Law
The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) programme aims to provide learners with a rigorous legal education. The programme aims to create in learners a critical understanding of foundational legal concepts and principles, and an ability to make connections between them and appreciate the relationship between the various areas of law.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | QQI |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | QQI | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 Years
Specific Subjects or course requirements
2 H5 + 4 O6/H7 to include English or another language.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Selection of CAO applicants will be made on the basis of points. Your points will be calculated by adding together the points scored in the best of six subjects in a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate. The results of two sittings at Leaving Certificate (or equivalent examination) can be combined for the purposes of meeting the subject requirements for minimum entry. DBS currently awards bonus points for Honours maths students. Please note that bonus points will only apply where Mathematics is counted as one of the best six subjects for the applicant.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Points Calculation Grid
Applicants can use their link module for points allocation as one of their six subjects for the purpose of calculating points and it will therefore count as a passing subject.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Minimum entry requirements for graduates of FETAC awards is a full FETAC award at Level 5 on the NFQ and which includes a Distinction grade in at least three modules. A full FETAC award normally consists of eight modules. A record of achievement/component certificate does not meet minimum entry standards. FETAC Level 5 awards will be accepted in any discipline. Further details can be obtained from the Admissions Office.
Careers / Further progression
Career Opportunities
The Bachelor of Laws degree provides a firm foundation for students wishing to train as solicitors or barristers.
Additionally a law degree is one of the most respected undergraduate qualifications. It opens up a range of career opportunities apart from the practice of the law. Law graduates are employed in a wide variety of areas including commercial industry, social sciences, politics, the media and the public service. A legal education therefore opens more doors than just the practice of law.
Dublin Business School has a dedicated Careers and Appointments Services department who work to develop the career prospects of the student body by teaching employment skills to be utilised following graduation and throughout a student’s professional life. The Careers office additionally publicises recruitment campaigns and current vacancies that may be of interest to students.
This programme is aimed at learners wishing to undertake an undergraduate programme in law. The programme is aimed both at those who wish to pursue professional qualifications in law after graduating along with those seeking the general legal education and useful transferable skills that are an integral part of the programme.
On completion of this programme, learners will possess a strong foundation in all of the core areas of law (as prescribed by the professional bodies), as well as knowledge of certain more specialised legal areas that will facilitate work in practice, in industry and in the public and non- profit sectors. The skills pillar in the programme ensures that learners will have acquired critical and innovative thinking and reasoning skills, strong research and information literacy skills and communication skills.
Further Study Options
The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) enables graduates who wish to qualify as solicitors, to sit the Law Society of Ireland entrance examinations. The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) also enables graduates to sit the Honorable Society of King’s Inns entrance examinations, the passing of which are a prerequisite for taking the Barrister-at-Law degree.
Based on successful completion of the Bachelor of Laws (Hons) learners may progress to a Level 9 NFQ programme in law or related areas.
Further information
Students who are applying to programmes as mature applicants will be required to be over the age of 23 as on 1st January in the year of entry. Mature students may apply through the CAO or directly to the college. They are not required to do both. Mature students are assessed on basis of age, educational standard and work experience to date.
All applicants presenting other qualifications should contact the Admissions Office directly to discuss their eligibility criteria.
Please note DBS is an independent college and therefore fees apply.
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Overview
The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) programme at DBS offers a three year law degree programme where the learner studies all the core aspects of Irish law. The design of the Bachelor of Laws (Hons) programme not only ensures that graduates are eligible to proceed to training with the professional bodies, but also, through the embedding of a central skills pillar, ensures that graduates will be placed in an optimal position to enter the employment arena in the many other legal and associated fields that exist within the current marketplace.
The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) is designed to facilitate progression to the Law Society of Ireland (Solicitors), and approved by the Honorable Society of King's Inns for the purpose of eligibility to sit the entrance exams for the Barrister-at-Law degree programme.
Why Study Law at DBS?
► Strong pastoral care ethos.
► Up to date careers guidance and counselling.
► Key transferable skills (including research, IT, presentations etc.) taught and developed through the course.
► Emphasis on advocacy training and mooting.
► Focus on examination technique.
► Competitive fee structure.
► Flexible delivery – daytime or evening classes.
► The study of law improves and develops the student’s power of reasoning, clarity of thought and the ability to analyse and express complicated ideas.
► Studying law has an appeal to any student considering a career in the legal profession.
► A Law Degree opens up a range of career opportunities apart from the practice of law (commercial industry, social sciences, politics, the media and public service).
► You will be taught by very experienced and enthusiastic lecturers who really ‘connect’ with the students and most of whom have significant experience of legal practice which they use to illustrate and enrich their teaching.
