CHOOSING OPTION SUBJECTS – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Introduction
The more you study law the more you come to realise that it is a huge and diverse
subject area. A flick through a law-publishing catalogue will remind of the sheer
number of different specialisms that exist.
As society becomes more and more
complex so the law grows to regulate it. On any undergraduate programme you can
only hope to grasp the essential principles and to gain a more detailed knowledge of
a limited number of substantive knowledge areas. If you become a lawyer, the key to
your future career will be your ability to use the skills you have developed to find and
apply relevant law within your field of practice. The Law Degree should provide you
with the basic foundation for you to build upon over the coming years. This is why it
contains a number of compulsory or “foundation” level subjects such as crime, tort
and public law. Nevertheless, beyond this the Law School is free to offer a number
of optional subjects for you to gain a more detailed insight into particular areas of the
law.
There may be a variety of reasons for you wishing to study a particular area in more
detail. You may find that you have a particular interest in a foundation subject area
and that you wish to develop it in the context of a specialist area of practice. For
example, students who enjoy tort might wish to study medical law so that they can
explore the implications of tort principles in the context of medical negligence
disputes. Alternatively, you may wish to take the opportunity to study an area of law
because it interests you and you may never have the opportunity to encounter it
again in detail. Another reason is a desire to develop a personal profile that shows
some specialisation for the purposes of applying for particular types of job. Thus, if a
student hopes to do high street type work they may wish to specialise in private client
subjects such as family law and consumer law, whereas those aiming for the
commercial sector may wish to take subjects which will be of more interest to a city
firm, such as intellectual property or competition law and policy.
Whatever the
reason for making a choice it is always better if you have a genuine interest in the
subject as you are clearly much more likely to do well if you enjoy the process of
study.
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About this booklet
This booklet is intended to inform you about the options you have and to provide
more detailed information about each subject area so that you know what you are
letting yourself in for when you make your choice.
It also assists you with the
process of choosing your options so that next years’ programme can be prepared in
a timely and ordered fashion. It is made up as follows:
Explanatory material
Pages 1 – 8
Syllabi
Appendix 1
Subject teams
Appendix 2
Overview of Course Structure
Appendix 3
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Programme of Study - Choosing Optional Subjects.
The first really important task you have when you are preparing for your time at the
Law School is to make your choice of subjects. We hope that these pages and the
website give you sufficient information to make informed decisions about the areas
you wish to study. Your programme of study will be dictated by a number of factors
such as the subjects you have already studied, the type of degree you seek, your
areas of interest, your future career aspirations and so on. An individual package will
be devised for you in order to meet your needs so far as is possible. However,
please bear in mind that you will be integrated within a complex degree structure and
this is bound to place some limitations on the programme that is devised for you.
Some flexibility is required from the Law School and from you in order to create a
workable and enjoyable programme of study.
This section is intended to answer questions which, from previous years’ experience,
we think you may have.
What information is available about the optional subjects?
The section below entitled “Are there any subjects I must study?” provides details of
the subjects you must study in order to achieve a Qualifying Law Degree. You will
be able to see from this how many options you need to choose to complete your
programme of study.
The material provided covers syllabuses of the subjects
available for you to choose. You should study these details carefully and decide
which subjects appeal to you.
Will I have an opportunity to change my mind?
In the interests of ensuring a smooth commencement of your studies we try to
complete your programme of study as soon as possible and well before teaching
commences each academic year. Each programme of study requires you to be
placed in seminar and lecture groups and this has implications for the size of groups
and the availability of spaces for other students. This means that you should be
clear about your choice when you submit your form.
We can only permit
alterations to option choices in exceptional circumstances. If an issue arises
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about altering your programme of study when you arrive in the Law School you
should raise it immediately with the Programme Leader, Simon Spurgeon or Deputy
Programme Leader, Richard Glancey.
Are there any subjects that I must study?
In order to achieve a Qualifying Law Degree, i.e. one which enables you to go on to
complete a Bar Professional Training Course or Legal Practice Course, you must
complete 7 “core” or “foundation” level subjects. These are as follows:

Crime

Tort

Contract

Land Law

Equity and Trusts

Constitutional and Administrative Law (Public Law)

