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New student

Jenny Holloway

Congratulations on joining Nottingham Law School, I am delighted to welcome you to NTU, your award winning University of the Year. Please use the information in the various welcome events and welcome pages to learn more about what is on offer to ensure you make the most of your time with us. I very much hope you will get involved in the many exciting activities and opportunities available, including opportunities in our law firm NLS Legal, currently Lexis Nexis Law Firm of the Year.

Our team of dedicated academic tutors, employability team and administrative staff are committed to ensuring you have all the support you need, enabling you to make the most of the forthcoming year. Do not hesitate to ask any of our team if you have any queries or want to know more.
You are a valued and important member of our Law School community, and I hope that and that you are inspired to try new things that will support your route to success. I look forward to meeting you and wish you all the best for an exciting and successful year ahead.

Jenny Chapman

Executive Dean
Nottingham Law School

Get updates on events and connect with fellow students by joining our new Facebook group, The NLS Lounge.

NLS Student Hub

At the NLS Student Hub you will find the Law School’s friendly Administration team, who are ready to help you with any queries.

Queries may include:

  • seeking advice for course-related issues
  • finding your way around the University
  • gathering information on schemes and opportunities available to Law students
  • guidance on how to solve problems with your timetable
  • assistance on where you can seek specialist help within Nottingham Trent University (NTU)
  • locating a tutor’s office.
Location Opening hoursContact

NLS Student Hub 
Room 4508
Fourth floor
Chaucer building

Monday – Thursday:
8.45 am – 4.45 pm

Friday:
8.45 am – 3.45 pm

Email: blsnlssubjectadmin@ntu.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4270

Term and closure dates

Term oneMonday 25 September - Friday 15 December 2023
Term twoMonday 8 January - Friday 22 March 2024
Term threeMonday 8 April - Friday 24 May 2024

Some courses may have teaching days outside of term time. For more information, please consult your course leader.

Welcome weekFriday 15 September - Sunday 24 September 2023
Half Year AssessmentMonday 15 January - Friday 26 January 2024
Main AssessmentsMonday 29 April - Friday 24 May 2024
Resit AssessmentsMonday 19 August - Friday 30 September 2024

Please see the following link for updates for Closure days: Term dates (ntu.ac.uk)

Welcome from the NLS Senior Team

Welcome to Nottingham Law School and the beginning of your University studies.

As the Deputy Dean of the School, I have responsibility for ensuring you have the best possible student experience during your time studying with us.  I am proud of our vibrant and diverse School community which provides a wealth of opportunities, activities and support to inspire you to succeed, and I encourage you to take advantage of all that we offer.

Along with my academic and administrative colleagues, I am here to help and support you throughout your studies. I look forward to meeting you and being a part of your journey and success at Nottingham Law School.

Best wishes for what I hope will be a fantastic and successful first year for you at Nottingham Law School.

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As Head of the Undergraduate Portfolio, I am delighted to welcome you to NLS.

You are at the beginning of a very exciting journey, undertaking your undergraduate law degree with us. All of our courses integrate academic knowledge and skills, which are designed to equip you with transferable employability skills that will prepare you well for your future careers. We hope you take full advantage of the opportunities that are available to you during your time studying with us.

I wish you all the best in your studies and I hope you thoroughly enjoy your time with us.

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As the Head of Postgraduate Portfolio at Nottingham Law School my role encompasses the Legal Practice Course, our suite of Preparation Courses for the Solicitor’s Qualifying Examination (SQE), the Barristers Training Course, the Post Graduate Diploma in Law, and the Academic Masters.

Our courses prepare you exceptionally well for your future careers and our team of tutors are committed to providing you with the support you need to succeed during your time at NLS.

You have an exciting time ahead of you at NLS. Enjoy your time with us and I wish you every success in your studies.

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As Associate Dean for Research, I am responsible for overseeing and implementing the University’s research strategy within Nottingham Law School. The School has a vibrant research culture, with staff publishing in a wide range of fields including business and insolvency law, international law, criminal justice, human rights, legal education, intellectual property and medical / health law. Our research appears in leading international journals on a regular basis, and also influences the development of law and policy in both the UK and abroad.

