Law, policing and justice

Where justice matters

SCHOLARLY EXCELLENCE
99% of our research was rated as 'internationally recognised' in the most recent national research exercise (REF 2014).
CAREER FOCUS

We have a strong focus on careers and employability. There are many opportunities to incorporate work experience into your programme. In addition, students can volunteer at our Legal Advice Centre, joining local solicitors in giving their time for free to support real people with real cases.
PRACTICAL AND HANDS-ON EDUCATION

All of our courses have a strong practical focus. Our qualifying LLB courses allow you and to obtain an additional diploma from the National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP). Our Criminology courses teach criminology in the context of current debates around crime and punishment and our policing courses are aimed at helping you to develop a career in professional policing.

Besnik Vrapi , BA (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice graduate

students on campus, university students on campus at UEL

Our undergraduate and postgraduate law courses provide legal education that relates legal knowledge social context and they are an excellent preparation for legal practice or work in the legal field.

We give our students opportunities to volunteer at our Legal Advice Centre, joining local solicitors to support real people with real cases. We have a chamber for moots and mock trials, and you’ll benefit from our strong links with the legal profession, law firms and NGOs, who provide speakers to inform, inspire and provoke new thinking.

Speakers in recent years have ranged from Lord Neuberger, former president of the UK Supreme Court to Michael Ignatieff, Canadian politician and President of the Central European University.

Our criminology department has excellent relationships with government departments and international bodies and has particular expertise in the fields of hate crime and the rise of the far right, cyber-crime and youth crime. Our policing programmes offer new gateways into policing careers in courses that are fully accredited by the College of Policing.

Our teaching philosophy combines academic excellence with giving students the practical skills and experience they need to succeed in their career. For more than four decades our law courses have combined an international outlook with fostering deep links to the legal community and to the East London area, the most dynamic and exciting urban setting in Europe.

Our courses are taught by experts in their fields with excellent international reputations in a vibrant academic environment.

Zain Umer , LLB (Hons) Law

students at university campus, students at stratford, USS campus, USS UEL

All our programmes are taught in the centre of Stratford, with our law and criminology programmes delivered taught at our state-of-the-art University Square Campus.

Our modern campus facilities are complete with extensive 24-hour library access, ultra-modern teaching hubs, tiered lecture theatres, seminar rooms, cafes and shops. To ensure our students get the best possible support, we’ve opened brand-new £3.1 million Student Support Hubs. These contain centralised help desks as well as comfortable areas to relax and socialise. The help desks provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for every possible need, from course-related enquiries to personal issues such as health and money matters.

The Legal Advice Centre

The innovative UEL Legal Advice Centre is a learning facility for our students. You will have the opportunity to volunteer to work with our team offering legal advice to members of the public who are unable access legal aid. The Legal Advice Centre specialises in cases involving contract/consumer law, family law, landlord/tenant law and welfare rights. The Centre also has a special project in partnership with the Sycamore Trust to provide free legal advice to those affected with Autism.

Our Legal Advice Centre provides excellent opportunities for our students to gain voluntary experience with external law firms and develop advocacy skills by participating in mooting and debating activities. This is a useful resource for our local community and an excellent way for you to gain invaluable legal experience handling real cases and helping real people.

Mooting Room

We have our own Mooting Room where you can participate in mock trials, mooting and debating. Our moots and debates are judged by external volunteers from the legal profession. In addition to this, students can also make use of available court rooms at Stratford Magistrates’ Court.

Location

Our location in Stratford is one of Europe’s largest regeneration areas, with easy access to the Royal Courts of Justice, Docklands and the City. Our extensive links to local employers will also give you access to fantastic internships and placements. From heavy industry to high-tech, health and social care to the arts, there are so many opportunities right on our doorstep.

Our staff

Our staff include legal practitioners, high profile scholars and academics and former law enforcement professionals. Whatever your interest, you’ll enjoy a wide choice of options taught by expert staff.

Find out more about our staff.

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At UEL you will be taught by active researchers who are working at the forefront of changes in law, criminology and policing. Our research philosophy is inter-disciplinary, drawing together different approaches to tackle major topical issues.

Our criminology team includes world-renowned experts in areas such as hate crime and the far right, gang crime, organised crime, youth justice, victim support, and race, ethnicity and crime. The staff have links with major policing and crime institutions across the world, including the United Nations, the Home Office and NGOs in both local and international arenas.

We also have an innovative Online Harms and Cyber Crime Unit which coordinates our research in this important new area study and practice.

Our law team has expertise in many areas including international law, human rights, financial technology regulation, public law, European social policy, world trade regulation, international business law, urban law and land rights, Islamic law and finance. Much of our research has an international orientation and an important relation to questions of social justice.

Our experts have contributed to international agencies including UN Habitat, UNDP, the International Peace Institute, the World Bank and Minority Rights Group International.

We also have a number of important research centres which support and coordinate our research, including:

The Noon Centre for Equality and Diversity in Business
The Centre on Human Rights in Conflict
The Centre for Islamic Law, Finance and Communities

UEL library, student in library studying on computer

Studying law, criminology or policing sets you up for a vast amount of varied careers, both within the legal and police sector, and in related fields. That’s why we offer a diverse range of courses as well as dedicated careers guidance for our students.

Studying one of our qualifying law degrees will set you up for a career at the bar, but you could decide to use your legal knowledge to teach, work in charities, work for government organisations, champion human rights, work in environmental law, journalism, construction, finance, policy advice and a huge range of other related fields.

Studying criminology or policing will put you on the path to a range of careers across the criminal justice sector and related fields. Graduates go on to work in the police, probation, social services, prisons, private security, community organisations, local government, charities, civil service, think tanks, journalism and academia. You will also develop highly sought-after transferable skills – including research, essay-writing, teamwork and communication – that will be attractive to employers in any field.

Studying our professional policing course will open pathways to careers in the police service and law enforcement and help you develop skills and knowledge essential to those careers.

At UEL, you’ll have access to:

Employability skills training such as interview techniques and CV writing.
Career Assessment, giving you the opportunity to learn about yourself and Career Coach will help you to discover career suggestions based on your interests.
UEL Skills Academy, where external professionals deliver sessions on the competencies most prized by graduate employers.
Internships, placements and volunteering opportunities from our work placements team.
Professional mentoring scheme, matching students with staff from major companies.
Networking opportunities and annual careers fair.
Support with setting up your own business.

Our location in one of Europe’s largest regeneration areas and our extensive links to local employers will also give you access to fantastic internships and placements. From heavy industry to high-tech, health and social care to the arts, there are so many opportunities right on our doorstep.

Explore Career Coach