European Union Law

English Legal System
You will have successfully completed a number of these subjects before you
commence at the Law School. Some of you will have completed all of them. In order
to achieve a Qualifying Law Degree, you will need to complete as part of your
programme of study any that you have not already done.
How many options do I have?
In years 2 and 3 you have 4 options. These can be studied in a combination of full
and half options 9see further below). Beyond the compulsory subjects there are a
range of optional areas that you may study in order to make up the remainder of your
degree (see further below).
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Projects
If you come directly onto the third year of the degree you will not be required to
submit a project. However, if you come on to year 2 of the degree you can choose to
take a project if you wish.
You will be given instructions during year 2 about
choosing a project title. A project is an extended essay which is prepared by you
researching a particular area of study in depth with the assistance of a specialist
academic supervisor. The length of the project is usually between 10,000 – 15,000
words and it counts for one and a half of your year 3 options.
What is the difference between a full option and a half option?
A full option runs all the way through the year whereas a half option runs only for half
of the academic year and is worth half of the marks of a full option. In year 3 you
have to pick at least two full options and can take either another full option and two
half options or four half options.
Year 2 example – if you are coming onto year 2 of the course you require the
equivalent of 4 full options. However, you need to complete the core subjects that
you have not already studied. Therefore your options are likely to be taken up doing
these core subjects. Assume that you have already passed land law, contract, tort
law and criminal law. You would need to study the remainder of the core subjects
over the remaining two years of the programme.
Year 3 example – If you are coming onto year 3 of the degree you require the
equivalent of 4 full subjects to complete your degree. If you have already passed all
of the core subjects apart from Property 2 and European Union Law, you will need to
choose these two subjects as part of your programme of study.
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What other subjects are available to me?
There are a range of optional subjects available to choose from. These are currently
as follows but are subject to change from time to time.
Full options

Civil Liberties

Company Law

Consumer Protection Law

Employment Law

Environmental Law

Evidence

Family Law

Medical Law
Half options running in the first half of the academic year

Child Care

Civil Liberties

Intellectual Property

Jurisprudence

Law & Literature

Legal History

Sale of Goods (First half of Consumer Protection Syllabus)