Much of this research underpins the structure and design of our courses. In choosing to study here you will have the opportunity to be taught by and engage with leading international specialists across a diverse range of subject areas, an experience which I hope you will find to be both enjoyable and rewarding.

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As Head of NLS Legal, I am delighted to welcome you to the Law School.

We recognise that studying law is more than just textbooks, which is why we also equip you with vital practical skills in preparation for your future. Here in NLS Legal, the UK's first regulated law firm integrated into a law school, you will have the opportunity to work with our team of lawyers on real life cases whilst supporting the local community by providing access to justice.

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can get involved with the NLS Legal, either as part of your course or on an extra-curricular basis, please contact nlslegalvolunteers@ntu.ac.uk

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As the Director of External Engagement and Head of the Practitioner Portfolio, I am delighted to welcome you to Nottingham Law School.

In my role I work with practitioners, law firms and legal service providers across the country. At NLS we have excellent links with a wide range of employers, many of whom offer opportunities that you can take advantage of during your studies at NLS. I would encourage you to embrace these opportunities wherever possible as they will both enhance your academic experience and help you to understand the professional environment.

I wish you every success in your studies here at NLS.

View my profile.

Enrolment and Course induction

If you haven't already enrolled as a new student at NTU, it's important to do so. Take a look at our information on how to enrol.

Follow the link below for all of the information you need to know about your course induction.

Access NLS Central on NOW once you have completed enrolment.

NLS Central brings together helpful resources on Academic and Student Support – all in one Central location. It contains many useful guides to help you understand what is expected of you by the University and your tutors. It contains information on study techniques, student support, personal tutor support, referencing and good academic practice and is where you will also find the training package on how to improve your understanding of academic irregularities.

Checklist

  1. Please complete the pre-arrival activities and engage with the induction material.
  2. Your course leader is responsible for the course you are studying. Remembering their name will help if you need to talk about the course or raise any issues.
  3. In addition to your course leader, your personal tutor / academic tutors are pivotal in providing you with the support you’ll need. Make a note of their names for use throughout the year.
  4. Your student handbook can be found on the Course Learning Room in the NOW virtual learning environment. The handbook is uploaded as sections and contains all of the course information that you will need to know.
  5. When you start studying, you’ll be introduced to your library contact. They will make you aware of the library resources available to you.
  6. Remember to check your timetable regularly. Changes do occur, so it is important your version is up to date. If you have elected to receive notifications by text, ensure we have your current mobile phone number.
  7. Get to know your Course Learning Room in the NOW virtual learning environment. Here, you will be able to find and access useful course and module specific information.
  8. NTU have a Student Support Service based in the Newton building, which has a number of support functions to assist students throughout their studies. Getting to know what they provide and how to access the service will assist you if you need specialist support.
  9. The NLS Student Hub located on the fourth floor of the Chaucer building is where you can access administrative and other support. Staff are available to help and guide you, so please drop by if you have any queries.
  10. The NLS Student Hub contact details are; Email: blsnlssubjectadmin@ntu.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4270

The latest information about your course is available on NOW. We are here to help. Consult your module tutor / course tutor / School administrator (as appropriate) if you need any help or advice about your course.

Meet our alumni

We take great pride in our students who we believe make our outstanding institution what it is today. Our alumni connections with legal firms, both national and overseas, help ensure that our course content is useful and relevant to the legal profession. For this reason we continue to lead in the field of modern legal education.

Get involved

NLS has a vibrant and inclusive research culture with many members of staff involved in writing books, journal articles and conference presentations.

We have staff members who are leading researchers in their fields and who have global links and excellent contacts within the legal sector.

Research by members of the Law School has impact beyond the University, having been cited by courts, government bodies and NGOs. Staff have provided expert advice to governmental, legislative, regulatory and other organisations both nationally and internationally.

