Available Programmes of Study

International Commercial Law with Professional Skills

Qualification Duration Learning Mode Study Mode Start Month Location  

LLM 12 months On Campus Learning Full Time January View

Programme Information

Semester 1

Semester 1

For January students, the first semester covers courses with the prefix LS55.

---

Compulsory Courses

Students must complete LS551T and LS552P.

Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship (LS551T)

This compulsory course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which would be required to excel in LLM-Taught courses. It commences with a few lectures and progresses to working in a workshop environment and finally to the submission of an individual assignment. It also incorporates elements such as library workshops to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.

View detailed information about this course

International Investment Law and Arbitration In the Energy Sector (LS552P)

30 Credit Points

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their particular strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century.

View detailed information about this course

---

Optional Courses

Thereafter three optional courses must be selected from the list below and in semester 3. Students may not select both LS5083 and LS5085 together.

Alternatively, three optional courses can be selected from the list below and in semester 3 and one from another LLM programme (excluding LS501E, and LS551K).

Corporate Environmental Liability (LS551L)

30 Credit Points

Corporate environmental liability is a significant area of concern not only for those corporations engaged in activities which exhibit environmental risk but society as whole. An efficient, effective liability regime must be present to ensure that corporations do not shirk their financial liabilities. The course draws attention to the conflicting goals of corporate law (i.e. the limitation of liability) and environmental law (i.e. ensuring that polluters pay for damage caused) and encourages students to consider and develop solutions to this problem. Whilst the course focuses on EU environmental law, many of the concepts covered are relevant to other jurisdictions.

View detailed information about this course

Trade Marks and Brand Development (LS5584)

30 Credit Points

This course tracks the ongoing interactions between trade mark and related laws on the one hand and the social and commercial practices of branding on the other. Through the use of cases and contemporary examples throughout, the course views trade mark and related laws within their historical, current, and developing social and commercial contexts. It offers a critical view of certain developments in the laws, their roles in and responses to the evolving practices of branding. It provides students with both an analytical and a practical view on the protection of trade mark and related rights.

View detailed information about this course

International Trade and Finance Law (LS5588)

30 Credit Points

This course focuses on the difficulties which can arise when the buyer and seller of goods are located in different legal systems: we examine the sources of International Trade Law and the legal issues arising for buyer and seller in an international sale of goods transaction. We consider how to minimise or avoid these difficulties in the following contexts: the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the CISG; Incoterms and bills of lading; International Documentary Letters of Credit; dispute resolution by litigation and arbitration.

View detailed information about this course

Commercialising Innovation and Law (LS5595)

30 Credit Points

Students will explore the diversity of laws and practices relevant to commercialising innovation. We will consider patents, trade secrets, copyright and database rights, new business models, competition, natural resources and activities in developing areas. Visiting speakers from practice and industry are regularly invited. In the first session, students develop an innovative idea, as a base for discussion in each session. Seminars involve individual and group work, and the preparation of posters. Assessment is by essay, exam and individual oral presentation.

View detailed information about this course

Contracting in Hydrocarbon Operations (LS551K)

Corporate Governance (LS5582)

30 Credit Points

This course will discuss the trajectory of the development of corporate governance over the past three decades, especially in the UK and the US, with a view to understanding the extent to which underlying theoretical assumptions and policy decisions impact legislative, regulatory and self-regulatory arrangements as well as reform options. Students will gain an understanding of why the company as a legal entity has the shape and form that it does; why certain actors are regarded as internal to corporate governance arrangements and others external; and why ongoing (and sometimes apparently futile) reform efforts take the form that they do.

View detailed information about this course

Carriage of Goods By Sea (LS5592)

30 Credit Points

We look AT the issues arising FROM the USE of a ship TO transport goods FROM buyer TO seller WHEN EACH IS based IN a separate legal system. We examine the contract of affreightment; the relevance of charter parties; the possibilities offered BY Bills of Lading AND analogous ‘documents’ (whether electronic OR NOT). We consider the law concerning a cargo claim AS it may involve the Hague Rules, the Hague-Visby Rules, the Hamburg Rules. We also evaluate the Rotterdam Rules. We consider international commercial dispute resolution of cargo claims BY arbitration AND litigation.