Sentencing
Half options running in the second half of the academic year

Animal Law

Commercial Contracts

Housing Law

International Human Rights

Jurisprudence

Law of International Trade

Remedies

Trials of Dissenters
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Will I always get my first choice of option subject?
We will always try to ensure that your programme of study reflects your first choice of
subjects. However, it is sometimes not possible to meet all requests for a variety of
reasons such as lack of student demand or lack of available teaching staff or
unavoidable timetable classes. This is why you are asked to record a reserve choice
for each subject you choose. We will tell you if we are unable to allocate your first
choice and inform you of the alternative programme of study that has been allocated
to you.
Which group will I be placed in?
You will normally be placed in the teaching group which is currently studying the
subject that you have chosen.
Some of the core subjects only run in one year of the
degree so you may find yourself studying with different year groups of the degree.
For example, if you need to study Tort law you will be required to take this with the
part-time degree students and classes take place on Tuesday and Thursday
evenings.
Can I discuss my options with anyone before making my choice?
Yes. You are encouraged to discuss your options with your college tutor in
your home country prior to making your choice or to contact the individual
staff members listed in appendix 2. It is important to be clear that you have
made the right choice given that it is not normally possible to alter your option
choice at a later stage (see below).
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What information is available about the optional subjects?
Appendix 1 in this booklet provides you with a web address for each of the subjects
available for you to choose, including aims and objectives of the subject, learning
outcomes (i.e. what you should achieve by studying the subject), and reading lists.
You should study these details carefully and decide which areas appeal to you.
Appendix 2 in this booklet contains a list of staff who currently teach the subjects
identified. You can raise any specific queries regarding a subject with a member of
staff from this list.
The diagrams of the course structure in Appendix 3 provide you with an overview of
the 3 year Honours route. They also give you information about the options available
in Year 2 and instructions about how to make your choice.
When do I need to make my choice of subjects?
You have until 20 September 2011 to make your choice. Please note that if you
do not make your choice on time you will not enter the system and there is a
clear risk that you will not be allocated to your first or reserve choice subject
or receive your personal timetable before teaching commences.
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APPENDIX 1 – SYLLABI
The latest syllabi for the subjects you are able to choose from will be available on the
website.
Please note that syllabi included apply to the current academic year and are subject
to change from time to time and there is no requirement that every issue referred to
in a syllabus will be covered in any given year. However, the syllabus should give
you a general guide as to the content of the subject you are about to choose.
A list of teaching staff is also provided at appendix 2 in this bundle.
N.B. The Indicative Reading Lists act only as a guide to the subject content.
You should not make book purchases based on this information.
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APPENDIX 2 – STAFF TEACHING LISTS
The following list provides the name of the member(s) of staff currently responsible
for the delivery of the subjects available for you to choose from. You may contact
these staff with any specific queries relating to the subjects you are interested in.
Please note that allocation of staff can change from year to year.
LL.B (HONS)/LL.B (HONS) EXEMPTING
OPTION SUBJECTS STAFF LIST
Subject Title
Staff
ANIMAL LAW
Debbie Rook
debbie.rook@northumbria.ac.uk
CHILD CARE LAW
Andrew Watson (L) (S)
andrew3.watson@northumbria.ac.uk
CIVIL LIBERTIES
Frances Hamilton (L) (S)
frances.hamilton@northumbria.ac.uk
COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS
Angela Macfarlane (L) (S)
Angela.macfarlane@northumbria.ac.u
k
COMPANY LAW
Mick Woodley (L) (S)
mick.woodley@northumbria.ac.uk
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Siobhan McConnell (L) (S)
Siobhan.mcconnell@northumbria.ac.u
k
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Sarah Morse (L) (S)
Sarah.morse@northumbria.ac.uk
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Susan Wolf (L) (S)
susan.wolf@northumbria.ac.uk
EUROPEAN LAW
Tony Storey (L)
tony.storey@northumbria.ac.uk
Emmanuel Guinchard (S)
emmanuel.guinchard@northumbria.ac
.uk
EVIDENCE
Michael Stockdale (L) (S)
m.w.stockdale@northumbria.ac.uk
EQUITY & TRUSTS
Anna Stephenson (L) (S)
Anna.stephenson@northumbria.ac.uk
FAMILY LAW
Tina Bond (L) (S)
tina.bond@northumbria.ac.uk
Zena Smith (S)
zena.smith@northumbria.ac.uk
HOUSING Law
Cath Sylvester (L) (S)
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Cath.sylvester@northumbria.ac.uk
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Helen Morris (L) (S)
helen.morris@northumbria.ac.uk
Rebecca Moosavian (L) (S)
rebecca.moosavian@northumbria.ac.u
k
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
Rhona Smith (L) (S)
rhona.smith@northumbria.ac.uk
JURISPRUDENCE
James Gray (L) (S)
james.gray@northumbria.ac.uk
Rebecca Moosavian (L) (S)
rebecca.moosavian@northumbria.ac.u
k
LAW & LITERATURE
James Gray (L) (S)
James.gray@northumbria.ac.uk
LAW OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Ralph Tiernan (L) (S)
ralph.tiernan@northumbria.ac.uk
LEGAL HISTORY
Sarah Mercer (L) (S)
Sarah.mercer@northumbria.ac.uk
MEDICAL LAW
Michelle Robson (L) (S)
michelle.robson@northumbria.ac.uk
Helen Kingston (L) (S)
helen.kingston@northumbria.ac.uk
PUBLIC LAW
Leanne Bell (L) (S)
Leanne.bell@northumbria.ac.uk
REMEDIES
Charlotte Ellis (L) (S)
Charlotte.ellis@northumbria.ac.uk
SALE OF GOODS
Siobhan McConnel (L) (S)
Siobhan.mcconnell@northumbria.ac.u
k
SENTENCING
Andrew Hutchinson (L) (S)
Andrew.hutchinson@northumbria.ac.u
k
TORT
John Bates (L) (S)
john.bates@northumbria.ac.uk
TRIALS OF DISSENTERS
Sarah Mercer (L) (S)
Sarah.mercer@northumbria.ac.uk
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APPENDIX 3
LL.B (HONS) DEGREE
(2011-2012)
AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

YEAR 1
At home college

YEAR 2
LL.B Full Option

LL.B Full Option
LL.B Full Option
LL.B Full Option
YEAR 3
EITHER
OR
N.B.
LL.B Option
LL.B Option
LL.B Option
LL.B Option
Possibility of
(1 Full)
(1 Full)
(1 Full and 2
(4 Half options)
completing a
Halves)
project (worth
1.5 options) if
joined in Year 2
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