Master of Laws LLM

Choose any six modules from those available across our LLM portfolio in the following subject areas (please be aware that all optional/elective modules are subject to availability, and NTU reserves the right to amend, change or withdraw modules at its discretion):

Sports Law

Sport Law and Regulation

The particular aims of the module are to support the development of a sophisticated understanding of the major themes which pervade the area, in particular those relating to: Self-, state- and co-regulation; Legal intervention and legal deference; The importance of the sporting context in the application of legal and regulatory principles; and Globalisation and internationalisation.

Sport IP and Commerce

This module introduces and develops the key issues underpinning the discipline of intellectual property in a sports context. It is both foundational – providing a theoretical and critical framework of intellectual property through which this and other related intellectual property law modules can be understood – and important in its own right as an opportunity to develop a broad critical understanding of intellectual property law.

European Sports Law and Policy

This module will consider the applicability and the application of European Union law to sporting activity. The module commences by developing an outline and critique of the various roles of the European Union institutions in respect of sport.

Sports and the Human Body

This module aims to foster a critical and detailed understanding of the bodily security interests and their related dignity interests engaged by sports participation.

International Dispute Resolution

This module aims to understand technical legal, procedural, political and commercial aspects of international dispute resolution. The module will equip students with a fundamental knowledge regarding litigation, arbitration and mediation - in the commercial environment from the perspective of the courts of England and Wales.

Human Rights

Human Rights

This module aims to evaluate the international structures and mechanisms for the protection of human rights, and evaluate the procedural and substantive protection afforded to human rights by international institutions.

Human Rights and Criminal Justice

To identify and explain the nature and significance of international human rights standards and their impact upon criminal justice.

Public International and Humanitarian Law

To develop knowledge and critical understanding of the international legal frameworks governing use of force, conduct of hostilities and protections of civilians in times of armed conflicts.

Terrorism and International Response

The module provides a unique opportunity to gain crucial awareness of such long-standing issues such as the distinction between ‘terrorists’ and ‘freedom fighters’.  Key issues are introduced and developed within appropriate theoretical and critical legal frameworks which facilitate analysis both of violent incidents having an international dimension in general, and of non-state violent group atrocities specifically.

Global Innovation and Intellectual Property

This module critically develops the key issues underpinning innovation and the discipline of patent law, including their application in UK and internationally, often in a public health and sustainable development context.

Victimisation and Criminal Justice

To explore the normative and pragmatic role of victims at various stages throughout the criminal process; to evaluate the extent to which existing criminal justice structures can protect the rights and meet the needs of victims; to investigate the viability of restorative processes as an alternative means of protecting victims’ rights; to examine the case for ‘mainstreaming’ restorative justice as an alternative to conventional justice; to consider future directions on law and policy reform in the light of international standard-setting and harmonisation.

International Criminal Law

The module provides a critical insight into the development and application of international criminal law, via a focus on the four "core" international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression), the evolution of relevant institutions (from the Nuremberg trials to the permanent International Criminal Court), and contemporary issues in applying the law.  Students exit the module with a good working knowledge and critical insight into this area of law and its application.

Expression Rights:  Art, Politics and Religion

This module explores issues in relation to freedom of expression and other expressive rights, for example, the right to manifest religion or belief, the right to vote and the right to peaceful assembly

Health Law

Regulation of Healthcare Quality

This module aims to examine the key areas of law relating to the practice of medicine in the UK, taking into account EU legislation and international health norms.  There will be particular focus on the law relating to medical malpractice, clinical governance, quality of healthcare, medication safety and patient centred care, including the protection of confidential information.

Employer and Health Law

This module aims to foster an understanding of the obligation of employers to care for the health of employees, particularly in the context of employees in a health care setting.

Mental Capacity and Mental Health Law

The module aims to identify and critically analyse the conceptual underpinnings and law relating to consent to medical treatment in the UK, mental capacity under the Mental Capacity Act and the civil law provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Beginning and Ending of Life

The module supports students in the identification and critical exploration of the legal and ethical issues in two key respects relating to human life.
The first, concerning the beginning of human life, focuses on ethical and legal issues relevant to the of use of assisted reproduction technology and conduct affecting the human embryo/foetus during pregnancy or resulting in that pregnancy coming to an end.
The second involves detailed consideration of ethical and legal implications of ending of life issues in a medical context.  The particular focus of this component of the module is the intentional shortening and assistance, in the shortening of life, and the withdrawing and withholding of life-maintaining intervention where the shortening of life is not intended.

