A Window into our Diploma in Legal Studies Course

The Diploma in Legal Studies course is a two–year course in which students take 14 substantive law subjects, covering each of the core areas of law essential to practise at the Bar. Currently in its fourth decade, the course is primarily aimed at people who do not hold a law degree but who would like to qualify as barristers; however, the course also attracts students with a more general interest in the law or who wish to learn more about the law due to the nature of their existing career.

Entrants to the course include graduates from areas other than law, as well as mature applicants aged 23 years and older. This entry policy ensures consistent diversity and a vibrant student body whose members benefit from one another’s range of experience and who go on to enrich the Bar by ensuring that all sections of society are represented in the profession.

The Diploma in Legal Studies course is taught in a highly interactive manner and relies heavily on the use of small group teaching and problem–based learning. Passive learning (where students listen and do not engage with the material) is discouraged on this course; instead, students are expected to engage in active learning, particularly in tutorials. In tutorials, students have the opportunity to apply the principles learned during lectures and their own reading. They may be asked to advise clients, moot, debate or give a presentation. 

Taught by a team of qualified barristers with extensive experience in legal education, the Diploma in Legal Studies course is a demanding one.  Graduates have gone on to achieve top places in the entrance examination and in the Barrister–at–Law degree course.  A recent review of the course commented that, “King’s Inns should be commended very highly for offering a high quality educational programme providing access to legal studies and legal training…”  King’s Inns is justifiably proud of this course and we hope it continues to flourish in an evolving educational and regulatory landscape.

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