Law (Professional)

The Master of Arts in Law (Professional) is a post-graduate law degree providing a pathway to both branches of the legal profession. It also offers a firm grounding in law for those wishing to pursue careers in public service, regulation, professional services and other sectors requiring comprehensive legal knowledge and analytical skills. The course aims to provide students with a deep understanding of the institutional framework and principles of Irish Law, enabling them to apply and critically evaluate legal rules and processes. Students will learn how to draw upon legal sources to propose novel solutions to a range of regulatory difficulties and thus develop high-level reasoning and analytical skills. They will acquire advocacy and policy development skills through engagement with a range of social, commercial and regulatory issues at a national and EU level. All core professional subjects including those examined by both the Law Society and King’s Inns entrance examinations are offered on the course, which is an accredited law degree for the purposes of King’s Inns admission. The course is offered on a modular basis; students must take Legal Skills in their first year of registration, but can choose their remaining modules from the full suite offered. Classes are held, in the main, during the day. Some subjects are offered in the evening. A sample timetable is available from the law office: law@tudublin.ie. Full-time students are expected to devote approximately 40 hours per week to class attendance and self-study. Examinations are held once a year in May. Coursework is set throughout the academic year. Graduates of any discipline who wish to pursue a career in law will find that the Master of Arts in Law (Professional) provides them with a comprehensive grounding in the academic discipline of law. The course is accredited by King’s Inns as a qualifying law degree and also offers a structured pathway to completion of the Law Society’s Final Examination Part 1 over two years. The course is also suitable for those who may have earned their primary degree some years ago and who wish to retrain or re-enter the workforce. No prior knowledge of law is expected. The course will also be of interest to those already working in the legal industry who wish to upskill and to public servants and other professionals who engage with law in their day-to-day work. The timetable for the course has been configured to allow those in employment to complete over 4 years part-time by attending one day per week.