Medical Use of the Human Body

The module aims to support students in gaining a critical appreciation of the conceptual aspects of medical use of the human body and critically explore it as a phenomenon. In doing so students are encouraged to adopt philosophical constructs and ethical principles as a means of developing a critical perspective on what constitutes appropriate constraint of medical use.

Global Innovation and Intellectual Property

This module critically develops the key issues underpinning innovation and the discipline of patent law, including their application in UK and internationally, often in a public health and sustainable development context.

International Commercial Law

International Commercial Transactions

The module aims to provide a supportive and structured learning environment in which to develop a high level of knowledge and critical insight into the scope, principles, effect and practice of commercial law in the field of international commercial transactions.

International Carriage of Goods

This module introduces the scope, principles, effect and practice of international commercial law in the field of the international carriage of goods,
and promotes a critical understanding of the regulation by international treaty of contracts for such carriage and of the legal complexities and difficulties arising in the application of such international treaties.

Corporate Governance

Large companies wield great power and can impact on lives in many ways.  Some will have power and reach equivalent to that a nation state.  The aim of this module is to consider how risks arising from corporate power can be addressed without stifling innovation.  We will look at how different types of shareholder can influence the way in which firms are run.  As well as this internal perspective we will consider the company’s external impact and how this shapes its obligations.  We will look primarily at the position in the UK with some comparative insights.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Develop detailed and in-depth knowledge of the concept of CSR, including its history, relevant theories, and limitations to legal policy and business practices in national, international, multi-sector and multi-disciplinary settings.

International Dispute Resolution

To allow students to understand the technical legal, procedural, political and commercial aspects of international dispute resolution. The module will equip students with a fundamental knowledge regarding litigation, arbitration and mediation - in the commercial environment from the perspective of the courts of England and Wales..

International Competition Law

This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the role and significance of competition law and its contribution to building a sustainable global economy.  It is about the legal regulation of market power to protect the interests of consumers in the context of increasing global trade and integration.  It examines laws regulating the behaviour of businesses aimed at protecting competition in markets and the effective enforcement of those laws.

Global Innovation and Intellectual Property

This module critically develops the key issues underpinning innovation and the discipline of patent law, including their application in UK and internationally, often in a public health and sustainable development context.

Global Data Governance, Technology and Corporate Responsibility

The module introduces key legal theory as applied to Global Data Governance and Technology.

International Energy Law

International Energy Transition Law and Regulation 

The aim of this module is to provide students with an understanding of the international legal framework governing natural resources and how climate change concerns have translated into policy, law and regulation for the transition to renewable energy sources to meet carbon neutral/net zero emissions targets.

International Energy Investment Law

This module aims to introduce students to the relationship between international energy investment law and sunset to sunrise renewable energy projects, particularly solar and wind. It examines the challenges to renewable energy projects and discusses how regulatory solutions are deployed as a response to challenges at national, regional and international level.

International Environmental and Climate Change Law

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the evolution of international law for environmental protection and its application to the global energy and extractive industries. The former, global energy aspects will include environmental law issues arising from traditional hydrocarbon energy sources, to renewables such as wind, solar, hydropower & geothermal industries; whereas the latter, extractive industries includes traditional mining activities, as well as minerals such as lithium & copper that are significant for the clean energy technologies, such as electric cars.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Develop detailed and in-depth knowledge of the concept of CSR, including its history, relevant theories, and limitations to legal policy and business practices in national, international, multi-sector and multi-disciplinary settings.

International Dispute Resolution

To allow students to understand the technical legal, procedural, political and commercial aspects of international dispute resolution. The module will equip students with a fundamental knowledge regarding litigation, arbitration and mediation - in the commercial environment from the perspective of the courts of England and Wales..

Technology Law

Regulation of Emerging Technologies, Cryptoassets and Blockchain

The module will enable the development of in depth knowledge and critical insights to support the development of a sophisticated and critical understanding of the main regulatory approaches, theories and controversies regarding blockchain and cryptoassets technologies.

Artificial Intelligence: Legal Aspects

This module will consider the potential of artificial intelligence alongside its risks, using a thematic approach.  It will enable the development of high-level knowledge and critical insights to support the development of a sophisticated and critical understanding of  the theories, ethics and principles that underlie artificial intelligence usage in different contexts, and the main regulatory approaches, theories and controversies regarding artificial intelligence.

Fundamentals of Intellectual Property

This module aims to introduce students to a critical and detailed understanding of intellectual property rights within UK regulatory framework whilst introducing some elements of comparative law by looking also at EU IP law. It aims to provide an overview of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) looking at the fundamentals of copyright, patents, designs and trade marks.  The modules seeks to contextualise IPRs in terms of their economic and commercial utility whilst examining some of the issues that are posed on the path to commercialisation.