View detailed information about this course

Cultural Property Issues: Law Art and Museums (LS55UU)

30 Credit Points

Taught by museum and law academics, this course will examine cultural property issues such as treasure trove, looting and repatriation, forgery, sacred and street art, and the derogatory treatment of art. Objects from the University Museum and collections worldwide will be drawn on to illustrate aspects of the course. Museum practice and operational experience will also inform certain aspects. Students will be encouraged to explore and develop their own ideas. Facilitating this, the course will include a programme of case studies and/or issue papers to be presented by students for class discussion.

View detailed information about this course

Media Law (LS553H)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for law as well as non-law students who are interested in public communication via mass media – some may be interested in pursuing a career in journalism, marketing, or politics, others may nevertheless be interested in gaining insights into the legal mechanisms which regulate public communication through mass media in these fields. The course aims to develop an in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the relevant legal mechanisms.

View detailed information about this course

Commercial Tax Law and Policy (LS552N)

30 Credit Points

Tax law is an integral aspect of all international commercial activities; it is crucial for commercial lawyers to have an understanding of tax law even if they are not tax lawyers. This course is a tax law course for general commercial lawyers, providing a gentle introduction to the varieties of tax laws and policies. The course enables a general commercial lawyer to understand tax law and policy discussions, both as public policy concerns and as issues related to clients' commercial matters. The course covers the basics of tax models and introduces a variety of tax law systems, such as income tax, property tax, sales tax and VAT taxes. The course also explains how tax policy can affect corporate and commercial interests, such as the role of tax law in environmental protection, in energy resource stewardship, or in corporate social responsibility. In conclusion, the course is designed for general commercial lawyers to increase their professional skills and legal knowledge related to commercial tax law and policy.

View detailed information about this course

International Arbitration: Energy & Natural Resources (LS552Z)

30 Credit Points

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their particular strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century.

View detailed information about this course

Semester 2

Semester 2

The Professional Skills module is delivered through an intensive summer school during June followed by a piece of writing. All students must complete the Professional Arbitration Skills module from June - August.

---

Compulsory Courses

Professional Arbitration Skills (LS5905)

60 Credit Points

This course is taught over two weeks in June each year. It is highly practical and interactive, involving group discussion and debate, drafting, role play and presentations. Students are taken through the international arbitration process from drafting the arbitration clause, to jurisdiction, preliminary proceedings, the hearing, the award (judgement) and enforcing and challenging the award. Practitioners in international arbitration deliver some of the tuition. There is no exam, assessment is by presentation, preparing written arguments and award (arbitral judgement) writing. Successful completion of the course can lead to exemption from the Membership examinations of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

View detailed information about this course

Semester 3

Semester 3

In September, January start will take courses starting with LS50

---

Optional Courses

Energy, Innovation and Law (LS501F)

30 Credit Points

Students will explore the law and regulation which is relevant to innovation across the energy sector (taken in its widest sense). We will consider intellectual property, UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, government initiatives, competition, human rights, and oil and gas licensing. We will focus on the impact of these fields on business, reward, sharing, sustainable growth, energy security, and the relationship between private rights, raw materials and the wider public interest. Sessions will be interactive and you need not have studied any of these fields before – although we will move quickly. Assessment is by essay, exam and group presentation.

View detailed information about this course

Comparative and International Perspectives on Company Law (LS501G)

30 Credit Points

This course is a selective and critical examination of company laws. A theoretical approach shall be taken based upon the general theory of comparative law developed by Zweigert and Kötz and the Wilsonian theory of legal transplants. Key issues in comparative company law shall be examined using the theoretical framework of Hansmann and Kraakman with its particular focus on the agency problem. Specific topics shall include directors’ duties; the protection of minority shareholders and the limits of limited liability. The course is assessed by a three hour examination and a coursework essay.

