about What Makes Us Different

Our Heritage

We are the largest provider of legal education in the UK (HESA 2021/22). We can trace our origins to 1876 with the formation of tutorial firm Gibson & Weldon, and in 2016, we opened our leading Business School. With a rich heritage and a reputation for innovation and contemporary teaching practices, we continuously focus on developing the best legal and business minds.

Our Strategic Plan

Find out about our ambition and vision for the future.

View our Strategic Plan ➔

Innovative and Contemporary Teaching Practices

All of our courses – from our undergraduate law degrees to our diverse range of business courses and postgraduate programmes – are designed with a unique, varied and innovative learning approach proven to deliver self-reliant professionals who can compete in the fast changing professional world. With a focus on developing skills in problem-solving, weighing up arguments, critical thinking and commercial awareness, our courses are designed to prepare you for the real-life challenges of the working world. 

Powerful Connections

Our track record of excellence in learning and development has helped us establish worldwide connections within the legal and business industries. This is why many leading global law firms and businesses work exclusively with us to develop their people, and why employers of all types want to meet our students. It’s why law schools and professional bodies around the world choose to enter into strategic alliances with us.

We have a vast network in the legal industry and deliver legal training to 94 of the top 100 law firms, with exclusive relationships with 60 of the top UK law firms and many of the most prestigious US firms in the UK, including those listed below. 

Our many international partnerships allow us to provide a rounded, global outlook to business and law.

The Most Experienced Tutors

More than 250 of our tutors are qualified lawyers and business professionals, and all have extensive practical experience which they are able to pass on to our students. We facilitate this process with high levels of student-to-tutor contact time and small class sizes - one of the reasons that many firms insist their trainees study with us.

Focused on Employability

We focus exclusively on practice-based training and give students access to our expert Careers and Employability service database as soon as they accept a place with us. Students also benefit from our pioneering and award-winning pro bono programmes, which allow them to gain valuable work experience by helping real clients from the local community.

Rated a 5 star Institution by QS

In June 2021 we were awarded 5 stars in the World University Rankings, by global higher education analysts, QS (Quacquarelli Symonds). QS states a typical five-star institution is “generally world-class in a broad range of areas, enjoys an excellent reputation and has cutting-edge facilities and internationally renowned research and teaching faculty.” As well as achieving an overall 5 Star rating as an institution and for the Law subject, we have achieved 5 stars in Teaching, Employability, Online Learning, Academic Development and Inclusiveness and 4 stars for Specialist Criteria for our LLB and Internationalisation.

Widening Access and Participation

We take our responsibility to widen access and participation within legal and business education seriously. Our Access and Participation Plans with the Office for Students detail our ambition and strategy to widen access and participation.

Introduction to our Access and Participation plans (video) ➔

Access and Participation Plan 2020-21 to 2024-25 Summary ➔

Access and Participation Plan 2020-21 to 2024-25 ➔

Access and Participation Plan 2019-20 ➔

Access and Participation Plan monitoring Provider Impact Report 2019-20 ➔

Academic freedom and freedom of speech

Our values

We embrace diversity of experience and background and we are deeply committed to delivering outstanding academic experiences and outcomes. Academic freedom and freedom of speech are intrinsic to a fulfilling higher education experience, and we are committed to providing an environment where differing views, opinions and beliefs can be exchanged.

Academic freedom

Academic freedom is the freedom for staff and students, acting within the law, to question and test accepted ideas and theories, to advance new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions without fear of legal or disciplinary action. We consider respect for academic freedom and its concomitant obligations as a core value central to its status as a place of learning. Our Academic Freedom Policy sets out the processes that we have in place to support and protect academic freedom.

Freedom of speech and expression

We encourage an atmosphere of tolerance to enable open discussion and to debate a wide variety of ideas, some of which may be controversial. Our Freedom of Speech and External Speakers Policy sets out the steps that we will take to ensure that freedom of speech, within the law, is secured for all members of the university community and visiting speakers. 

Degree Outcomes Statement

As set out in the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment’s (UKSCQA) Statement of Intent, Higher Education providers are expected to publish a Degree Outcomes Statement analysing their institutional degree classification profile and articulating the results of an internal institutional review. The publication of Degree Outcomes Statements helps providers demonstrate that they meet the expectations of the Quality Code for Higher Education that relate to protecting the value of qualifications and the Office for Students' ongoing conditions of registration on academic standards.

The University of Law’s Degree Outcome Statement follows the guidance provided by the UKSCQA on producing Degree Outcome Statements.

Read our Degree Outcomes Statement 2022 ➔