Global Innovation and Intellectual Property

This module critically develops the key issues underpinning innovation and the discipline of patent law, including their application in UK and internationally, often in a public health and sustainable development context.

Contemporary Issues in Technology and IP Law

This module aims to develop students’ understanding of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) with a focus on technology and how IPRs interact with some of the key technological themes of modern times.  It aims to develop an awareness of some of the issues which IPRs face but also issues which they can solve.  The modules seeks to ask students to consider whether IPRs are always suitable or whether there are better options and why this might be the case.

Global Data Governance, Technology and Corporate Responsibility

The module introduces key legal theory as applied to Global Data Governance and Technology.

International Competition Law

This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the role and significance of competition law and its contribution to building a sustainable global economy.  It is about the legal regulation of market power to protect the interests of consumers in the context of increasing global trade and integration.  It examines laws regulating the behaviour of businesses aimed at protecting competition in markets and the effective enforcement of those laws.

Corporate Law

Corporate Governance

Large companies wield great power and can impact on lives in many ways.  Some will have power and reach equivalent to that a nation state.  The aim of this module is to consider how risks arising from corporate power can be addressed without stifling innovation.  We will look at how different types of shareholder can influence the way in which firms are run.  As well as this internal perspective we will consider the company’s external impact and how this shapes its obligations.  We will look primarily at the position in the UK with some comparative insights.

Business Organisations

This module examines the key business models available to small and medium sized businesses in the UK and compares their various legal features in order to develop legal expertise in setting up, running and winding up a business, and the ability to evaluate the relative merits of the different models for different businesses.

Corporate Insolvency Law

This module aims to provide a supportive and structured learning environment in which to develop a high level of knowledge and critical insight of the structure and objectives of corporate insolvency law in England and Wales. As a key element of this analysis the module seeks to foster an evaluative appreciation of the key themes arising in the context of the regulation of insolvent companies. The module further seeks to develop in the student a high level of understanding of the role of traditional liquidation against the background of the modern preference for business rescue.

Fundamentals of Intellectual Property

This module aims to introduce students to a critical and detailed understanding of intellectual property rights within UK regulatory framework whilst introducing some elements of comparative law by looking also at EU IP law. It aims to provide an overview of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) looking at the fundamentals of copyright, patents, designs and trade marks.  The modules seeks to contextualise IPRs in terms of their economic and commercial utility whilst examining some of the issues that are posed on the path to commercialisation.

Global Data Governance, Technology and Corporate Responsibility

The module introduces key legal theory as applied to Global Data Governance and Technology.

Contemporary Issues in Technology and IP Law

This module aims to develop students’ understanding of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) with a focus on technology and how IPRs interact with some of the key technological themes of modern times.  It aims to develop an awareness of some of the issues which IPRs face but also issues which they can solve.  The modules seeks to ask students to consider whether IPRs are always suitable or whether there are better options and why this might be the case.

Global Innovation and Intellectual Property

This module critically develops the key issues underpinning innovation and the discipline of patent law, including their application in UK and internationally, often in a public health and sustainable development context.

Dissertation

You will start your dissertation after completing these modules.

The dissertation is an extended piece of academic work, independently researched and written. You will be supported in your work by one-to-one supervision from a tutor expert in the chosen field. Subject to academic suitability and the availability of an appropriately expert tutor, you may select your own area of study for the dissertation phase of the course.

Please note modules run subject to sufficient student numbers.

At NLS, embedding work experience and practical skills development into the curriculum is a priority focus as we know it helps produce well rounded graduates with increased employability skills. Here are just some of the ways you'll be able to get involved:

NLS Legal

Our on-campus teaching law firm, NLS Legal, is the only of its kind amongst all UK universities. Students from all years can work with NLS Legal and are involved in all aspects of the running of our law firm, from dealing with new enquiries and helping monitor risk and compliance, to conducting client interviews, undertaking relevant research, drafting letters of advice and even representing clients at tribunal.

Support Through Court

Through NLS Legal, you can gain legal work experience through our partner organisation, Support Through Court, a national charity that provides practical and emotional support to people going through court without representation (litigants in person).

NLS hosts Support Through Court Nottingham and Support Through Court's National Online services, providing NLS students with hundreds of on-campus work experience opportunities every year.

Additional opportunities

Find out more about your NLS experience, including the opportunities to engage in competitions and extra-curricular activities.