LLB Hons Law (Clinical)
ApplyKey facts
- UCAS Code: M110
- Accreditation: Recognised by the Law Society of Scotland as a Foundation programme, being one part of the route to qualification as a solicitor in Scotland.
- Study mode and duration: Full-time, 4 years
Study abroad is available for one semester in third year, with partner institutions in the Law School study abroad programme.
Study with us
By taking this world-leading degree, you’ll gain the unique opportunity to apply what you learn in class to real-life cases and clients in the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic.
- gain valuable practical skills and an appreciation of professional values, all before graduating
- reflect on the ethics and justice of the law and legal practice, focusing on your cases & experiences in designated core clinical classes
- assessment will include practical skills, reflections on Law Clinic cases, and clinical essays in some standard classes
Why this course?
This four-year Honours course is ideal for students keen to obtain their foundational qualifications in law whilst simultaneously gaining real-life case experience in Strathclyde’s Law Clinic.
The Law School at Strathclyde is one of Scotland’s leading providers of legal education, and we are home to Scotland’s biggest student-run law clinic, which offers a unique, real-world, learning environment. Our students have an exceptional opportunity to put their learning into practice, by assisting members of the community who can not access legal representation elsewhere.
Studying law concerns the obligations, duties and rights of every member of society in relation to their neighbours and to society. The CLLB is a unique course offering you not only the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of Scots law, but to do so with a special emphasis on experiential learning and assisting others to access justice.
Strathclyde Law Clinic
Students admitted to membership of the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic are eligible to join the Clinical LLB programmes (undergraduate M110 and graduate entry M112) in their first year of study.
Strathclyde’s Law Clinic is run by students for members of the public who cannot afford a lawyer and are not eligible for legal aid. Access to justice for vulnerable members of our community is the central ethos of the Law Clinic.
More than 200 of our students are now involved and regularly represent clients in the Employment Tribunal, in Simple Procedure cases in the Sheriff Courts, and in fitness to practice hearings before the Scottish Social Services Council.
As a member of the Law Clinic, you'll undertake cases involving a wide variety of legal areas and provide clients with a wide variety of services ranging from advice (both via email and face to face), to letter writing and negotiation, and even advocacy in the courts or tribunals. You can also choose to become involved in investigating miscarriages of justice and fresh claims of asylum, supporting survivors of gender-based violence, and providing public legal education in schools, prisons and other areas.
Award-winning
The Law Clinic is award-winning across the UK and in Scotland, having won the Herald Society Team of the Year Award three times and received the Evening Times Community Champion North West Public Service Award in 2018. In the Lawworks and Attorney General Awards, the Law Clinic has twice won Best Contribution by a Law School, received the Best Contribution by a Team of Students award in 2012 and has provided the Best Contribution by an Individual Student winner on four occasions.
Student competitions
As members of the Law Clinic, Clinical LLB students are eligible for monthly Law Clinic awards, given to “Student Advisors of the Month” in recognition of outstanding efforts and results in casework, client service and other aspects of Clinic work.
Community engagement
As members of the Law Clinical, our Clinical LLB students regularly get involved in the community, delivering public legal education to schools, prisons, and community groups on topics such as employment law, housing law, environmental justice, and consumer law. There are also several collaborative projects within the Law Clinic including the Criminal Convictions Unit, the Scottish University Law Clinic Network (SULCN), the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre, and The Asylum Project (TAP)
How to become a lawyer
There are different routes to a career in law. The choices you make now can affect the steps you would need to take to achieve your desired career in law. Here we explore the process of becoming a lawyer in Scotland and look at the different roles available within the law profession.
What you'll study
Clinical LLB students integrate ‘clinical’ experience into their academic curriculum in every year of the degree. This intensive learning experience is delivered through casework at the Strathclyde Law Clinic, where each student takes responsibility for clients and cases with their fellow Clinic students and legal supervisors.
In addition to receiving training in legal skills, ethics, and reflective learning, Clinical LLB students also attend Initial Advice Clinics, Case Surgeries, and Continuing Professional Development courses as part of their degree.
This integrated approach to combining theory and practice through a range of mediums provides Clinical LLB students with a unique understanding of the law in action, access to justice, and their role as a lawyer.
The following curriculum is a typical course of study for a Clinical LLB (undergraduate) fulltime student, incorporating six core clinical classes alongside the core classes taken by all Law students, and a range of options that can be tailored to suit students’ aspirations and interests.