View detailed information about this course

Comparative Contract Law for International Transactions (LS502K)

30 Credit Points

When international commercial lawyers work with contracts, those contracts often engage parties from multiple countries with differing legal perspectives on how to interpret that same singular contract. This course is designed to enable commercial lawyers to understand how various legal traditions provide their own unique perspectives on a variety of contract formation and interpretation issues. The course will explore how different aspects of contract law can lead to unexpected differences or similarities across international legal cultures,

enabling an international commercial lawyer to be able to coordinate those issues for their clients. The course will focus on a variety of European legal systems, with additional discussions drawn from commercial systems in Asia and in the Americas.

View detailed information about this course

International Intellectual Property: Frameworks and Challenges (LS502L)

30 Credit Points

Students will explore the diverse elements of law which constitute international intellectual property law. We will consider the framework of international conventions, copyright and moral rights (with a particular focus on new developments and the digital age), patents, designs, the work of the World Health Organisation and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Throughout the challenge is to identify conflicts and synergies, and areas for future development, through regard to cases, scholarship, and the activities of policy makers and activists. Assessment is by an essay, an exam and an individual presentation.

View detailed information about this course

Copyright and Patents (LS502P)

30 Credit Points

This course is a substantive and critical analysis of two key areas of intellectual property law, copyright and patents, with a UK and European focus, and their impact on innovation and creativity. This course complements other innovation law LLM courses which focus on commercial, policy and sector matters.

View detailed information about this course

International Commercial Litigation (LS503M)

30 Credit Points

This course introduces international commercial litigation, the major means of commercial dispute resolution for many sectors of industry and the default means of dispute resolution against which int. arbitration is positioned. The course demonstrates the relevance of a venue’s Private International Law (PIL) to its attractiveness for dispute resolution and provides advanced instruction in the relevant post-Brexit aspects of PIL to parties engaged in litigating international commercial disputes.

View detailed information about this course

International Commercial Arbitration (on Campus) (LS5083)

30 Credit Points

The demand for international commercial arbitration has increased significantly over the last 20 years. Empirical surveys conducted consistently report figures that suggest around 60% of businesses prefer arbitration over other dispute resolution methods. This course provides students with a solid understanding of how arbitration works both in principle and in practice. Topics covered include; the arbitration agreement, arbitral jurisdiction, the arbitral tribunal, challenging and enforcing awards. This course is taught together with International Commercial Arbitration in the Asia Pacific.

View detailed information about this course

World Trade Organisation: Gatt (LS5098)

30 Credit Points

The course aims to provide a thorough and critical understanding of fundamental concepts, principles and institutions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with emphasis on trade in goods (GATT). The main topics covered include relevant historical and institutional developments, WTO dispute resolution, core principles such as the non-discrimination, most-favour-nation (MFN) and the prohibition of quantitative restrictions on international trade. The security, environment, human rights, labour standards, economic emergencies and free trade areas and customs unions based exceptions and their challenges are also analytically explored. These are studied in light of relevant WTO panel and Appellate Body cases and recommendations.

View detailed information about this course

---

Programme Fees

Fee information

Fee category	Cost
Home / EU / RUK Students	£8,200
Tuition Fees for 2019/20 Academic Year
International Students	£19,800
Tuition Fees for 2019/20 Academic Year
Home / EU / RUK Students	£11,000
Tuition Fees for 2020/21 Academic Year
International Students	£21,000
Tuition Fees for 2020/21 Academic Year

LLM 12 months or 24 months On Campus Learning Full Time or Part Time September View

Programme Information

Semester 1

Semester 1

All students must complete Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship at the start of the programme.

All students must take two LS50xx courses and two LS55xx courses.