The main research activities are organised by our research centres and groups, which enable staff with similar research interests to consider ideas and develop joint projects, such as conferences and publications.

The Nottingham Law Journal is an annual, peer-reviewed publication featuring academic articles and critical commentary on matters of contemporary legal interest.

At NLS, we encourage students to spend some of their time studying in another country. You will have the opportunity to study in Europe, Australia, the United States or further afield with one of the study abroad programmes. Depending on your course, you can study abroad for either a semester or a year. You will benefit from both academic and personal experiences during your study exchange.

Find out more about the Erasmus and study abroad programmes. Please note these opportunities will be subject to Government and University policies on travel.

NLS has been running summer schools in various European cities for more than 15 years. Summer schools run for one week, are open to all NLS students, and are taught in English.

Each summer school has a different legal focus, giving you the opportunity to develop your understanding of the area of Law that you are most interested in.

  • Berlin – with a focus on international criminal justice including war crimes and the work of the International Criminal Court.
  • Geneva – with a focus on international humanitarian law and the role of the international organisations based in Geneva
  • Strasbourg – with a focus on human rights law and the work of the European Court of Human Rights.

All summer schools are subject to Government and University travel policies

Our students have many opportunities to develop and practice their mooting and mediation skills while studying with us.

Mooting

Mooting consists of arguing a legal problem against an opponent in front of a judge and has been a part of Law School almost as long as they have existed. Today mooting involves students producing written skeleton arguments in advance of the moot before presenting their arguments orally, as if in an appellate court. It requires students to have a detailed understanding of legal principles and an ability to apply these to specific factual circumstances. It is an indispensable skill for anyone wanting to go the Bar and is highly sought after in all legal careers. However, mooting also equips students with the transferable skills not just to be proficient lawyers and advocates, but also adept business people, presenting their points to colleagues with confidence and knowing how to argue and defend their position.

Due to these transferable skills Mooting is integrated throughout the LLB courses, with two core modules, Contract Law in year one and Criminal Law in year two assessed by moot. The most successful students also have the option to take mooting as a final year module.

Outside of modules, there are many opportunities to get involved with mooting throughout their time at NLS. The NLS Mooters Guild runs a number of internal competitions including a school-wide mooting competition and several issue specific competitions including a woman’s day moot and an international law moot. The Guild also organises for students to compete externally in a range of national and international competitions. To support students in this, the Guild runs workshops throughout the year to help students develop and practice the skills needed within mooting. Alongside this, NTSU’s student law society (LEX) runs successful internal mooting competitions and activities designed to assist students with their mooting skills.

Mediation and Negotiation

NLS is committed to equipping students with skills to be effective in the legal environment. Negotiation is a fundamental skill which pervades every area of the practice of law. Lawyers negotiate with or without their client present. Mediation is a process where parties to a dispute are present, with or without lawyers, and are assisted by an impartial third party (a mediator) to reach a mutually acceptable outcome through negotiation. In both negotiation and mediation, the lawyer’s skill in preparing for the negotiation and representation of their client is crucial. Our Centre for Mediation and Dispute resolution is dedicated to providing our students with the opportunities to learn and practise these skills in the form of internal competitions from which winners may enter national and international competitions.

Winners of the NLS internal competitions are awarded the Professor Miryana Nesic Memorial Prize for either Negotiation or Mediation Skills. Teams from NLS have previously won the UK Mediation Skills Competition held in the City of London and the International Commercial Mediation Competition held by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

NLS aims to ensure the highest level of competency and understanding for its students. In order to help achieve this, we arrange a series of lectures delivered by leading practitioners from a range of solicitors’ firms. It gives you the opportunity to see how the skills you are developing will be applied in a commercial and professional context. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and network with practitioners. Details of the individual lectures for 2023/24 will be communicated throughout the year.