Year 1
- Legal Processes & Systems (core clinical)
- Law of Persons (clinical option)
- Criminal Law & Evidence
- Constitutional Law
- Law of Obligations 1 (core Clinical)
- Law and Society (core Clinical)
Year 2
- Law of Property (clinical option)
- Law of Obligations 2 (core Clinical)
- Administrative Law & Fundamental Rights (clinical option)
- Commercial (clinical option)
- EU Law
- Optional Law Module
Year 3
- Ethics & Justice (core Clinical)
- Clinical Legal Practice (core Clinical)
- Reflective Project
- 3 Elective Modules
Year 4
- Dissertation (clinical option)
- 4 other modules
Work placement
All students on the Clinical LLB programmes are required to undertake a minimum number of cases per year in the Law Clinic. Representation of clients is a professional responsibility, undertaken with fellow student advisors, under the supervision of Law Clinic staff. Some cases may involve students providing representation for Law Clinic clients in the Employment Tribunal, Housing Tribunal, or in Scottish Social Services Council hearings.
In addition to this work, undergraduate students on the Clinical LLB have the option of studying abroad for one semester in their third year, with partner institutions in the Law School study abroad programme.
Major projects
From the second semester of your first year, Clinical LLB students write a diary reflecting on their clinical experiences and what they’re learning in terms of skills, legal knowledge and ethical values. This reflective diary becomes part of an ongoing dialogue with Clinical staff designed to deepen your understanding about law, legal practice, your own development, legal ethics, and justice.
Course content
The Clinical LLB provides students with six core clinical classes, alongside the core classes taken by all Law students, and a range of options that can be tailored to suit your aspirations and interests.
As part of the Clinical LLB, students also undertake a range of activities in the Law Clinic including: Casework, Initial Advice Clinics, Case Surgeries, and Continuing Professional Development courses.
The compulsory clinical classes are:
- Legal Processes & Systems (Clinical) – Year 1
- Law & Society (Clinical) – Year 1
- Law of Obligations 1 (Clinical) – Year 1
- Law of Obligations 2 (Clinical) – Year 2
- Ethics & Justice (Clinical) – Year 3
- Clinical Legal Practice (clinical) – Year 3
Students may also take a clinical version of the following classes:
- First year of study: Law of Persons
- Second year of study: Law of Property, Administrative Law and Fundamental Rights, Commercial Law
Guest lectures
Students in the Clinical LLB have access to the full range of guest lectures and continuing professional development courses in the Law Clinic and partner organisations.
In previous years this has included sessions on:
- street law
- immigration law
- women’s rights
- trauma-informed lawyering
- Employment Tribunal advocacy training
- environmental justice
- Scottish Social Services Council fitness to practice hearings
We have been delighted to host speakers from a wide range of organisations including:
- Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO)
- Scottish Women’s Rights Centre
- Just Right Scotland
- Scottish Social Services Council
- Law Corner
- legal firms across Scotland
Compulsory modules
Legal Processes & Systems (Clinical)
This module will introduce you to the concepts, structures and processes that make up a legal system.
It's designed to equip all you with the knowledge and understanding you'll utilise in all other law modules: the “tools of the trade”.
Studying the Clinical LLB, you'll receive additional training on ethics and complete an ethics report as part of the assessment in this module.
Law & Society (Clinical)
This module engages with some challenging problems faced by law within contemporary society. It introduces you to some aspects of the social, political, and ethical conditions in which law operates. It deals with the interaction of law with justice, politics, morals and equality.
The module will examine the role and challenges of law in times of social change and is structured around three key themes:
- legal reasoning
- law & politics
- law & social change
As a Clinical LLB student, you'll receive additional training in legal research in this module, and complete a legal research exercise as part of the module's assessment.
Law of Obligations 1 (Clinical)
This module introduces you to the concept of obligations that can be enforced by legal process. You'll also develop your problem-solving skills and ability to construct appropriate legal questions and answers. Clinical LLB students receive additional training in advocacy, negotiation and mediation in this module, and are assessed on this as part of the module.
Law of Persons (Clinical option)
You'll learn the rules governing, and the definition of, legal and natural persons, their status and capacity.
The module is also designed to introduce you, at the very start of your legal studies, to the idea that legal concepts can be both natural (the child) and non-natural (the limited liability company) – both are “persons” in law.
