Overview
Our challenging and competitive course gives you the rewarding intellectual experience of discovering the richness of both the French and English legal cultures. We are one of only a few universities in the UK which put students on the right path to qualify for legal practice in both the UK and France.
Your first two years on our prestigious LLB English and French Law course are spent at Essex, where you take the required modules in English Law, meeting the requirements for the academic stages of training to become a solicitor or barrister in the UK. You also take French law in both years, which is taught in French.
Not only will you learn legal rules, but you will also consider the function of law in society, the philosophy of law, policy issues and law reform. For instance, you address the rights of consumers, family members, prisoners, householders, workers and children. You’ll also cover topics including, but not limited to:
- The functions of the three branches of government (executive, legislative and judicial)
- UK and French constitutional law
- Law of trusts
- Principles of negligence
- Criminal liability
In your third year, you study at a partner institution in France, where you follow modules in French law to obtain the Licence en Droit.
Three-year degree gives you more flexibility
Following France’s Ministry of Education Reform in 2016, our new 3-year programme (LLB and Licence) gives you the flexibility, once completed at end of Licence 3, to select a 2-year integrated Masters course at a University in France. The selection at master level takes place at Master 1 (at end the of Licence 3) and no longer at Master 2 (at the end of Master 1).
Under this new system the Master 1 and Master 2 must both be completed at the same University, so if you change from one degree to another at the end of Masters year 1, you will need to start a new Master’s degree from the beginning. The LLB English and French Law (Licence) gives you the flexibility in choosing your masters route.
At Essex, we are ranked 51st for Law in the THE World University Rankings 2021 and our Human Rights Centre is recognised internationally. We are proud of our network of international contact and are actively engaged in debates about the meaning of justice in the UK and beyond. We work with the United Nations and governments, human rights organisations and corporations all over the world.
Please note that you are required to be bilingual in French and English in order to be accepted onto this course.
Undergraduate EU Scholarship
This scholarship scheme is for undergraduate EU students studying as a new student in academic year 2021-22 who are classified as international students for fees purposes. The awards offered are a discount of £5,000 automatically deducted from your tuition fees. The award will be made for each year of study for the duration of your course. Find out more about the scholarship and it’s eligibility criteria here.
Study abroad
After two years at Essex, your third year is spent at one of the following partner institutions in France:
- Université Paris-Nanterre
- Université Toulouse Capitole
- Université Lyon III Jean Moulin
Students will pay University of Essex tuition fees for the first and second year of study and will pay tuition fees to their French university for their third year.
Our expert staff
All of our staff for our LLB English and French Law have experience of the French and English academic systems, so they understand the benefits of a dual education and appreciate the need for a supportive environment for international students.
Dr Clotilde Pégorier teaches French Constitutional Law. Dr Pégorier’s areas of research include International Criminal law, especially the crime of genocide. She also focuses on the interactions between the different fields of international law, and between international law and the arts.
Dr Laure Sauve teaches French Private Law I, an introduction to law and family law, reflecting on how legal cultures shape the minds of legal practitioners.and French Private Law II (law of obligations) and has a particular research interest in French family law, building on her PhD and current research projects with Paris II, projects involving comparing family law across EU member states.
Dr Xavier Aurey teaches French Administrative Law. His areas of research include International Human Rights Law, International Criminal Law, and Clinical Legal Education. He is especially interested in the use of new technologies to better protect human rights.
Dr Yseult Marique teaches French Private Law. Her areas of research include Regulation and administrative law, especially public-private relationships, Public contracts (procurement, enforcement, corruption), Integrity and ethics in government and business, European administrative law and comparative administrative law.
Emmanuelle Lemaire also teaches French Private Law. Her areas of research include Comparative Law, Tort Law, French Law and English Law.
Professors from our partner universities in France also regularly visit to teach topical issues in French law. They are additionally available to discuss your progression in France.
Specialist facilities
- Volunteer at the Essex Law Clinic where you can work alongside practising solicitors to offer legal advice to clients
- Join our l’Association du Double-diplôme, which organises various professional and social events
- Take part in a variety of events including conferences, careers fairs and debates
- Participate in the prestigious Oxford French Law Moot, where judges are drawn from the Cour de Cassation (the French court of final appeal for civil and criminal cases) and a top French law firm
- Peer mentors guide you through your first year
- Take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the year with visiting law firms and our alumni association
Your future
We maintain close and well-established links with the legal profession.
Our recent graduates of LLB English and French Law have progressed towards various legal careers:
- World Health Organisation (legal consultancy)
- Jones Day
- Slaughter and May, London
- Lovells Law, Washington DC
- SBKG, Paris
Others have secured positions across the spectrum of the legal profession, from multi-national city firms, through to large national and regional firms, to local high-street solicitors. Some have gone on to train for the French Bar and Judiciary, or to pursue their studies at Science Po Paris or in Écoles de commerce in France (such as HEC, EDHEC).
We also work with the university’s Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
Why we’re great
- Our lecturers work with the UN, the UK government, and with EU and foreign governments.
- You gain work experience advising real clients through opportunities such as the Essex Law Clinic.
- We stimulate your desire to pursue justice and become an agent for change.
Structure
Course structure
We offer a flexible course structure with a mixture of core/compulsory modules, and optional modules chosen from lists.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The course content is therefore reviewed on an annual basis to ensure our courses remain up-to-date so modules listed are subject to change.
Teaching and learning disclaimer
Following the impact of the pandemic, we made changes to our teaching and assessment to ensure our current students could continue with their studies uninterrupted and safely. These changes included courses being taught through blended delivery, normally including some face-to-face teaching, online provision, or a combination of both across the year.
The teaching and assessment methods listed show what is currently approved for 2022 entry; changes may be necessary if, by the beginning of this course, we need to adapt the way we’re delivering them due to the external environment, and to allow you to continue to receive the best education possible safely and seamlessly.
