School of Law

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Student Life

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Location

Law undergraduate teaching is based at the Mile End Campus (the main Queen Mary campus), which is a peaceful, secure and friendly environment only a few yards from the bustle of Mile End Road, with landscaped squares and a host of facilities together on one site: cafés, bars and restaurants, the Students' Union, canal-side accommodation in our Student Village, bank and bookshop.

Mile End itself is only two stops on the central line from Liverpool Street Station, which is the heart of the financial and business district in central London in zone one. In between the campus and the businesses you can find the lively, bustling areas of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green which are fantastic for food, bars, clubs, shopping and diverse markets. Twenty minutes by bus in the other direction and you will find yourself in Canary Wharf, the impressive UK headquarters for many banks and businesses. For those of you interested in sports, Mile End is only one stop away from the site of the forthcoming Olympic Village in Stratford, which is part of a multi-billion pound regeneration programme leading to the 2012 Olympics.

Accommodation

Queen Mary offers the best of both worlds: the advantages of life in the capital with the convenience and economy of a developing residential area of London. As the only University of London College with a central London campus location, Queen Mary offers residence halls overlooking the Regent's Canal and an extensive new student village. Read more about Queen Mary’s accommodation services.

Undergraduate Support

Within the School of Law it is easy for students to seek advice from staff on an informal basis, as every member of staff has office hours during which they are available to students. In addition, all students have a personal tutor, who monitors academic progress and is the first point of contact if there are problems –academic or personal. Extensive feedback is given –directly when written work is returned and also in the form of internal reports between members of staff which are designed to ensure that any problems are picked up and acted upon quickly.

Legal Writing Programme

All first year law students are offered a short Legal Writing Programme to help them be self-aware and self reflective about the study of law and, in particular, to acquire the sort of analytic and critical skills that they need to undertake law courses. In the foundation course in the first week of term they receive lectures on case law, common law, statutory interpretation, human rights and access to justice, as well as one about legal writing. They are set a legal writing exercise and receive feedback both individually and in two classes set aside to discuss legal writing, and the skills associated with it: an understanding of legal method, precedent, statutory interpretation, legal research, etc.

Graduate Student Advisors

In addition to academic personal tutors, students can also get help and advice from our Graduate Student Advisors (GSAs). GSAs are current Queen Mary law postgraduate students who offer support and advice either on a one to one basis or in groups on subjects such as:

  • Study Skills
  • Exam Techniques
  • Careers and CVs
  • Time Management
  • Dealing with essay/exam questions
  • Work/life balance
  • Debt issues

The GSAs are available for 3 hours per day, for 4 days a week in Room G1B of the law building. Full information about the GSA service is available on the student online learning environment QMPlus.

In cases where students need additional support, the GSAs refer students on to the College’s central services, for more specific guidance on matters such as dyslexia, financial issues and counselling services.

College Support

The Advice and Counselling Service offers a free and confidential service to all Queen Mary students on a range of issues including personal problems, money or international student issues.

Get involved with law outside class

We are renowned for being friendly and welcoming. A fifth of our intake are international students. In common with Queen Mary's reputation for friendliness, the School of Law fosters a sense of community, both in staff-student relations and in the many student societies and activities.

We have an enthusiastic Law Society, which arranges educational and social events. You may also decide to become involved in the Queen Mary Law Journal, the Students' Union or the annual Mooting Competition. Mooting - the argument of hypothetical cases under simulated court conditions - is an interesting and entertaining foretaste of law in action.

Many other groups and activities are available in the College: sporting, cultural, social and religious societies abound. The Law Society helps with careers advice, and assistance is also given in obtaining training contracts and mini-pupillages.

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