Clinical LLB students may opt to replace the regular essay in this module with an essay topic based on a clinic-related case relevant to this module.
Criminal Law & Evidence
This module is intended to familiarise students with, and elicit an understanding of, the basic elements of Scots criminal law and evidence, including the development of the system, fundamental concepts and their operation in relation to certain specific crimes. The module will teach the application of fact handling, rhetoric and proof by lawyers and the contexts in which the rules of evidence operate, all integrated practically with the criminal law.
Constitutional Law
The aim of this module is to introduce students to the institutions, actors, processes and concepts that make up the UK constitution including its particular application to Scotland. It is designed to introduce students to methods of critical engagement with constitutional law in both theory and practice.
Compulsory modules
Law of Property (Clinical option)
This module will teach you:
- the classification of property in the Scottish legal system
- how ownership is distinguished from possession
- how property is acquired and the rights it carries
- how property can be transferred
The module is also designed to introduce you to some of the conceptual issues of property, including how “property” itself is defined either as an item or as a relationship; and how property can be corporeal (a thing) or incorporeal (an idea or right, such as copyright).
Clinical LLB students may opt to replace the regular essay in this module with an essay topic based on a clinic-related case relevant to this module.
Law of Obligations 2 (Clinical)
This module teaches you the rules governing claims for personal injury, economic loss and hurts to personality rights. The design of the module will help you develop problem-solving and advice-giving skills in relation to the law of delictual liability generally.
Clinical LLB student receive additional training in advocacy, negotiation and mediation in this module, and are assessed on this as part of the module.
Administrative Law & Fundamental Rights (Clinical option)
This module will introduce you to the institutions, actors, processes and concepts that make up administrative and human rights law including their particular application to Scotland. It's designed to introduce you to critical engagement with administrative law, both in theory and in practice.
Clinical LLB students may opt to replace the regular essay in this module with an essay topic based on a clinic-related case relevant to this module.
Commercial Law (Clinical option)
Commercial law is a Year 2 compulsory subject on the LLB (and LML) degree. The module provides you with an understanding of commercial law in a Scottish context. It partially meets the commercial law subject requirements and related skills outcomes of the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates (albeit that some of the commercial professional topics, eg sale of goods and insurance law, are dealt with by other courses).
Building on the knowledge you acquire in Year 1, the general academic objective of the course is to examine the basic principles and rules concerning core aspects of commercial law, including the main principles of agency, partnership and company law, the law relating to various methods of payment (including consumer credit and bills of exchange) the rules governing the ways in which creditors can ‘secure’ repayment of a debt (eg through taking personal guarantees from third parties for repayment of the debt, or by establishing rights in security over debtor property); the basic principles of diligence; the consequences of both corporate and individual debtor inability to repay debts (corporate insolvency and personal bankruptcy respectively).
While the focus of the class is on ‘a black letter’ analysis of relevant statutory and common law in the broad commercial area, in order to aid understanding of relevant principles, the class also examines the policy rationales underlying the current law and recent and projected reforms in this area
Clinical LLB students may opt to replace the regular essay in this module with an essay topic based on a clinic-related case relevant to this module.
EU Law
The EU law class focuses on the constitutional and institutional order of the EU as well as one the internal market. To this end, the class looks at the European integration process, the EU institutions, EU competences, the decision-making process within the EU, the principles underpinning the EU legal order and the principles governing the internal market.
Optional modules
You'll also choose one option from a list provided each year by the Law School.
Compulsory modules
Ethics & Justice
Ethics & Justice will introduce you to the world of work by bridging the gap between theory and practice, and by providing you with the intellectual and practical tools to deal with the personal and practical dimensions of law in a competent, ethical and socially responsible manner.
The module will help to develop your legal, intellectual and practical skills, and provide you with an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness and ethics of what you do and how this fits in with problems of access to justice. It will also enhance your understanding of the social and economic context in which legal rules operate.
This module is only open to Law Clinic students with case experience.
Clinical Legal Practice
Clinical Legal Practice is the module in which Clinical LLB students showcase a portfolio of their work from throughout the degree.
The collection of casework, reflective diaries, evidence of Continuing Professional Development, attendance at Case Surgeries, and participation at Initial Advice Clinics provides students with the opportunity to reflect upon their development as a lawyer and their contribution to justice in the community.
