Studying at Birmingham

Accommodation for students

The University of Law has an online accommodation portal for all students. Lawstudentpad provides:

• Helpful advice on choosing a property to rent in Birmingham
• Useful information about things to do and see around the Birmingham Campus
• Property listings search for students who have accepted at the Birmingham Campus

Visit Studentpad to find out more.

If you’d like to find other University of Law students to privately rent with, or you have a spare room in your house/flat share, why not join our Housemate Hub Facebook group to chat and make living arrangements with fellow students? Find us on Facebook - search groups for ‘Official University of Law Group - Housemate Hub’.

Accommodation for undergraduate students

We have reserved accommodation for our students with some of the UK’s leading student accommodation providers, who pride themselves in ensuring that you have a safe, comfortable place to live while you’re studying at The University of Law Birmingham. Not only that, but by staying in University-nominated accommodation you’ll get to meet students studying at universities across the city, as well as live with your fellow undergraduate students..

Birmingham accommodation – Canalside*

Canalside is positioned in the heart of historic Birmingham and is adjacent to Birmingham's waterside. It's an ideal location for those studying at all universities and colleges throughout the city. You’re also only a stone's throw away from Birmingham's cosmopolitan city centre with its wide variety of shops and bustling nightlife. Students living at Canalside not only get the best location but can also expect the best in stylish student living. Utility bills are included in the rental price too. There is a free bookable mini-bus service available to take you to and from the university.

• Conveniently located for The University of Law Birmingham
  
• Cluster flats - all rooms are en-suite
  
• New fully-equipped modern kitchens
  
• Flat screen TVs in the communal lounge area in each flat
  
• Fully furnished bedrooms with en-suite bathroom, mini fridge and large desk area
  
• High-speed broadband in each bedroom
  
• On-site facilities – gym, hospitality team, maintenance, laundry.

For more information on guaranteed accommodation for undergraduate students, please see http://www.wearehomesforstudents.com/birmingham-canalside and undergraduate accommodation.

_{*Our guarantee of an offer of accommodation may either be at any advertised accommodation provider, subject to availability, or in the event that the advertised accommodation provider is not available, we shall guarantee you an offer of accommodation at an alternative UK leading student accommodation provider.}

Useful information
Costs	From £125 per person, per week
Location	Map of Canalside
Local transport links	Birmingham New Street Railway Station / Snow Hill Railway Station

 

Activities

A good lawyer doesn’t just need to know the law. Today’s lawyers must be commercially aware, they must understand how businesses work and they need to be able to network and interact with other legal professionals and clients. The University of Law Birmingham provides a range of activities and events that you will help you prepare for all aspects of life in practice.

Some of the activities we run at The University of Law Birmingham.

Commercial awareness programme

Our commercial awareness programme has two key components:

Presentations

Each year a range of leading lawyers visit the University to give presentations on the key issues facing lawyers and their own experiences in commercial practice. Recent presentations include:

• Life as a Corporate Finance Lawyer
  
• The Solicitors’ Firm as a Business
  
• Money Laundering
  
• Things You Should Know Before Going into Practice
  
• Sex, Money and Death: Life as a Commercial Pensions Lawyer
  
• Life as an In-House Lawyer
  
• Client Care
• Mediation in practice
• The workings of the Legal Ombudsman Service
• A day in the life of an intellectual property lawyer
• Life as the Director of Football management at a premiership football club.
  

Interested in a Career at the Bar?

We hold various events especially for GDL/LLB students who are interested in a career at the bar and also those already on our BPTC course.

Barrister Insight Evening

A great opportunity to meet members of the Bar; this event consists of a series of talks given by barristers and a judge, all practising different areas of law and at different stages in their career. Students have the opportunity to put their questions to the practitioners in a question and answer session. This is followed by a drinks reception where you will get to network and chat with the practitioners in an informal setting.

Court Visits

We arrange visits to various courts in the region, including the Magistrates’ Courts and the Crown Court. You’ll also be able to arrange your own visits to other courts that reflect your own areas of interest.

Mooting Competitions

Mooting is the oral presentation of a legal issue or problem. Students are given a legal issue and must present their side of the case to a panel of judges using relevant legal arguments.

