foundation Year – Society and Culture run by the Global Study Centre. The GSC provides academic support to help you progress to your chosen undergraduate degree at the University of Leicester.
Second year entry is not permitted.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
You will be required to complete an interview for this course. You will be assessed for language capabilities, engagement with current affairs and critical thought as well as your passion for the subject of law.
If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the Leicester Law School. Applications are also accepted through the University of Strasbourg, with interviews taking place later in the year.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 including 6.0 in writing (or equivalent). If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2024
- Years 1 and 2 (Leicester): £9,250 in your first year. The tuition fee you pay may increase annually in line with inflation and is subject to government regulations.
- Years 3 and 4 (Strasbourg): Please see the University of Strasbourg site for details of their fees.
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2024
- Years 1 and 2 (Leicester): £9,250 per year.
- Years 3 and 4 (Strasbourg): Please see the University of Strasbourg site for details of their fees.
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Find out more about our international community at Leicester Law School.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Whether you're looking for a career in law or are not yet sure where your degree will take you, our dedicated team of Careers Tutors are here to help. With a huge array opportunities to take part in, you'll discover the range of paths available and find the one that's right for you. Along, the way, you'll develop a portfolio of professional skills and also learn what employers are looking for in applications and job interviews.
Some of the careers initiatives within the School include:
- Pro bono projects: Our student-led Pro Bono Group offers hundreds of volunteer roles across an extensive range of projects. Advise real clients in our Legal Advice Clinic or at the courts in Leicester, managing your own case load. Help a local or global community or be part of something really different and carry out research to support vulnerable people on death row in the USA – we’re one of only two universities doing this. As the projects are student-managed and supported by professionals and experts, you could even be the next leader of a new project.
- Legal competitions: The Leicester University Law Society organise mooting, debating, client interviewing, negotiation and mediation competitions for you to develop key transferable skills. For aspiring barristers, we have a brand-new dedicated moot court room and grand debating chamber, in which you can compete in national and international mooting competitions.
- Guaranteed Entry Scheme for progression to the professional training courses for solicitors with the University of Law and a programme of support for the bar course interview from the University of Law and other leading providers of the bar course.
- Networking events: With strong links to local, regional and national law firms, we'll help you to get your foot in the door. Make connections at our annual law fair which attracts over 40 top law firms (including magic circle firms) and through our meet-and-greet sessions with successful graduates.
- Workshops: Applying for jobs is a skill in itself and we’ll help you to succeed with tailored workshops on CV-writing, applications, psychometric tests, interviews and assessment centre techniques.
- Vacancy alerts and weekly newsletters to help you find vacation placements, work experience and a job after graduation.
- Commercial awareness programme run by the Leicester University Law Society ensuring you know what employers and clients really need from you.
- Practice-focused assessments: We’ll teach you how to draft a letter to a client in your first year – an essential skill for any solicitor. You can take this further in practice-based optional modules.
Our courses satisfy the entry requirements for the professional courses to prepare you to qualify as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales and permit exemptions from the legal executive qualification. Applicants wishing to become lawyers outside of England and Wales should consult the appropriate country’s legal statutory body to check the requirements. Leicester Law School LLB degrees are recognised by the Legal Practice Qualifications Board of Malaysia and are qualifying degrees for Canada.
For more information about professional qualification, consult:
- The Legal Practice Course and Solicitors Qualifying Exam
- Bar Professional Training Course and Bar Training Pathways
- Legal Executive Exemptions
Graduate destinations
Graduates from our Law degrees have gone on to work for a wide range of employers including:
- DLA Piper
- Freeths LLP
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Home Office
- Sharkespeare Martineau LLP
- Rolls-Royce
After graduating from Leicester Law School, Michael went on to work at Slaughter & May, a member of the prestigious Magic Circle of law firms.
Careers and Employability Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
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Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong institutions
Solicitors Qualifying Exam
Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE)
Qualifying as a solicitor is now very flexible and there are several different routes you can take. We’re here to support you in gaining the right experience for whichever route you choose. Find out more about:
- How the Leicester Law School LLB degrees prepare you for the SQE
- Information about Stages 1 and 2 of the SQE
- How we can help you in getting Qualifying Work Experience
- How graduates from Leicester Law School benefit from partnerships with the University of Law, BPP and Barbri who operate guaranteed entry schemes, discounts and scholarships created for Leicester graduates
- How you can fund your SQE Preparation Course
- How the team of specialist careers tutors will support you to make the right decision for you and your future
More about the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and the support at Leicester
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
In your first year, you will study the fundamentals of the English legal system and begin to develop your legal skills, learning how to think critically about the way the law operates. You will also study the three fundamental areas of contract, tort and constitutional and administrative law. You will be introduced to the fundamentals of the English legal system, including the development of laws, approaches to interpreting the law and the structure of the courts. You will learn how to think critically about the way the law operates, solve legal problems and develop an understanding of working in the legal profession. You will consider the role that law plays in resolving disputes, upholding justice and regulating society.