► The curriculum is orientated towards employability.
► Track record of excellent examination results
► You will receive a rounded and stimulating educational experience in Ireland’s largest independent third level institution which comprises a diverse and vibrant student community over 9,000 strong, thus facilitating greater social, leisure and sporting opportunities than can be provided by smaller institutions.
Aims and Objectives
The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) programme aims to provide learners with a rigorous legal education. The programme aims to create in learners a critical understanding of foundational legal concepts and principles, and an ability to make connections between them and appreciate the relationship between the various areas of law. It also aims to enhance the practical skills of the learners, such as analysis, research, communication, interpersonal and organisation skills. The content, depth and breadth of the modules on the programme ensure that learners develop their understanding across the breadth of the core legal areas, along with some more specialised ones, as well as allowing learners to explore certain areas in more detail to allow for full expression of their analytical and reasoning abilities.
The programme also aims to prepare learners for progression to professional legal qualifications in Ireland by requiring students to develop a fundamental understanding of the core Irish legal subjects to facilitate progression to the Law Society of Ireland (Solicitors) or the Honorable Society of King’s Inns (Barristers) Examinations.
At the same time it is recognised that while, initially, many students will aspire to qualify professionally and engage in private practice, a significant number of our graduates will enter different career pathways. Accordingly, the programme aims to equip students for a range of careers by using teaching and learning techniques that develop their intellectual and transferable skills. These skills are designed to strengthen their employability in careers that may be unrelated to the professional practice of law.
Widening access to the benefits to be derived from a rigorous legal education remains the core justification for the programme. In addition, emphasis is also placed on strengthening the transferable skills dimension of the programme in order to enhance the employment opportunities of our graduates.
The programme objectives are to allow learners to:
► Acquire a solid grounding in legal principles and the fundamental features of the Irish legal system.
► Gain a fundamental understanding of the core Irish legal subjects.
► Progress to the professional stage of training in Ireland with the Law Society of Ireland or the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, if desired.
► Develop a range of transferable skills including the powers of inquiry, critical analysis and logical thinking, initiative, independent learning and commitment to scholarship.
► Develop a fundamental understanding of the role of law within society.
The programme is targeted at the following learners:
► Recent school-leavers who wish to gain an undergraduate education in law.
► Full-time learners who are seeking career advancement by obtaining a legal education, including both those currently seeking employment and those working wishing to upskill in the area of law.
► Applicants who meet the minimum entry requirements of two H5 + four O6/H7, to include English in Irish Leaving Certificate. Any FETAC Level 5/6 award with three Distinctions will also meet the entry requirements for all programmes.
► Applicants without this will be considered on the basis of the recognition of prior learning (RPL). Such applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis.
► Mature applicants who are over 23 years of age on the 1st of January on the year of admission and do not meet the minimum entry requirements, are also welcomed. Mature students apply directly to the Admissions Office at Dublin Business School and are assessed on the basis of age, work experience, general education standards, motivation and commitment to the programme for which they are applying.
The Bachelor of Laws (Hons) LL.B has the following content:
Year 1
Core Modules
• Introduction to Legal Research Skills
• IT Skills for Law
• Criminal Law
• Constitutional Law
• Legal Systems
• Contract Law
Year 2
Core Modules
• Mooting and Professional Practice
• Law of Tort
• European Union Law
• Law of Real Property
• Company Law
• Commercial Law
Year 3
Core Modules
• Contemporary Issues in Law
• Equity and Trusts
• Administrative Law
Elective Modules - Choose 3
• Jurisprudence
• Family Law
• Law of Evidence
• Employment Law
• International Law
Teaching and Assessment
The assessment tasks for each module have been designed to be part of the wider programme. The programme as a whole contains a variety of different assessments to test different skills such as written and oral communication skills, problem solving and persuasion skills amongst others. Assessment types will include research essays, responding to problem questions, presentations, in class tests and participation in a moot. Many modules will also include traditional style examination as an assessment type.
Exams also play an important part in the assessment strategy. In addition, because both of the legal professional bodies, the Honorable Society of King’s Inns and the Law Society, require entrants to sit and pass a number of exams before proceeding to professional qualification, exam taking itself is regarded as an important skill to develop over the course of the programme. The programme is designed to build from a smaller number of lower weighted exams in Year 1 to a higher number of more heavily weighted exams in Year 3.
Awarding Body: Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Award: Honours Bachelor Degree
NFQ Level: Level 8
Award Title: Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
Award Type: Major
T: +353 (0) 1 4177500
E: admissions@dbs.ie