There are no contact hours for this module, aside from a final oral examination, as the contact hours have been accrued through the activities set out above and completed throughout the duration of the CLLB degree.
Reflective Project
The aim is to enhance your ability to undertake independent learning, and to ensure that they take a reflective approach to their work while at the same time developing a consciousness of the ethical dimensions of professional legal practice.
Optional modules
Optional modules change year on year, so please check with the Law Course Support Team at the start of the semester to confirm which modules are available.
Compulsory modules
To obtain the CLLB at Honours level, you need to take at least 40 credit points in clinical form in the Honours year.
This can comprise the clinical version of the dissertation (M9415) or 40 credits of any clinically available classes, noting that these are the minimum requirements – you may take more clinical classes if you wish.
Optional modules
Students choose four electives from a list provided by the Law School each year. Clinical LLB students may opt to replace the regular essays in some modules with an essay topic based on a clinic-related case relevant to those modules.
Learning & teaching
The Clinical LLB is delivered alongside the traditional LLB, providing students with a range of lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. In addition, Clinical LLB students receive supplementary training in legal skills such as advocacy, negotiation, mediation, as well as being given small group instruction in legal reflective writing and ethics and justice. Additional support is provided through the Clinical LLB Director and the Law Clinic administrator, and includes start-of-semester briefings, weekly guides, and a dedicated Clinical LLB website.
Assessment
The Clinical LLB is assessed alongside the traditional LLB, providing students with a range of experiences in written assignments, written and oral exams, practical exercises, and team and individual projects. In addition, the Clinical LLB-specific assessment includes practical exercises in negotiation, mediation, and advocacy, as well as training and assessment in reflective writing.
Entry requirements
Required subjects are shown in brackets.
| Highers |
(Higher English B, Maths/Applications of Mathematics National 5 C, or equivalent)
(English B, Maths/Applications of Mathematics National 5 C, or equivalent) Preferred subjects
|
|---|---|
| A Levels | AAB-BBB |
| International Baccalaureate | 34-30 |
| Irish Leaving Certificate | Two H2 passes and three H3 passes including English |
| HND | Legal Services: Year 1 entry, AAA in Graded Units. Other relevant HND qualifications will be considered on an individual basis; please contact us for advice. |
| International students | View the entry requirements for your country. |
| Deferred Entry | Not normally accepted |
| Law Clinic membership | Undertaking the Clinical Law LLB (CLLB) first requires membership of the Law Clinic, which is obtained through an interview. Interviews are open to CLLB applicants, and to LLB applicants who wish to transfer into the CLLB programme at the start of their first year. Interviews run throughout summer and into September each year. If a CLLB applicant does not gain membership of the Law Clinic but otherwise fulfils the entrance requirements for the LLB, they would be offered a place on the regular undergraduate LLB programme instead. For this reason, we would encourage applicants who are interested in the CLLB to apply for the CLLB directly. There is no need to also apply for the LLB equivalent at Strathclyde. |
| Additional Information |
|
Additional Information
- essay-based Highers/Advanced Highers/A Levels recommended, for example Social subjects, Philosophy, Psychology, RMPS
- experience in a law firm is not expected
- at Strathclyde, Law is also offered as a subject in the BA (Honours) degree
*Standard entry requirements
Offers are made in accordance with specified entry requirements although admission to undergraduate programmes is considered on a competitive basis and entry requirements stated are normally the minimum level required for entry.
Whilst offers are made primarily on the basis of an applicant meeting or exceeding the stated entry criteria, admission to the University is granted on the basis of merit, and the potential to succeed. As such, a range of information is considered in determining suitability.
In exceptional cases, where an applicant does not meet the competitive entry standard, evidence may be sought in the personal statement or reference to account for performance which was affected by exceptional circumstances, and which in the view of the judgement of the selector would give confidence that the applicant is capable of completing the programme of study successfully.
**Minimum entry requirements
Widening access
We want to increase opportunities for people from every background. Strathclyde selects our students based on merit, potential and the ability to benefit from the education we offer. We look for more than just your grades. We consider the circumstances of your education and will make lower offers to certain applicants as a result.
Degree preparation course for international students
We offer international students (non-EU/UK) who do not meet the academic entry requirements for an undergraduate degree at Strathclyde the option of completing an Undergraduate Foundation year programme at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre.
Upon successful completion, you will be able to progress to this degree course at the University of Strathclyde.