Modules
- Analysing Law
- Constitutional and Administrative Law
- Contract Law
- Law, Justice and Society
- Law of Tort
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
In your second year, you will build on your knowledge by studying the four remaining foundation subjects, and we will support you with your forthcoming transition to studying French law at the University of Strasbourg. You will consider the laws which regulate ownership and use of land, criminal behaviour, the protection of assets held for others and the role that European Union law continues to play.
Modules
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 3
Year 3
You will spend your third year at the University of Strasbourg and take one core module:
- Droit des obligations
You will then have the option to choose modules in different areas of French law which interest you. Some of these include:
- Droit administratif
- Droit des sociétés
- Droit des biens
- Droit de la responsabilité administratif
- Economie Politique
- Philosophie du droit
- Droit international public général
- Procédure pénale
- Libertés publiques
- Relations individuelles du travail
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years. Visit the University of Strasbourg course site for details.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 4
Year 4
You will continue your fourth year studies at the University of Strasbourg, where you will undertake Maîtrise examinations with the option of specialising in different areas. These include:
- Droit
- Droit de l’environnement
- Droit des affaires
- Droit des libertés
- Droit du patrimoine
- Droit européen
- Droit international
- Droit notarial
- Droit pénal et sciences criminelles
- Droit privé
- Droit public
- Droit social
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years. Visit the University of Strasbourg course site for details.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
Gain practical skills through our award-winning Pro Bono Society, which offers hundreds of volunteer roles across an extensive range of free legal advice and support projects. Working alongside legal professionals, you can advise real clients and support the local community. The projects support local and global communities, including investigations of miscarriage of justice in the UK and for prisoners on death row in the USA.
We have a strong reputation within the legal profession and our annual Law Fair attracts leading employers - all five Magic Circle firms have visited Leicester to recruit our students. The full range of legal employers visit Leicester to recruit students from the Law School.
Teaching and learning
Teaching is delivered in two main styles: lectures and small group tutorials. With two lectures in each module per week and a tutorial once a fortnight, you will have approximately 12 contact hours each week.
Lectures provide you with the framework for each subject, whereas your tutorials are an opportunity for you to engage with the subjects in more depth. Tutorials test your understanding by planning how to advice a client or critically discussing pre-set problems amongst a group of students led by a member of academic staff. In a small group of around only eight to twelve students, you can really have your opinion heard and ask questions to make sure you've fully understood the topic. Through this personalised experience, you'll receive more individual support with your learning, as well as learn how to confidently articulate your arguments. Some optional modules include seminar-style teaching with larger groups of around 15 students, particularly where group work helps replicate the experience of working in teams.
We use web-based and electronic course materials to supplement traditional teaching methods and support student learning. There is easy access to computers in the David Wilson Library next to the Law School and quiet study space in the historic Harry Peach Law Library. You will be able to access information about your courses and tutorials electronically.
Assessment methods include assessed essays/coursework, exams and multiple choice question papers. Professional legal writing - for example, writing a letter of advice or opinion addressed to a client or a briefing for a supervising solicitor or pupil-master - is also built into our curriculum. You will start developing these practical skills from your very first year with us.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.
In your third and final years you will have access to the resources of the University of Strasbourg.
Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages.
Academic support
Our Centre for Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Leicester Law School is made up of a vibrant international community of academics, many with leading reputations in their field. We have expertise in a broad range of areas across the legal spectrum, which offers you access to a wide variety of optional modules. We strongly believe in research-led teaching, which allows our modules to draw on the latest thinking and cutting-edge developments. You can learn more about our supportive community of experts and professionals by visiting our staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course English and French Law | Qualification LLB Maitrise | Duration 4 years full-time | UCAS Code M120 | Availability How to apply |
Data about this course
Really enjoy the fact that your learning is supported by small sized tutorial groups, which allow you to take part in intense discussions and ensure you understand all areas of the law.