Our Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) enables you to gain the legal skills necessary for the best possible preparation in beginning vocational training for a career in legal practice. The GDL teaches you the seven foundations of law as required by the Bar Standards Board for vocational training for barristers. It also equips you to embark on the necessary preparation for the Solicitors Qualifying Examination. You will develop the ability to:
critically engage with sources of law, including cases, and scholarship from law and related fields
apply principles of law
engage in basic legal research using specific legal resources.
If you already have an undergraduate degree and want to gain the skills to help you qualify, but are not yet ready to commit to a full master's degree, this GDL is for you. Birkbeck’s GDL is unique in teaching you to understand and apply the law, as well as teaching you about the law in its political, social, and economic context. We want our graduates to not only go on to be successful lawyers but also to be able to participate in important contemporary debates at the junction of law and public life.
As a graduate of the GDL, you are one step closer on your career path to becoming a legal practitioner. Possible professions include:
solicitor
barrister
policy adviser
civil servant
campaigner
academic.
Alternatively, you may use your legal practice and critical reasoning skills within the industry in which you work, including in business, technology, the arts, and NGOs.
We offer a comprehensive Careers Service - Birkbeck Futures - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education, and future ambitions.