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are for full-time courses and per academic year unless stated otherwise.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually. The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year.
| Scotland | To be confirmed. Fees for students who meet the relevant residence requirements in Scotland are subject to confirmation by the Scottish Funding Council. Scottish undergraduate students undertaking an exchange for a semester/year will continue to pay their normal tuition fees at Strathclyde and will not be charged fees by the overseas institution. |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | To be confirmed subject to confirmation by the UK government. |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £23,850 |
| University preparation programme fees | International students can find out more about the costs and payments of studying a university preparation programme at the University of Strathclyde International Study Centre. |
| Additional costs | Course materials: No additional costs for law modules and all compulsory material is in the library. Study abroad: If a student is studying abroad, they are responsible for all costs. International students: International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
| Available scholarships | Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities. |
Please note: All fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
How can I fund my studies?
Students from Scotland
Fees for students who meet the relevant residence requirements in Scotland, you may be able to apply to the Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish government. Scottish students may also be eligible for a bursary and loan to help cover living costs while at University.
For more information on funding your studies have a look at our University Funding page.
International students
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Students from England, Wales & Northern Ireland
We have a generous package of bursaries on offer for students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales:
You don’t need to make a separate application for these. When your place is confirmed at Strathclyde, we’ll assess your eligibility. Have a look at our scholarship search for any more funding opportunities.
International Students
We have a number of scholarships available to international students. Take a look at our scholarship search to find out more.
Careers
Undertaking a Clinical law degree at the University of Strathclyde equips you with the practical skills and theoretical underpinnings needed to confidently enter the legal profession or related fields.
You will have excellent research and analytical skills, being able to interpret and explain complex information clearly to a wide range of audiences and client bases.
As a Clinical LLB student, you'll also be able to formulate sound arguments, think laterally and develop strong problem-solving skills.
Your persuasive oral communication skills, excellent written communication skills, and experience in managing clients, caseloads and casefiles will ensure that you graduate well equipped.
Practising law
Strathclyde CLLB graduates are eligible to undertake further professional legal training to become a qualified lawyer.
For intending solicitors, at present, this requires you to take the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice in Scotland or the Legal Practice Course in England. Entry onto both the Diploma in Scotland and the Legal Practice Course in England is competitive with places awarded on the basis of academic merit. As a graduate of these practice courses, you then complete a two-year traineeship/training contract with a law firm. This completes your legal training. Applications are made directly to law firms and there's increasing competition for traineeship/training contract places each year.
Students interested in becoming a Barrister in England at present must undertake the Bar Professional Training Course followed by a pupillage at a barristers chambers. Entry to the Bar Professional Training Course is extremely competitive with students required to sit and pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test. Any students interested in the Bar in England should note that the Bar Standards Board requires you to hold a minimum of a 2:2 Honours classification in your law degree.
Graduates wishing to join the Scottish Bar, as an advocate, undertake a one-year Bar traineeship in a solicitors firm. This is followed by nine months ‘devilling’ (training) under a qualified advocate.
Information on qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales can be found on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website. Information on qualifying as a barrister in England and Wales can be found on the Bar Standards Board website.
Further information on qualifying as a solicitor or a Barrister in Northern Ireland is available from Queens University Belfast. Students who wish to meet the Northern Ireland Evidence requirement can take an elective Honours module on the Law of English Evidence in their fourth year of study.
Careers outwith the legal sector
While the skills you'll gain in the CLLB are highly sought after in the legal sector, they're also highly transferable to other career areas. Our graduates often move into areas that value client care, attention to detail, advocacy, and advisory services such as:
- Accountancy & Finance
- Tax
- Human Resource Management
- Business Development
- Civil Service
- Police & Prison Services
- Citizens Advice
- Victim Support
- Roles working with refugees and asylum seekers
- Regulatory roles within Health and Safety and Trading Standards
Apply
Start date:
LLB Law (Clinical) (1 year entry)
Start date: Sep 2025
LLB Law (Clinical) (1 year entry)
Start date:
LLB Law (Clinical) (1 year entry)
Glasgow is Scotland's biggest & most cosmopolitan city
Our campus is based right in the very heart of Glasgow. We're in the city centre, next to the Merchant City, both of which are great locations for sightseeing, shopping and socialising alongside your studies.
Have you considered?
We've a range of courses similar to this one which may also be of interest.
Discover Uni
Discover Uni includes official statistics about higher education courses taken from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges about all their students.