We hold in-house mooting competitions for intending barristers on our GDL and for students on our BPTC. This provides students with an essential opportunity to put their advocacy skills into practice. The finals of these competitions are judged by practising barristers and judges.

Frequently our students also go on to put their skills to use in national, and international, mooting competitions.  

Practitioner Evenings

For those of you on the BPTC Programme, these are an opportunity for you to demonstrate your advocacy skills in front of practising barristers and receive feedback.

Mock Trials

You’ll be able to participate in mock trials staged in front of sitting judges and senior barristers. 

Careers

The Careers and Employability team at The University of Law Birmingham includes a team of experienced legal careers consultants, who are on hand to give you advice and guidance on your first steps to your career in law. Visit resources and facilities to find out more.

Pro bono

The University of Law has an award-winning pro bono service. Below are details of some of the schemes we have run in Birmingham. There are changes year-to-year, but we will always provide a range of options designed to enhance the employability of our students.

Streetlaw programme

Pioneered by The University of Law in partnership with the Citizenship Foundation and international law firm Eversheds, the Streetlaw programme raises legal awareness in communities and is designed with GDL and LLB students in mind.

You could get involved by talking in a school, a women’s shelter, a prison or to a group of asylum seekers – helping people who need to understand how the law affects them.

Legal advice clinic (LAC)

This casework programme gives you valuable first-hand experience of client relationships, legal research and drafting – particularly useful for LPC students.

The LAC specialises in a wide range of non-urgent legal issues, from general contract, civil and consumer to housing problems, matrimonial rights and neighbour disputes.

Pro bono placements

The experience of working with real clients on a pro bono placement is invaluable. We have opportunities for LPC, BPTC, LLB and GDL students in our in-house/outreach services as well as external placements in a variety of organisations.

Birmingham Employment Rights Advice Line (BERAL)

BERAL is a telephone advice service for employees with employment problems based at the University. The service was launched in 2003 and has won ‘Best Team Award’ in the (then) YSG Pro Bono Awards.

You’ll gain experience in interviewing clients and have the opportunity to shadow specialist employment lawyers.

Birmingham Employment Advice Clinic (BEAC)

This employment advice clinic is an outreach service of the University’s legal advice clinic. Specialist employment lawyers from the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) work on a rota to provide the legal advice.

The service is designed to give free initial employment advice and assistance. Individual client sessions are by appointment.

You’ll assist by confirming client appointments, greeting clients at reception, taking initial details, managing files and shadowing the advice sessions.

More information

For more information, please see Our Careers and Employability Service.

It’s not all work. We understand that extra-curricular activities provide a welcome break from studying, and at The University of Law Birmingham we support a wide range of student sport and social events.

Student Social Committee

At the beginning of each academic year students are invited to apply for positions on the Student Social Committee, supported by the Student Association. This student led committee then devises, promotes and organises a variety of social events for students throughout the year, supported in an advisory and administrative capacity by the Student Services team.

Examples of recent activities include:

• Winter Masquerade Ball
  
• Charity Football Tournament
• Summer Ball 
• Pub Quiz
  
• Visits to places of interest.

Clubs and societies

Our students organise a range of clubs and societies to match their interests, including:  

• Academic events society
• Adventist Students on Campus
• Football
• Netball
• Harry Potter
• Performing Arts
• Sikh society
• International society 

Staff vs Students Pub Quiz

Do you know your Shakespeare from your Socrates, your FA cup results from your famous quotes? If so then you might be in with a chance of stealing away the trophy from our reigning staff team in our extremely popular Staff vs Students pub quiz.

Each year teams of students pitch themselves against teams of University of Law staff to see who really is the smartest of them all (all in the name of good fun of course).

Birmingham Trainee Solicitors’ Society

Students are invited to sign up as student members of the Birmingham Trainee Solicitors Society (BTSS). The BTSS offers a mix of social, cultural, sporting and networking events for trainee solicitors, newly qualified solicitors, paralegals and GDL and LPC students across the West Midlands. We encourage our students to make the most of this fantastic opportunity to get actively involved in the local legal community at an early stage. The cost of student membership is currently £15.00.

Prize giving

Each year we celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students at our prize giving ceremony. It’s a great chance for students to celebrate with family, friends and their tutors.