---

Compulsory Courses

Students must complete LS501T and either LS5083 or LS5085 or LS5585 (semester 2).

Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship (LS501T)

This compulsory course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which would be required to excel in LLM-Taught courses. It commences with a few lectures and progresses to working in a workshop environment and finally to the submission of an individual assignment. It also incorporates elements such as library workshops to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.

View detailed information about this course

Professional Arbitration Skills (LS5905)

60 Credit Points

This course is taught over two weeks in June each year. It is highly practical and interactive, involving group discussion and debate, drafting, role play and presentations. Students are taken through the international arbitration process from drafting the arbitration clause, to jurisdiction, preliminary proceedings, the hearing, the award (judgement) and enforcing and challenging the award. Practitioners in international arbitration deliver some of the tuition. There is no exam, assessment is by presentation, preparing written arguments and award (arbitral judgement) writing. Successful completion of the course can lead to exemption from the Membership examinations of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

View detailed information about this course

---

Optional Courses

Thereafter three optional courses must be selected from the list below and in semester 2. Students may not select both LS5083 and LS5085 together.

Alternatively, one of your three choices could be selected from another LLM programme (excluding LS501E, and LS551K).

Energy, Innovation and Law (LS501F)

30 Credit Points

Students will explore the law and regulation which is relevant to innovation across the energy sector (taken in its widest sense). We will consider intellectual property, UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, government initiatives, competition, human rights, and oil and gas licensing. We will focus on the impact of these fields on business, reward, sharing, sustainable growth, energy security, and the relationship between private rights, raw materials and the wider public interest. Sessions will be interactive and you need not have studied any of these fields before – although we will move quickly. Assessment is by essay, exam and group presentation.

View detailed information about this course

Comparative and International Perspectives on Company Law (LS501G)

30 Credit Points

This course is a selective and critical examination of company laws. A theoretical approach shall be taken based upon the general theory of comparative law developed by Zweigert and Kötz and the Wilsonian theory of legal transplants. Key issues in comparative company law shall be examined using the theoretical framework of Hansmann and Kraakman with its particular focus on the agency problem. Specific topics shall include directors’ duties; the protection of minority shareholders and the limits of limited liability. The course is assessed by a three hour examination and a coursework essay.

View detailed information about this course

Comparative Contract Law for International Transactions (LS502K)

30 Credit Points

When international commercial lawyers work with contracts, those contracts often engage parties from multiple countries with differing legal perspectives on how to interpret that same singular contract. This course is designed to enable commercial lawyers to understand how various legal traditions provide their own unique perspectives on a variety of contract formation and interpretation issues. The course will explore how different aspects of contract law can lead to unexpected differences or similarities across international legal cultures,

enabling an international commercial lawyer to be able to coordinate those issues for their clients. The course will focus on a variety of European legal systems, with additional discussions drawn from commercial systems in Asia and in the Americas.

View detailed information about this course

International Intellectual Property: Frameworks and Challenges (LS502L)

30 Credit Points

Students will explore the diverse elements of law which constitute international intellectual property law. We will consider the framework of international conventions, copyright and moral rights (with a particular focus on new developments and the digital age), patents, designs, the work of the World Health Organisation and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Throughout the challenge is to identify conflicts and synergies, and areas for future development, through regard to cases, scholarship, and the activities of policy makers and activists. Assessment is by an essay, an exam and an individual presentation.

View detailed information about this course

Copyright and Patents (LS502P)

30 Credit Points

This course is a substantive and critical analysis of two key areas of intellectual property law, copyright and patents, with a UK and European focus, and their impact on innovation and creativity. This course complements other innovation law LLM courses which focus on commercial, policy and sector matters.

View detailed information about this course

International Commercial Litigation (LS503M)

30 Credit Points

This course introduces international commercial litigation, the major means of commercial dispute resolution for many sectors of industry and the default means of dispute resolution against which int. arbitration is positioned. The course demonstrates the relevance of a venue’s Private International Law (PIL) to its attractiveness for dispute resolution and provides advanced instruction in the relevant post-Brexit aspects of PIL to parties engaged in litigating international commercial disputes.

