Page last updated: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
The Diploma in Legal Studies is a two–year law course leading to:
This qualification is awarded independently by The Honorable Society of King’s Inns. The skills and competencies gained in studying in this institution are transferable, portable, and recognised internationally. The Diploma in Legal Studies is a valuable qualification delivered by expert legal practitioners, specialising in legal education.
Students have the option of attending all lectures and tutorials online as well as in–person at King’s Inns. Delivering the entire course online allows people to do the course regardless of their geographical location. Please note that examinations are in–person at King’s Inns.
Many Diploma graduates have found the qualification to be of benefit in their current career or have gone on to use the qualification to open new career opportunities for them in the public service, private sector, or in the provision of legal services.
Some Diploma graduates have progressed to further study of law by doing taught or research masters or PhDs. Others chose to do the course simply because they were interested in learning the law. Every year, a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds do this course such as nurses, teachers, taxi drivers, civil servants, communication and HR professionals, and people who are retired or in the middle of changing careers.
“The Diploma’s student body is diverse. Students come from different social, educational, professional, and geographical backgrounds and quickly realise how conducive this diversity is to their learning. Many have a third–level non–law qualification. But some do not. Indeed, the Diploma is open to people with no formal education whatsoever.”
Ciarán Patton BL, Academic Coordinator / Course Leader, Diploma in Legal Studies
As Diploma graduates are eligible to sit the Entrance Examination for the degree of Barrister–at–Law, the course also attracts students who want to qualify as a barrister. As far as qualifying as a barrister is concerned, Diploma graduates are as well–placed as those who have a recognised law degree from a third–level institution in Ireland. Diploma graduates report that the course prepares them well for the Degree. This is reflected in the fact that Diploma graduates have traditionally done as well as, and frequently better than, law–degree graduates in the Entrance Examination and on the degree of Barrister–at–Law itself.
The course demands a significant time commitment from students, who cover the same core subjects as undergraduate law students but over a shorter period of time.
Successful completion of the course requires students to demonstrate an impressive breadth of legal knowledge, as well as legal reasoning, problem–solving, communication and research skills.
“I have been a student at the Royal College of Music, Trinity Laban, and the University of St Andrews and lectured at University College Cork for over a decade. I rate the teaching standard at King’s Inns as the highest I have come across. Not alone do all the lecturers have a truly profound knowledge of their subjects, but they also have uncommon skills in delivering it.’’
Diploma Graduate 2023
Diploma students come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. Many have a non–law degree or other third–level qualification. But some do not. Indeed, the Diploma is open to people with no formal education whatsoever. Mindful that some Diploma students have been away from formal education for a long time or have no formal education whatsoever, we deliver a Study–Skills Course on five evenings during the two weeks before the Diploma starts. Topics include:
The Study–Skills Course is provisionally scheduled for 5.45 pm to 8 pm on the following dates during the first two weeks before the Diploma’s provisional start date: September 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10.
Because class times suit students in employment, most students continue working while doing the course.
Weekdays
Lectures are at 5.45 pm to 8 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Tutorials are at 5.45 pm to 9 pm on Thursdays (a small number of classes are on Friday evenings, e.g. to make up for bank–holiday Mondays).
Weekends
Tutorials are also at 9.30 am to 4.45 pm on the following Saturdays spread throughout the academic year: September 21, October 5, November 2, November 30, January 18, February 15, March 15, and April 12.
Term and Examination Dates 2024 –2025
Students have the option of:
Lectures: Lectures are information–delivery sessions in which the lecturer explains a topic related to the subject. Lectures are delivered in–person in King’s Inns and live–streamed. Students attending lectures (whether in–person or online) can ask questions at the end of them. This ensures interaction between students and lecturers.
We also record lectures and publish the recordings on Moodle, our virtual learning environment. Recordings can be streamed on a range of devices and an unlimited number of times but cannot be downloaded. Students can access the recordings remotely at anytime from anywhere provided they have an internet connection. The availability of lecture recordings online obviously facilitates students who miss lectures. But it is also of tremendous assistance for revision purposes, enabling students to revisit lectures when preparing for the exams.