NLS Legal

students and staff sat in NLS Legal reception

Our multi-award-winning law firm NLS Legal provides you with the opportunity to work within a fully regulated teaching law firm on real cases, supervised by full-time solicitors and experienced lawyers. The firm supports access to justice and provides legal advice and community outreach on a range of issues. The firm has achieved financial awards for its clients totalling over £5.5 million in compensation and benefits and was awarded Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2022, Best Contribution by a Law School at the LawWorks and Attorney General Student Pro Bono awards 2021 and was named Alternative Business Structure of the Year at the Modern Law Awards 2020 for its innovation and contribution to the community. Every academic year, hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate students get involved with the firm's activity in both curricular and extracurricular projects.

Find out more about NLS Legal and how to get involved.

You can find details of volunteering opportunities on the NLS Pro Bono Learning Room on NOW.

Your future career

Mooting at Nottingham Law School

We offer courses for all next stages of your professional training, if you are seeking a career in the legal sector. Your personal tutor will be able to advise you on the options open to you.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has now introduced the centralised Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) which is a new route to qualification. NLS are offering a wide range of SQE preparation courses which will prepare you to sit the SQE and you will be given more information about this new route to becoming a solicitor as you continue your studies especially as an LLB undergraduate student some of your modules may also help you prepare for the SQE.

Having delivered training for the Bar since 1997, in December 2019 NTU became an Authorised Education and Training Organisation and, as such, is authorised by the Bar Standards Board to deliver the vocational component of training leading to Call to the Bar.

We offer a 9 month LLM Barristers Training Course and a 6 month PgDip Barristers Training Course.

Those who successfully complete the vocational component and wish to practise at the Bar of England and Wales are required to undertake a one year pupillage.

The Bar Standards Board provides a useful overview of Bar training on its website. You may also wish to read the Bar Council’s downloadable publication Becoming a Barrister.

We offer a wide range of Masters in Law (LLM) programmes, where you will be able to enhance your knowledge of the legal profession by focusing on specific areas of the law. There will also be opportunities for you to work with our various research centres and groups, each specialising in their own areas of legal expertise.

Employability

It may seem a little early to be thinking about your future career but it's never too soon to start exploring your options - your future starts now. The Law School’s Employability team offers personalised careers guidance and support for making work experience and graduate job applications. The Team also advertises a variety of extra-curricular employability opportunities to all law students via the Employability Resource NOW learning room, MyEmployability and email bulletins.

Remember that you are developing your employability through your studies, too. We encourage you to recognise, and make the most of, in-curriculum opportunities such as the Employer Challenge, placements, group presentations and mooting.

  1. Bookmarked MyEmployability: NTU’s one-stop shop for employability information, events and opportunities.
  2. Applied to participate in the NLS 'Future Ready' Mentoring Programme.
  3. Followed NLS Legal on social media for updates on virtual internships and volunteering opportunities.
  4. Explored NTU’s extra-curricular Employability Awards, including the LawTech section of the Digital Award.
  5. Attended at least one employability event advertised via NLS’ Employability Resource NOW Learning Room.
  6. Spoken to law firms and other graduate recruiters about early career opportunities at the NLS Law Fair and NTU’s jobs fairs.
  7. Attended drop-in (in-person or online) to ask an adviser anything about: career options, applying for work experience or navigating MyEmployability.

Placements and work experience for undergraduate students

All undergraduate students will benefit from work experience in the form of the Employer Challenge and/or a range of optional modules and pathways:

  • Sandwich / year-long placement (between your penultimate and final years)
  • Half-year placement module (second year on the three-year LLB Law full time and LLB Business Law)
  • Certificate in Professional Practice
  • Law in Practice module (final year)

Undertaking a period of work experience during your studies is a great way to develop your career thinking, as well as your professional skills and identity.

For help with applying to extra-curricular work experience opportunities - such as those offered by NLS Legal - contact the Employability Team.

NLS Alumni Fellowship Programme and Employability Award

NLS draws upon the experience of the alumni community to support the professional and personal development of current undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Alumni and Industry Fellowship Programme enables NLS alumni to volunteer their time to share their knowledge to help improve students’ employability prospects and gain insight into the legal profession and alternative careers. By joining the Programme they are known as Alumni Fellows.

