NUIM Department of Law

The NUI Maynooth M.L.S. degree is open to graduates from all disciplines who wish to acquire advanced credentials in law. The programme is intensive and fast paced bringing the students on a high growth learning experience across the 12 months. The complexity of the modern global economy requires those engaged in regulation, policy making, advocacy, non-governmental work and business to possess knowledge of legal concepts and rules across national legal systems with an enormous array of analytical, conceptual, professional and writing skills. This programme will introduce students to core areas in law and develop their understanding of policy and doctrine through a combination of exams and group and individual assignments.

In Semester 1, students will be given a thorough grounding in four core areas of the law: Torts, Contracts, European Union Law and Land Law. These subjects form the building blocks for other advanced legal domains. In Semester 2, they will build on this basic foundation and undertake studies in more advanced topics including international trade law. In addition, students are required to take the Legal Writing and Advocacy module to develop legal research, reasoning, writing, advocacy and teamwork skills. This module will also develop oral presentation capabilities – repeatedly emphasized by employers in numerous recent surveys. Research and writing skills are further refined via the mandatory dissertation requirement.

Click here for MLS Brochure

Who is this course for?

Graduates in disciplines as varied as economics, business and other social science disciplines to those from science and engineering who are keen to add to their skill sets by acquiring qualifications in law to become more competitive in the employment market.

What will I study?

In semester 1, students will study the following mandatory subjects:

Contract Law

The course will examine key topics in contract law including, the formation of a contract, the doctrine of consideration, the statutory and equitable requirements for a contract to be enforceable, capacity to contract,  consumer protection and remedies.

Tort Law

This course will provide an introduction to the law of private obligations. Students will be able to give an account of the development of tort law which places it in its historical context and distinguishes it from contract and criminal law. They will also be able to advise on the appropriateness and desirability of different remedies.

European Union Law

This course will provide a thorough grounding in the law of the European Union. Students will develop a detailed appreciation of the creation and operation of EU law and relevant institutions. They will be able to identify and apply relevant pieces of EU law to given situations and navigate the complex relationship between domestic and EU law. Students are expected to become familiar with remedies available under selected EU law instruments and the appropriate avenues to pursue them.

Property Law

This module aims to give students a thorough grounding in property law, its origins and development. It includes an examination of the basic concepts of private ownership and the means by which interests in land can transfer.

In semester 2, students can choose from amongst the following modules:

Global Business Transactions, International Trade Law, Restructuring & Insolvency Law, Environmental Law & Finance

 International Human Rights, Criminology, Criminal Justice, Aircraft Financing Law*

 Negotiation*, Media Law*, International Criminal Law*, White-Collar Crime*

Criminal Procedure*, Banking Law*, Funds Law*

*May not be offered in every academic year.

Sample module descriptions are provided below:

Global Business Transactions

The module aims to introduce students to the current academic and policy debates in the law applicable to global business transactions. It gives students a systematic understanding of legal issues arising from globalisation of business and resulting contacts with domestic laws in several jurisdictions with different standards. The module also tackles key debates on corporate social responsibility and corporate governance and the role of employees in these areas.

International Trade Law

The module will provide students with a systematic understanding of critical debates in the international trade law environment. The course will interrogate the dominant theories that underpin the world trading system as well as the proffered world trade spin offs of innovation, development, poverty reduction and employment. The course will also examine the divergent perspectives held by participants in the international trading system through the prism of the WTO.

Legal Writing & Advocacy

The module will build on existing legal analytical skills and develop advanced skills in research, writing legal briefs, contracts, legal memoranda and other documents. It will enable students to understand the structure of legal argumentation and the use of legal precedents and other sources of authority. In addition, students will also be taught how to advance oral legal arguments to the court. Students are expected to demonstrate competence in selecting from a range of complex materials to marshal arguments directed at attaining optimal outcomes.

Dissertation

Students will be expected to arrive at a suitable dissertation topic after consultation with a faculty supervisor and complete a dissertation of 10,000 words, excluding footnotes.

How is the course delivered?

The programme will be delivered through lectures, presentations and seminars during each semester. There will be a significant number of written assignments and oral advocacy workshops. Faculty will use Moodle to monitor progress of students and offer feedback periodically.

How will it help my career?

The ever growing reach of the modern regulatory state has demanded lawyer-like skills of many non-lawyers. Increasingly businesspersons, accountants, compliance personnel, administrators and policy-makers are being required to have an in-depth knowledge of relevant legal advances and to deploy an enormous array of analytical, conceptual and writing skills. The NUIM MLS programme addresses this need by offering students a strong core of legal knowledge to support more advanced specialised legal topics pertinent to many non-law careers. Students build on this core progressively to acquire knowledge appropriate for an advanced degree in law. The programe is robust and stresses an engaged learning experience that draws on the student's expertise in other disciplines.

The department has strong links with law firms, regulators, non-governmental agencies, and technology businesses. Students will have the opportunity to attend recruitment presentations by prospective employers and are invited to take advantage of the various careers services offered by NUIM.

What qualification will I receive?

Students will graduate with an M.L.S. degree. This is a nationally and internationally recognised qualification from the National University of Ireland. It is a 90 credit, level 9 (master's) on the National Framework of Qualifications

How is the course assessed?

Assessment is in the form of:

1. Combination of exams and graded assignments
2. Dissertation of 10,000 words under supervision

Pass standard etc:

The pass mark for all modules is 40%. A grade of 70% and above is a distinction.

Students must attend a minimum of 80% of each module’s contact time.

Standard university penalties apply for late submission of assignments work etc.

Specific Admission Requirements: Candidates should have a minimum 2.2 grade, honours (level 8) degree.

Further Information

Click here for timetable

Further details about the Department of Law are available at http://law.nuim.ie 
Questions about the programme can be directed to the Head of the Department at Sandeep.Gopalan@nuim.ie

How to apply?

Application should be made through PAC only (www.pac.ie) where the following information will be required:

• Official transcripts 
• Two letters of academic reference