Overview

NFQ Level 9, Major Award

The LLM in Children's Rights and Family Law is a full-time programme running for 12 months or a part-time programme running for 24 months from the date of first registration for the programme. A full-time candidate may not, during the currency of the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law), simultaneously pursue any other form of education training or employment, without the advance permission of the School of Law.

Submission of LLM Dissertation

The LLM dissertation must be submitted for examination at the Winter Board, on a date in September to be specified by the School of Law at the commencement of the programme.

Exit Awards

Postgraduate Certificate in Children's Rights Law

Upon successful completion of taught modules to the value of 30 credits that meet the requirements of the Postgraduate Certificate in Children's Rights Law, students may opt not to proceed with the programme and exit with a Postgraduate Certificate in Children's Rights Law (NFQ Level 9 Minor Award).

Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Family Law

Upon successful completion of taught modules to the value of 30 credits that meet the requirements of the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Family Law, students may opt not to proceed with the programme and exit with a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Family Law (NFQ Level 9 Minor Award).

Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Children's Rights and Family Law)

Upon successful completion of taught modules to the value of 60 credits, registered LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) students may opt not to proceed with the programme and exit with a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Children's Rights and Family Law) (NFQ Level 9 Major Award).

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Full-time: Students take 90 credits over one calendar year.

Part-time: Students take 90 credits over two calendar years. In Year 2, students take LW6659 and any core modules not already taken in Year 1.

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Students take 90 credits as follows – 60 credits of taught modules and 30 credits of research modules:
Research Modules
Core Modules
Students take 30 credits as follows:
LW6652	Legal Research Methods and Writing	5
LW6659	LLM Dissertation	25
Taught Modules
Students take 60 credits as follows – all listed core modules (50 credits) and 10 credits of elective modules: 1, 2
Core Modules
LW6507	Comparative Family Property Law	5
LW6563	Child Law in Practice	10
LW6568	The Family and the Law	10
LW6653	Family Law Clinic 3	10
or LW6654	Child Law Clinic
LW6655	Foundations of International Children's Rights	5
LW6656	Contemporary Issues in Children's Rights	5
LW6658	International Youth Justice	5
Elective Modules
Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following: 5, 6		10
LW6592	Mental Capacity Law (5)
LW6609	Mental Health Law (5)
LW6619	Alternative Dispute Resolution: Processes and Practice (5)
LW6634	Refugee and Forced Displacement Law (10)
LW6653	Family Law Clinic (10) 4
LW6654	Child Law Clinic (10) 4
LW6661	Contemporary Issues in International Youth Justice (5)
Total Credits		90

¹

It may be that not all modules listed will be offered each year and/or other options may become available.

²

In order to ensure a reasonable distribution of workload, when choosing modules for all programmes, students should take a balance of credits between Semester 1 and Semester 2. Students who wish to deviate from this rule must seek permission from their Programme Director.

³

The Clinic module not chosen as a core module may be taken as an elective.

⁴

The Clinic module chosen as a core module may not be chosen again as an elective.

⁵

Students whose primary degree is from a discipline other than Law may be required as a condition of admission to take 5 credits of undergraduate law modules in substitution for 5 credits of the elective modules listed above.

⁶

In certain cases, with the permission of the Programme Director, students may elect to take 5 credits from the list available for the LLM Degree (other than those listed above) in substitution for 5 credits of the elective modules listed above.

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of Irish Children's Rights Law and Family Law;
• Demonstrate an awareness of the relevance and significance of International Law for Children's Rights and Family Law;
• Critically evaluate primary and secondary legal materials of relevance to Children's Rights and Family Law including legislation, international instruments, case-law and academic commentary;
• Identify and explore interconnections between legal topics in the area of Children's Rights Law and Family Law;
• Demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving legal problems in Children's Rights and Family Law;
• Demonstrate original, independent and critical thinking in relation to relevant legal issues;
• Connect changing values and sentiments in society with legal developments in respect of Children's Rights and Family Law;
• Formulate research questions and develop appropriate research methodologies;
• Undertake scholarly research exploring legal themes;
• Conduct research on a legal topic in the area of Children's Rights Law or Family Law and write a masters-level dissertation on that topic;
• Use information technology appropriately for high-level legal research and writing;
• Develop an ability to identify and evaluate relevant social and socio-legal research in the area of Children's Rights and Family Law;
• Express complex legal and/or policy analysis in an appropriate legal style, in accordance with legal writing standards.