Students can take part in a number of activities that range from career mentoring, mock interviews, networking events, drop-in sessions and more. These are fantastic opportunities for students to learn from the experiences of former NLS students, build a professional network and gain insight into the broad range of career options open to law graduates.

Details of such activities will be shared during Term 1 and 2 so make sure to check your emails, 'MyEmployability - Events and Opportunities' and the NLS Employability NOW Learning Room.

NTU’s Employability Awards are designed to provide you with CV-worthy recognition of your employability-related extra-curricular activities. A suite of new, themed awards (Sustainability, Digital, Global and Enterprise) offer the opportunity to align your award experience with your interests, passions and values.

Library services and study spaces

People working at table

Whether you visit the library in person at one of the campus libraries or virtually through this website, we hope you will find your library friendly and welcoming, and able to support you in your learning, teaching and research. The library can offer you:

  • 24/7 IT facilities
  • group and individual study spaces
  • bookable project rooms
  • events and workshops
  • 1:1 appointments in person and online
  • Access to print and electronic resources
  • and much more

Find out more about the library services.

Pastoral and academic support

NLS has a dedicated pastoral adviser and a student support adviser who are committed to providing a high standard of academic and pastoral support.

A vital part of this support is providing personal tutors for all students. You will meet your personal tutor in the first week, in a session with your seminar group. You will continue to meet with your personal tutor throughout the year and undertake timetabled sessions with them and your seminar group. It is vital you attend these tutorials as they are designed to support your transition to university life, both academically and socially.

NTU aims to provide a supportive and caring community, and urge you to seek out advice, guidance and support at the earliest opportunity. The Student Services Centre offers fantastic support for our students, so we encourage you to use this facility if you have any issue at all.

NLS Central is a unique resource for students that brings together helpful resources on Academic and Student Support – all in one Central location. NLS Central will appear as a Learning Room under the ‘Student Communities’ heading when you log onto NOW. Scroll down the list of rooms and you will find NLS Central. You can Search for NLS Central in the search function in NOW and pin the page so that it always appears in your list of favourite learning rooms.

Your voice - make your contribution!

There are many different ways to get involved in NLS activities.

Get updates on events and connect with fellow students by joining our new Facebook group, The NLS Lounge.

We need student course and School Representatives to let us know if there are any issues that we need to resolve, and to give feedback on what is going well, or not so well. You will be given details of how to put yourself forward for these positions at the beginning of each academic year.

We set up focus groups, to find out more about the student experience and to get feedback on course delivery and innovation. We really appreciate any student feedback and welcome your views, comments and suggestions. Our aim is to continually improve the student experience. Watch out for communications inviting you to attend these sessions.

The focus of the forum is to exchange ideas and develop and improve systems to facilitate events and activities, which will enhance the Law School community and demonstrate your leadership, employability and workplace skills to the outside world.

Students will be invited to volunteer to be on the forum at the start of the academic year. If you are interested in being part of the forum, email matthew.homewood@ntu.ac.uk to contact the Deputy Dean.

As well as focus groups, we will ask you to complete feedback questionnaires throughout your course. These may include MySay questionnaires on your modules / course and the National Student Survey (NSS), which is a national survey completed annually by final year undergraduate students. We use the feedback you give us to make improvements to your course and would encourage you to complete these surveys.

We are always on the look out for new student profiles to showcase your experiences to prospective students. Please email Elyse Wakelin if you would like to have your profile online.

Student ambassadors and NLS CERT Student Mentors

NTU and NLS run many events throughout the year, including open days, seminars, lectures, and conferences.

The role of the Student Ambassador varies according to the event but it could include:

  • staffing your course stand at an open event
  • being prepared to talk about your experience studying with us
  • helping at registration
  • taking visitors on campus tours.

Ambassadors will receive training and will work alongside academic staff and members of the Marketing team.

The Student Ambassador scheme offers NTU students the opportunity to develop skills and confidence while being able to earn money by supporting these events.

