LLB Derecho Senior Status

This graduate entry accelerated law degree offers students the opportunity to study in two years the courses required to allow them to progress to the next stage of their legal education. This degree programme attracts students from the UK, Ireland and North America creating a cosmopolitan learning environment. Students benefit from studying law in one of the oldest and most prestigious Law Schools on these islands with an international reputation for excellence. In recent years our graduates have gone on to legal careers in Canada, the UK and Ireland.

At QUB Law School students have the opportunity to gain real-world legal skills as well as an excellent understanding of law from an academic perspective.

Law Senior Status Degree Highlights

Law at QUB is ranked 18th in the UK in Complete University Guide 2022. Law was ranked 8th in the UK for Career Prospects in the Times Good University Guide 2022.

Professional Accreditations

• The degree offers students the opportunity to study the modules required for the academic stage of legal qualification. In addition, students are offered the opportunity to explore their interests in the final year with modules offered that allow them to specialise in a particular area, or simply receive a more rounded sense of what ‘Law’ is. Many of these modules consider the law and law-like interactions on a local, national and international level. This means that the degree covers those subjects that are regarded as pre-requisites for professional legal studies. The Senior Status degree is particularly popular with Canadians as it allows graduates to qualify with a law degree in only 2 years. Queen’s University Belfast has a long history of Canadian students studying law with us. Upon completion of their studies, some students choose to stay and practice in the UK or Ireland whilst others return to Canada to embark on legal careers. For those planning on returning to Canada the following is a guide on the process of Canadian accreditation:
  • When returning to Canada LLB students will sit a number of challenge exams in order to fulfil the requirements set out by the Federation of Canadian Law Societies' National Committee on Accreditation (NCA).
  • Students can choose to prepare for their challenge examinations through self-study, where the NCA provides a syllabus and students study at home. Most students complete their challenge exams within a year of returning to Canada. Alternatively, students can complete a recognised common-law qualification, typically one year, in a Canadian Law School upon their return.
  • Students completing our 2-year LLB for Graduates with a 2:2 or above (equivalent to a C in Canada) in all modules generally have to sit seven challenge exams.
  • Students completing a 3-year LLB programme with a 2:2 or above (equivalent to a C in Canada) in all modules generally have to sit five challenge exams. Students taking a 3-year LLB straight from high school will also have additional challenge exams set by the NCA.
• The above information is for guidance purposes. We recommend that students carry out their own research and check with the relevant jurisdictions they wish to practise in for the most up to date information as the regulations are subject to change.

Industry Links

The Law School at Queen's has a well-established tradition of regular consultation with legal professional bodies and top international law firms that is very beneficial for students.

Law students have the unique opportunity of working with industry leaders through commercial awareness events and other negotiation exercises that offer insight into the legal practice (and services) world but also provide an enhanced skills development experience.

World-Class Facilities

• The £20m School at Queen’s offers students access to world-class facilities such as a fully interactive Moot Courtroom, a One Button Recording Studio and a wellbeing room.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• Students in the School of Law are taught by world-leading experts in the areas of Law, Human Rights, Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies. Our staff have close research links with the professions, government and Civil Society. Research in Law was ranked 15th in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment (2014).

Student Experience

• Students can join a number of student-led initiatives within the school including the Law Society, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society, the Women in Law group and the Street Law project. Other initiatives include the Global Skills Project, LawPod, Queen’s Student Law Journal, Lawyers without Borders, the student magazine ‘The Verdict’ and the Mooting Society.
• Students can join a number of student-led initiatives within the School including the Law Society, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society and the Street Law Project. Other initiatives include the Queen’s student Law Journal, Lawyers without Borders, the student magazine ‘The Verdict’ and the Mooting Society.

Queen's University Belfast is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history.

Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908. The University is a member of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.

Queen’s campus is at the heart of Belfast in Northern Ireland which has the lowest cost of living in the UK (Mercer Cost of Living City Ranking 2021) making it a more affordable option for students.

A World-Class Education and Student Experience

Queen’s offers a world-class education that prepares our students for leadership and citizenship in a global society.

Our inspiring alumni comprises outstanding scholars, Nobel Prize winners - such as Seamus Heaney and David Trimble - and influential leaders who are making an impact in Northern Ireland and across the globe.

Programmes are focused on preparing students for future employment. Students not only learn the core academic material from the staff at the forefront of their discipline but also learn how to put it into practice through practical workshops and hands-on sessions, ensuring that upon graduation, students are ready to step up as the next generation of industry leaders.

A Global and Inclusive University Community

Queen’s is attracting global talent to Belfast.

We currently have staff and students from over 80 countries, helping to create a multicultural and vibrant campus. They are joining a university that is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing the best global talent within an environment that enables them to realise their full potential.

An innovative, welcoming, and inclusive place to work and study, Queen’s is a leader in gender equality and diversity and currently holds a prestigious Athena Swan Silver Award. The University also holds 14 School Awards comprising 3 Gold, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze.

Research That Shapes Worlds

Queen’s University Belfast is globally connected and networked with leading universities across the world.

We continue to drive forward research to shape worlds, focusing on five key areas. Ensuring a healthy living for all through developing solutions and treatments for diseases; helping to deliver a transformative and sustainable economy for future generations; leading to securely connected intelligence and AI and the data revolution. We are at the forefront of delivering future-focused human-environment relations; and will continue our strong history of expertise in conflict resolution and building inclusive and cohesive communities.

Ranked 24 in the UK for Research Power

We are forward thinkers and will continue to direct and shape research to help support a workable environment and society.

88% of our research has been assessed as world-leading and internationally excellent, 99% of our research environment was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent and we are ranked 24th in the UK for Research Power (REF 2021/ Times Higher Education).

Northern Ireland's Legendary Beauty

Queen’s University is situated in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.

In a city with innovation at its heart, technological advances infiltrate every sector helping to build our competitiveness on the global stage. Belfast is in the world’s top 10 Digital Economies of the Future - the only UK city outside London to be listed (Financial Times’ fDi Intelligence, 2018) and was voted one of the top 15 friendliest cities in Europe (Condé Nast Traveller, Readers' Choice Awards 2021).

It is one of Europe's most hip, vibrant and affordable cities, lauded for its energy, and rich in culture and history. Queen's stunning campus is within Belfast's Queen's Quarter, with cafés, bars, restaurants, superb shopping, and entertainment venues (Complete University Guide 2022).