View detailed information about this course

International Commercial Arbitration (on Campus) (LS5083)

30 Credit Points

The demand for international commercial arbitration has increased significantly over the last 20 years. Empirical surveys conducted consistently report figures that suggest around 60% of businesses prefer arbitration over other dispute resolution methods. This course provides students with a solid understanding of how arbitration works both in principle and in practice. Topics covered include; the arbitration agreement, arbitral jurisdiction, the arbitral tribunal, challenging and enforcing awards. This course is taught together with International Commercial Arbitration in the Asia Pacific.

View detailed information about this course

World Trade Organisation: Gatt (LS5098)

30 Credit Points

The course aims to provide a thorough and critical understanding of fundamental concepts, principles and institutions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with emphasis on trade in goods (GATT). The main topics covered include relevant historical and institutional developments, WTO dispute resolution, core principles such as the non-discrimination, most-favour-nation (MFN) and the prohibition of quantitative restrictions on international trade. The security, environment, human rights, labour standards, economic emergencies and free trade areas and customs unions based exceptions and their challenges are also analytically explored. These are studied in light of relevant WTO panel and Appellate Body cases and recommendations.

View detailed information about this course

Semester 2

Semester 2

Compulsory Courses

Students must complete LS501T and either LS5083 or LS5085 or LS552P (semester 2).

International Investment Law and Arbitration In the Energy Sector (LS552P)

30 Credit Points

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their particular strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century.

View detailed information about this course

Optional Courses

Contracting in Hydrocarbons (LS551K)

Corporate Environmental Liability (LS551L)

30 Credit Points

Corporate environmental liability is a significant area of concern not only for those corporations engaged in activities which exhibit environmental risk but society as whole. An efficient, effective liability regime must be present to ensure that corporations do not shirk their financial liabilities. The course draws attention to the conflicting goals of corporate law (i.e. the limitation of liability) and environmental law (i.e. ensuring that polluters pay for damage caused) and encourages students to consider and develop solutions to this problem. Whilst the course focuses on EU environmental law, many of the concepts covered are relevant to other jurisdictions.

View detailed information about this course

Commercial Tax Law and Policy (LS552N)

30 Credit Points

Tax law is an integral aspect of all international commercial activities; it is crucial for commercial lawyers to have an understanding of tax law even if they are not tax lawyers. This course is a tax law course for general commercial lawyers, providing a gentle introduction to the varieties of tax laws and policies. The course enables a general commercial lawyer to understand tax law and policy discussions, both as public policy concerns and as issues related to clients' commercial matters. The course covers the basics of tax models and introduces a variety of tax law systems, such as income tax, property tax, sales tax and VAT taxes. The course also explains how tax policy can affect corporate and commercial interests, such as the role of tax law in environmental protection, in energy resource stewardship, or in corporate social responsibility. In conclusion, the course is designed for general commercial lawyers to increase their professional skills and legal knowledge related to commercial tax law and policy.

View detailed information about this course

International Arbitration: Energy & Natural Resources (LS552Z)

30 Credit Points

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their particular strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century.

View detailed information about this course

Media Law (LS553H)

30 Credit Points

This course is designed for law as well as non-law students who are interested in public communication via mass media – some may be interested in pursuing a career in journalism, marketing, or politics, others may nevertheless be interested in gaining insights into the legal mechanisms which regulate public communication through mass media in these fields. The course aims to develop an in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the relevant legal mechanisms.