Tutorials: Tutorials are small–group, interactive sessions. We don’t record them. Tutorials are a key aspect of the course. They are a shared space to apply what you have learned in lectures and from reading and to make and correct mistakes. We organise students into small groups to optimise their learning experience.
Although attendance at lectures and tutorials is not compulsory, we encourage regular attendance at them.
Materials: For each subject, we publish a Course Map, a Course Manual, and Tutorial Session Plans on Moodle. The Course Map is a syllabus with additional information about how topics are covered. Topics are covered in lectures, in tutorials, by independent study, or a combination thereof. The Course Manual allows students to read ahead before lectures, prepare for tutorials, and read over material after classes to consolidate their knowledge. It reduces the need to take notes and helps with revision, too. Tutorial Session Plans contain information about the tutorials in each subject, e.g., learning outcomes, guidelines about preparation for the tutorial, and the tutorial exercises.
Classes, especially tutorials, are interactive–student engagement is encouraged. Tutorials are small–group sessions during which students must complete diverse tasks like problem–solving, mooting, advising fictional clients, consultations, and presenting and opposing legal arguments.
Our emphasis on small–group teaching and learning fosters student engagement and active learning and makes the course especially rewarding.
The course provides a very broad legal education and covers the core law subjects which are essential to further study of law and practising law in Ireland. During their first year, students study the following subjects:
During their second year, students study the following subjects:
All lecturers and tutors have impressive qualifications (including LLMs from colleges like Harvard, Oxbridge, and the London School of Economics, as well as PhDs from reputable Irish and UK universities).
Because lecturers and tutors are also qualified barristers, they have a keen understanding of how the law works in the real world. All members of the teaching team have extensive teaching experience. Learn more about our teaching team here >
Students can also attend optional court visits and take part in mooting and debating competitions inside the School of Law and at national and international level. Please see our Mooting and Debating page for further information.
King’s Inns has a student society called the LSDSI. Diploma students are welcome to participate in its yearly activities and help organise events throughout the year.
Students can also take part in sporting events and other activities like our online book club, wellness activities, and a fun ON THE MOVE fitness challenge we run during the first term of the academic year.
Funded by King’s Inns, the Maurice Gaffney Scholarship assists students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who wish to do the Diploma in Legal Studies course.
Find further information here >
Application Fees
A non–refundable application fee of €200 is payable upon application on or before midnight on July 31. A non–refundable late application fee of €300 applies after this date.
Tuition Fees
Payment of the total tuition fee is over the two years. Two payment options for each year of the course are set out below. Please note that failure to pay the fees by the due dates may result in your access to the course being removed.
If you choose the part–payment option, there is a facilitation fee of €225.00 which is automatically added to your fee–payment schedule on the Application Portal.
You should view the Fees and Charges >
Those falling into the following categories are eligible to apply for a place on the course:
Graduate Applicant: A graduate applicant must hold an approved non–law degree from a third–level educational institution. Degrees conferred by foreign educational institutions may also suffice. The Education Committee decides whether a foreign degree is acceptable.
Mature Applicant: A mature is an applicant who does not have a degree or formal education, but is at least 23 years of age on May 1 in the year when they would sit the Diploma–I examinations.
King’s Inns’ Education Committee allocates places to mature applicants. Although the Committee considers academic and professional qualifications, the Diploma is – as mentioned above – open to people who may be an applicant who does not hold a degree or does not have a formal education whatsoever. The Committee also considers a mature applicant’s work experience and other information provided by the applicant which demonstrates their ability to do a course of this level. An interview may be required.
International Applicants: International students are eligible to apply for a place on the course, either as a graduate or mature applicant. There is no extra fee for international applicants.
When making an application through the below Application Portal, you will be asked for the following supporting documents.
Closing Date for Applications: midnight on July 31, 2024.
To verify your personal details, you must first create an account on the Application Portal through the “register and apply here” button below. Once you verify your email address in the Portal, you can then proceed with your application.
The application fee, on or before midnight on July 31, is €200 after which a late application fee of €300 applies. Application Fees are Non–Refundable.
If you have questions about the course, please contact the Course Coordinator, Ciarán Patton, at ciaran.patton@kingsinns.ie.