Diploma in Legal Studies

Bournemouth Business School International (BBSI), our highly-accredited UK English college and business school, offers international students the opportunity to undertake an English course in the UK while also studying the concepts and learning the skills required for a career related to international law and the legal profession. Our Diploma Course in Legal Studies, International & Commercial Law comprises 30 lessons weekly, is of 36 weeks duration and is designed to enable international students at an Upper-Intermediate level in English or above to gain a sound grounding in legal English, acquire a law qualification accredited by the NCFE national awarding body, and also prepare for the University of Cambridge ESOL International Legal English Certificate. In addition to acquiring a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of modern concepts in law and legal procedures, students will also develop competent English-language and professional communication skills, and the ability to both understand and draft legal documents.

University of Cambridge ESOL International Legal English Certificate. The International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) is a University of Cambridge ESOL examination produced and assessed by Cambridge ESOL Examinations in collaboration with TransLegal, Europe’s leading firm of lawyer-linguists. BBSI is an accredited ILEC Examination Centre. English is an essential tool for any lawyer working with international matters, and employers need to know that the legal staff they appoint have a sufficient level of English to be able to communicate with clients and professionals in other countries. At the same time, law students and newly-qualified lawyers need to be able to show employers that they have the required language skills. The ILEC examination allows candidates to demonstrate their skills, and therefore to increase their employability. It is based on realistic texts, tasks and topics of the kind legal practitioners might meet in their daily working lives. Preparation for the ILEC is included automatically within this BBSI study programme.

Additional English and Business English Qualifications. Students will develop competent legal English and professional communication skills. Moreover, in the supplementary English-language elements of the course, students have the option to study different language modules. You can study for 3 different University of Cambridge ESOL qualifications: the First Certificate in English (FCE) , the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) , or the Business English Certificate (BEC) . Alternatively, you can opt to join our ongoing weekly English Language Workshop (ELW) at a language level to suit your needs. The course is conducted around a busy social and activity programme, and the maximum class size is 12, which can be extended to 15 during peak periods.

Course Outline

Minimum English Entry Level. IELTS 5.5 (Upper-Intermediate)

Course Duration. 36 weeks (3 terms)

Course Designation. DLS

Main Course Entry Dates. September, January, March or June (term dates 2009)

Lessons Weekly. 30 (each of 45 minutes´ duration)

Minimum Age. 17 years

Course Structure & Content

Term 1

20 lessons weekly in Legal Studies, International & Commercial Law 
10 lessons weekly in English Language

(selected each term from one of the following options)
*  preparation for the University of Cambridge FCE
*  preparation for the University of Cambridge CAE
*  preparation for the University of Cambridge BEC
*  English Language Workshop

Terms 2 & 3

20 lessons weekly in Legal Studies, International & Commercial Law 
(includes the Cambridge ILEC syllabus)
10 lessons weekly in English Language 

(selected each term from one of the following options)
*  preparation for the University of Cambridge FCE
*  preparation for the University of Cambridge CAE
*  preparation for the University of Cambridge BEC
*  English Language Workshop (ELW)

Awards

BBSI Diploma in Legal Studies, International & Commercial Law (NQA Level 3)
NCFE Certificate in Legal Studies, International & Commercial Law (NQA Level 3)

Optional Examinations+

University of Cambridge ILEC
(examination - annually May & November)
University of Cambridge FCE
(examination dates)
University of Cambridge CAE
(examination dates)
University of Cambridge BEC
(examination dates)

Course Elements.  In addition to providing international students with a thorough and comprehensive grounding in legal English, the Certificate syllabus incorporates specialised elements selected from the following:

*  UK & comparative legal systems   
*  law of property
*  international law, human rights & competition policy 
*  criminal law
*  conflict of laws 
*  public international law
*  international trade   
*  commercial, consumer & employment law
*  contract Law     
*  current affairs & the Law
*  partnership law  
*  intellectual property     
*  law of tort, including physical injury & economic loss
*  company law (shares, company capital, legal entities etc)
*  International Legal English Certificate (ILEC) Preparation
*  drafting legal documents & letters
*  understanding legal documents
*  legal negotiations
*  client interviews

Certificate, Higher-Certificate, University Foundation and Pre-Masters´ versions of the above course are also available.

BBSI courses are carefully designed and structured at different language levels to enable international students to develop all 4 English language skills simultaneously, while developing their professional communication skills and professional knowledge in academic, vocational or professional context, in the specialised subject of their choice. Students therefore have the flexibility to focus on either academic or vocational progression, depending on their personal training needs and particular learning objectives.

 Download a PDF of the BBSI Diploma course in Legal Studies, International & Commercial Law.

 Book this course on-Line.

The following diploma courses are also available at BBSI:

• Management & Business Administration
• Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations
• Finance & Financial Services
• Hospitality Management & Tourism
• Science, Mathematics & IT