View detailed information about this course

Corporate Governance (LS5582)

30 Credit Points

This course will discuss the trajectory of the development of corporate governance over the past three decades, especially in the UK and the US, with a view to understanding the extent to which underlying theoretical assumptions and policy decisions impact legislative, regulatory and self-regulatory arrangements as well as reform options. Students will gain an understanding of why the company as a legal entity has the shape and form that it does; why certain actors are regarded as internal to corporate governance arrangements and others external; and why ongoing (and sometimes apparently futile) reform efforts take the form that they do.

View detailed information about this course

Trade Marks and Brand Development (LS5584)

30 Credit Points

This course tracks the ongoing interactions between trade mark and related laws on the one hand and the social and commercial practices of branding on the other. Through the use of cases and contemporary examples throughout, the course views trade mark and related laws within their historical, current, and developing social and commercial contexts. It offers a critical view of certain developments in the laws, their roles in and responses to the evolving practices of branding. It provides students with both an analytical and a practical view on the protection of trade mark and related rights.

View detailed information about this course

International Trade and Finance Law (LS5588)

30 Credit Points

This course focuses on the difficulties which can arise when the buyer and seller of goods are located in different legal systems: we examine the sources of International Trade Law and the legal issues arising for buyer and seller in an international sale of goods transaction. We consider how to minimise or avoid these difficulties in the following contexts: the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the CISG; Incoterms and bills of lading; International Documentary Letters of Credit; dispute resolution by litigation and arbitration.

View detailed information about this course

Carriage of Goods By Sea (LS5592)

30 Credit Points

We look AT the issues arising FROM the USE of a ship TO transport goods FROM buyer TO seller WHEN EACH IS based IN a separate legal system. We examine the contract of affreightment; the relevance of charter parties; the possibilities offered BY Bills of Lading AND analogous ‘documents’ (whether electronic OR NOT). We consider the law concerning a cargo claim AS it may involve the Hague Rules, the Hague-Visby Rules, the Hamburg Rules. We also evaluate the Rotterdam Rules. We consider international commercial dispute resolution of cargo claims BY arbitration AND litigation.

View detailed information about this course

Commercialising Innovation and Law (LS5595)

30 Credit Points

Students will explore the diversity of laws and practices relevant to commercialising innovation. We will consider patents, trade secrets, copyright and database rights, new business models, competition, natural resources and activities in developing areas. Visiting speakers from practice and industry are regularly invited. In the first session, students develop an innovative idea, as a base for discussion in each session. Seminars involve individual and group work, and the preparation of posters. Assessment is by essay, exam and individual oral presentation.

View detailed information about this course

Cultural Property Issues: Law Art and Museums (LS55UU)

30 Credit Points

Taught by museum and law academics, this course will examine cultural property issues such as treasure trove, looting and repatriation, forgery, sacred and street art, and the derogatory treatment of art. Objects from the University Museum and collections worldwide will be drawn on to illustrate aspects of the course. Museum practice and operational experience will also inform certain aspects. Students will be encouraged to explore and develop their own ideas. Facilitating this, the course will include a programme of case studies and/or issue papers to be presented by students for class discussion.

View detailed information about this course

Semester 3

Semester 3

The Professional Skills module is delivered through an intensive summer school during June followed by a piece of writing. All students must complete the Professional Arbitration Skills module from June - August.

---

Compulsory Courses

Professional Arbitration Skills (LS5905)

60 Credit Points

This course is taught over two weeks in June each year. It is highly practical and interactive, involving group discussion and debate, drafting, role play and presentations. Students are taken through the international arbitration process from drafting the arbitration clause, to jurisdiction, preliminary proceedings, the hearing, the award (judgement) and enforcing and challenging the award. Practitioners in international arbitration deliver some of the tuition. There is no exam, assessment is by presentation, preparing written arguments and award (arbitral judgement) writing. Successful completion of the course can lead to exemption from the Membership examinations of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

View detailed information about this course

---

Programme Fees

Fee information

Fee category	Cost
Home / EU / RUK Students	£11,000
Tuition Fees for 2020/21 Academic Year
International Students	£21,000
Tuition Fees for 2020/21 Academic Year