University of Aberdeen School of Law

University of Aberdeen
School of Law
Established 1495
Type Law school
Head Ms Anne-Michelle Slater
Administrative staff
 42 academic
Students 960 approx.
Undergraduates 800
Postgraduates 160
Location Aberdeen, Scotland
Coordinates: 57°09′55″N 2°06′04″W / 57.16528°N 2.10111°W
Colours
                             
Affiliations University of Aberdeen
Website abdn.ac.uk/law

The School of Law at the University of Aberdeen dates back to the University's foundation in 1495.[1] Today, it is one of the largest law schools in Scotland, admitting some two hundred and fifty students each year, as well as over forty international exchange students.[1] The School offers both undergraduate and taught and research postgraduate degrees, as well as the Diploma in Legal Practice and Professional Competence Course.[2]

The Head of the School of Law is Ms Anne-Michelle Slater.

History

The history of the School of Law began with the establishment in 1495 of King's College, Aberdeen, the original university in Aberdeen, by William Elphinstone, then Bishop of Aberdeen and himself a former lawyer. In 1860, King's merged with Aberdeen's other university, Marischal College, to form the current University.

Today

Today, the School of Law has around one thousand students studying undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and houses two research centres: the Centre for Property Law and the Civil Law Centre. The School was rated the eighth best department in the UK, and first in Scotland, in The Times' Good University Guide 2010,[3] although it placed nineteenth in the UK and second in Scotland in The Guardian's table the same year.[4] In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the School submitted 35.7 FTE staff, the third-highest number of legal research staff in Scotland, after Glasgow (37.95) and Edinburgh (48.74). Five of the School's research submissions were rated the highest 4*, the same number as Dundee and Stirling, but behind Glasgow's fifteen, Strathclyde's twenty and Edinburgh's thirty. The School achieved thirty 3*, forty-five 2* and twenty 1* submissions.[5]

Courses

Undergraduate

Postgraduate
Taught degrees[7]

  • Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Commercial Law
  • LL.M. in European Law
  • LL.M. in European and International Law
  • LL.M. in Criminal Justice
  • LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law
  • LL.M. in International Commercial Law
  • LL.M. by Distance Learning in International Business Law
  • LL.M. in Sustainable Development and Law
  • LL.M. in International Law
  • LL.M. in Criminal Justice and Human Rights
  • LL.M. in Human Rights and Criminal Justice
  • LL.M. in Human Rights
  • LL.M. in Oil & Gas Law
  • LL.M. in Private International Law
  • LL.M. in International Law and Globalisation

Research degrees[8]

Aberdeen Summer Program
In addition, the School of Law plays host to the annual Aberdeen Summer Program in co-operation with the University of Baltimore School of Law and University of Maryland School of Law. The course examines comparison of U.S. and U.K. law, and is taught by Scottish and American tutors. Twenty American law students participated in the 2008 program, and thirty-two American law students are enrolled in the 2009 program.[9]

International Exchange

In between years 2 and 3 of the LLB (with a language or European Legal Studies) course, students are given the opportunity to spend time studying in another country, learning its respective legal system and possibly its language. Current options open to students include the Université Libre de Bruxelles and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, Aarhus Universitet in Denmark, the University of Helsinki in Finland, the University of Auvergne, Pierre Mendès-France University and Lumière University Lyon 2 in France, the Universities of Freiburg, Marburg and Regensburg in Germany, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, the University of Bergen in Norway, Universidad de Deusto and Universidad de Sevilla in Spain, and the Universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town in South Africa.

Aberdeen Student Law Review

The Aberdeen Student Law Review (ASLR)[10] is a student run academic law review founded in 2010.[11] The ASLR is entirely managed, written, edited and peer-reviewed by Students and Alumni of the University of Aberdeen. It is sponsored by Stronachs LLP who also provide a prize for the best submission to the review.[12] The Hon. Lord Woolman acts as Honorary Editor and Patron of the ASLR.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About the School of Law". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "Prospective Students". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  3. ↑ Watson, Roland; Elliott, Francis; Foster, Patrick. "University Rankings League Table 2010". The Times (London). Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  4. ↑ "University guide 2010: Law". London: The Guardian. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  5. ↑ "RAE 2008 : Quality profiles - Law". Research Assessment Exercise. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  6. ↑ "Prospective Undergraduates". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  7. ↑ "The Taught Master of Laws Degree". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  8. ↑ "Research Degrees in Law". University of Aberdeen School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  9. ↑ "University of Baltimore School of Law » Aberdeen Summer Program". University of Baltimore School of Law. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  10. ↑ http://www.abdn.ac.uk/law/student-activities/aberdeen-student-law-review-95.php
  11. ↑ http://www.abdn.ac.uk/law/student-activities/about-us-98.php
  12. ↑ http://www.abdn.ac.uk/law/student-activities/sponsorship-102.php

External links