This multi-award winning programme provides legally relevant work experiences with close professional supervision. There is no comparable postgraduate programme in the UK or Ireland.
The LLM Access to Justice (previously called LLM Clinical Legal Education) is an innovative model of postgraduate education which was established to meet the needs of graduate students and the community. It has been awarded the Postgraduate Course of the Year 2017 by GradIreland.
The LLM Access to Justice trains students in employment law, social security law, tribunal representation and alternative dispute resolution.
This prepares students for their placement in the Ulster University Law Clinic, as well as with voluntary sector advice agencies, where students provide free legal advice and representation to members of the public.
Throughout the programme students engage with broader issues of access to justice and unmet legal need, public interest litigation and clinical legal education
What is clinical legal education?
Clinical legal education has been defined as encompassing learning which is experiential in design and focused on enabling students to understand how the law works in action by undertaking real, or realistically simulated casework or research.
Clinical Legal Education is widely regarded as one of the most effective ways for students to understand how the law works, to develop vocationally relevant legal skills and to contextualise individual legal problems within broader societal issues.
Students undertake a variety of clinical legal education including:
Live client casework
Students provide advice, advocacy and representation for members of the public through the Ulster University Law Clinic on issues surrounding social security law and employment law.
External placement
Students also deliver live client case work through our placement partners in Law Centre (NI) and in local advice agencies.
Simulated Case Work
Clinical experience is part of the student experience and training is provided by the Law School staff, social security case workers and by local barristers and solicitors.
There will also be a mock tribunal and case management discussion which are facilitated by the Chief Social Security Commissioner for Northern Ireland, Pinsent Masons and Legal Island.
Demand-led research
Students have the opportunity to complete demand-led research on behalf of community sector organisations through the University’s science shop. This can be completed through the dissertation module.
Management of Legal Practice
The course also provides a unique opportunity for students to manage and develop the Clinic, where they meet on a regular basis to review the Law Clinics priorities, taking into account the needs of the clients as well as developing legal activism skills.
Awards and prizes
- 2017 Best Postgraduate Law Course in Ireland
- 2016 LawWorks and Attorney General Student Award, (shortlist) Best Contribution by a Law School in the UK
- 2014 LawWorks and Attorney General Student Award, Best New Student Pro Bono Activity in the UK
- 2014 Innovating Justice Award (shortlist), Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law
- 2014 Ulster University Distinguished Teaching Fellowship Team Award
Scholarships
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A&O Shearman scholarship
Global law firm, A&O Shearman, has provided scholarship funding to the Law School since 2015 to improve access to justice in Northern Ireland through our innovative LLM in Access to Justice.
For the next academic year the firm will provide £5,500 funding to support a student enrolled in the LLM Access to Justice at the internationally respected and award winning Ulster University Law Clinic.
A&O Shearman is the first law firm to create a scholarship with the LLM Access to Justice programme, which is designed to address the unmet access to justice needs in the region.
The LLM Access to Justice gives students an opportunity to develop specialist skills in social security and employment law by contributing to world-leading research and working on real life cases under the supervision of experienced Law School staff.
All applicants accepted onto the programme would be invited to apply for the scholarship.
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Department of Justice Scholarship
The Department of Justice has provided an Access to Justice Scholarship since 2013. Each year the Department has provided full-fee support for a student enrolled in the LLM Access to Justice at the internationally respected and award winning Ulster University Law Clinic.
The scholarship recognises the value of the LLM Access to Justice for participating students in understanding and meeting unmet legal need and outlining the benefits provided to service users of the Ulster University Law Clinic
Decisions on whether future scholarship funding will be available from the Department of Justice are made on an annual basis. As in previous years, we would hope to have confirmation of funding in advance of students beginning the LLM Access to Justice.
All applicants accepted onto the programme would be invited to apply for this scholarship.
Master of Laws (LLM) Courses
Our postgraduate course, clinical legal education can be studied on a full or part basis, and is based at our Jordanstown and Belfast campuses.
Access to Justice - LLM Full-time , Postgraduate , 2025/26 entry year , , Belfast campus
Access to Justice through legal education.
Key Information
Access to Justice - LLM Full-time , Postgraduate , 2024/25 entry year , , Belfast campus
Access to Justice through legal education.
Key Information
Access to Justice - LLM Part-time , Postgraduate , 2024/25 entry year , , Belfast campus
Access to Justice through legal education.