Student Mentors are law students in their second or third year who have volunteered to help you settle in and find your way around NTU and NLS. They understand how you are feeling and can answer any questions you may have.

You will meet the mentors during Welcome Week and at key times throughout the year. Student Mentors offer you support, understanding, encouragement and help you become part of our Law School community.

Nottingham Trent Volunteering and NTU students in classrooms

NTU offers a wide range of fantastic opportunities to complement your academic studies and help you make the most of your time with us.

Offers opportunities to make an impact through volunteering in both local and global communities.

By responding to growing areas of need in:

  • Arts and Culture
  • Crime and Justice
  • Education and Attainment,
  • Environment and Sustainable Futures
  • Health and Wellbeing

You can help to make a difference while also developing essential skills that can support your studies and enhance your employability.

Globally, there are exciting volunteering opportunities to support charities in countries such as Romania, Greece, Uganda, Guatemala and Fiji.

Students in Classrooms make a difference in local schools. As a positive role model you will support pupil attainment and character development, whilst increasing awareness of higher education and the opportunities it can offer.

Get paid to work in local schools and colleges through initiatives such as:

  • Outreach Ambassadors
  • Learning Advocates
  • Achievement Coaches.

Students' Union and Societies

The Students' Union is the heart of student life at NTU and offers an array of services and activities. This includes everything from political engagement activities to a wide variety of entertainment and personal development opportunities.

Built in 2014, our City Campus Students’ Union offers three storeys of exciting social and leisure space including sports facilities, a 30 ft climbing wall, café lounges, a convenience store, and a 2,400-capacity live music venue, which doubles up as a daytime bar.

Want to meet students with similar interests to yours and socialise with them on a regular basis? Join an NTSU society. It’s one of the best things you can do at NTU.

These are some NLS societies that you could join:

LEX is the main law society here at NTU and is NTSU's Society of the Year! They were awarded this at the recent 2022 NTSU Awards for the outstanding work done offering a range of amazing opportunity!

LEX offers many opportunities, both academic and social, throughout the year to gain practical legal skills and access pro bono activities. LEX run a Buddy Scheme, provide a fortnightly Newsletter, run a Negotiation Series, and offer other exclusive opportunities in collaboration with NLS and external companies, and run independent events, like the publicly recognised ‘Women in Law Panel’! LEX also compete in Negotiation and Mooting competitions against other universities through Varsity and law firm events. As a society, they are incredibly social offering a range of socials, networking dinners, boat balls, trips and of course... the LEX Law Ball! They even have their very own football team.

Don’t miss out on your chance to join NTSU’s best society, gaining an amazing sense of community, whilst also having ample opportunity to develop professionally! They aren’t your average Law Society! Check out @ntu_law_society on Instagram to see everything on offer.

Our main aim is to help you develop your understanding of commercial awareness and develop this attribute for future applications. Commercial awareness is a vital skill not just for lawyers, but for a wide range of other careers. Commercial awareness is having an understanding of how businesses and organisations work and how current affairs can have an impact on them.

NTU Space Law & Exploration is the first society of its kind in Europe and is proud to be one of a handful in the world to give students the unique opportunity to learn and understand the national and international regulations surrounding all aspects of space. This includes the laws of satellite regulation and space shuttle launches to asteroid mining and Moon bases

Join the Space Law and Exploration Society

Contacts

Nottingham Law School Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4270

General Student Enquiries: blsnlssubjectadmin@ntu.ac.uk

Undergraduate Courses: nlsadminllb@ntu.ac.uk

Full time Masters Courses: nlsadminllm@ntu.ac.uk

Distance Learning Masters Courses: nlsadminllmdl@ntu.ac.uk

Postgraduate Diploma in Law: nls.pgdl@ntu.ac.uk

Legal Practice Course: nls.lpc@ntu.ac.uk

SQE Preparation Courses: nls.sqe@ntu.ac.uk

Barristers Training Course: nls.bptc@ntu.ac.uk

Professional Programs: plsadminteam@ntu.ac.uk

Email addresses for all other members of staff can be found in the Staff Directory.