University College Dublin

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

The LLM General programme affords you the opportunity to choose any combination of the graduate modules offered by the Sutherland School of Law. Members of staff in the Sutherland School of Law have engaged in major research across the areas of law reflected in the modules offered in the programme ranging from cross-border divorce law, the socio-economic rights of asylum seekers to the regulation of charities in Ireland.

To understand and think critically about various facets of Law;
To apply their knowledge and understanding of Law to real and hypothetical factual situations;
To conduct independent research and write coherent, well-structured papers.

Who should Apply?
Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

Course Description
The Sutherland School of Law offers a wide range of modules for the Masters programmes. Modules of especial interest to those undertaking this programme include:

Environmental Law and Policy - Environmental law forms a fundamental part of how our society interacts with its natural surroundings. This course comprises a practical, in-depth examination of environmental law, with a focus on European and international perspectives. It will trace the development of EU and international environmental law to date and will analyze the legal principles applied to environmental protection.

Immigration and Asylum Law - States have a right under international law to limit access by non-citizens to a state. However, this right is necessarily limited and prescribed. Immigration and asylum law raise questions regarding the ability of states to regulate or control in-ward migration for certain categories of non-citizen. Immigration & Asylum: Law, Politics & Rights is designed for both law and non-law students. With profound changes expected to the Irish immigration and asylum systems over the coming years, this course will be useful to a wide variety of individuals. A sound knowledge and understanding of the legal rules and principles that have evolved to govern immigration and asylum law is useful and necessary for all persons operating in government, national and international governmental organisations, politics, business, as practising lawyers, policy makers, or as rights advocates within the international and national non-governmental sector (NGOs).

Corporate Governance will cover both the legal and regulatory environment and the informational and market infrastructures which apply in Ireland and the wider EU. The objective of this module is to develop an understanding of the development of corporate governance and its importance to companies and their stakeholders. It seeks to provide a framework for analysing how regulations impact on corporate decision-making, ethics and planning. The module will investigate the processes of supervision and control within companies and determine what the primary aims of those processes should be. It will examine the regulations and norms which seek to ensure that directors act in the interests of shareholders or wider stakeholder groups as appropriate. It will examine both the theory and the reality of shareholder democracy. Throughout the module, consideration will be given to the important question of determining the appropriate form of regulation to achieve the desired aims of corporate governance.

CIEL
The Comparative International and European Law (CIEL) programme is an exchange programme for registered full-time LLM students. The programme includes joint thesis supervision with academic colleagues at both the home and host institution. Upon successful completion students are awarded the CIEL certificate in addition to their LLM award.

Vision & Value Statement
The programme gives students, who already hold an undergraduate law degree or have practised law for a significant period, specialised and in-depth knowledge of the law and acquire a profound understanding of how law works in theory and in practice, both in Ireland and elsewhere. The qualification enhances students' prospects of employment or promotion in law firms, domestically and internationally, while providing knowledge, skills and experience applicable in a wide variety of careers.

Students are challenged to think critically about the social, cultural and political dimensions of the law, as well as the technical aspects of its applications. The understanding thereby acquired is relevant to their contribution as citizens in an increasingly wide range of areas, as well as to their chosen careers.

We strive for a learning environment that encourages students to work individually or as part of a team, so that they can develop their own and others' leadership, teamwork and communication skills, with a special emphasis on the applicability of these in the practice of law.

To these ends, the programme makes intensive use of teaching, learning and assessment approaches such as small-group teaching, in-class presentations (individual and group) and academic writing. A 30 credit dissertation on a topic devised by the student is an integral part of the programme.

Programme Content
demonstrate specialised knowledge and understanding of Irish, and/or European and/or International Law

apply their knowledge and understanding of the law and their problem-solving abilities in diverse environments.

use knowledge of substantive law to critique arguments as to whether and how the law studied is in need of reform.

integrate source material from a variety of disciplinary areas to reach reasoned decisions about the relative status of competing claims to knowledge.

unpack complex legal arguments and to render intelligible to a non-specialist audience, key disciplinary insights.

have the intellectual toolkit required to research and write a major dissertation.

apply their knowledge and understanding of the law and their problem-solving abilities in diverse environments.

demonstrate specialised knowledge and understanding of Irish, and/or European and/or International Law

have the intellectual toolkit required to research and write a major dissertation.

integrate source material from a variety of disciplinary areas to reach reasoned decisions about the relative status of competing claims to knowledge.

unpack complex legal arguments and to render intelligible to a non-specialist audience, key disciplinary insights.

use knowledge of substantive law to critique arguments as to whether and how the law studied is in need of reform.

What modules can I take?