UCC Postgraduate courses

Law LLM (Children's Rights & Family Law)

Course Fact File
CodeLLMCRF
Duration1 Year Full-time; 2 Years Part-time
Teaching ModeFull-time, Part-Time
QualificationsLLM
NFQ LevelLevel 9
Closing DateRolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.
Non-EU Closing DateOpen until all places have been filled or no later than 30 June. Early application is advised.
Start Date9 September 2024

Course Outline

On the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law), you will be exposed to the law and theory on child and family law in Ireland and internationally. At the same time you will get a rare insight into various aspects of the law in action by engaging with social workers, legal professionals and others.

You will work with scholars who have a track record of outstanding scholarship on legal issues relating to children and the family.

You will have the opportunity to become involved in UCC’s innovative Child Law Clinic where you can provide research assistance to lawyers on real cases, helping to make a contribution to the quality of advocacy on children’s issues, and lobbying for the reform of child law and children’s rights. 

Applicants for the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) Degree also have the option of registering for a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Children's Rights and Family Law). Students take 60 credits of taught masters’ modules from those on offer for the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law). The Postgraduate Diploma can be completed over 9 months full-time or 18 months part-time. 

This shorter programme may be attractive to legal professionals and others who may prefer not to make an initial commitment to a full master’s programme. Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma may further progress their studies by completing a 15,000-word research dissertation and graduating with a Masters in Law (LLM).    

Modules

  • Full-time: Students take 90 credits.
  • Part-time: Students take 90 credits over two years. In Year 2, students take LW6569 and any core modules not already taken in Year 1.

Core Modules

You will take 60 credits – 50 credits of core modules and 10 credits of elective modules.

  • LW6652 Legal Research Methods in Writing (5 credits)
  • LW6659 LLM Dissertation (25 credits)

Taught Modules

  • LW6507 Comparative Family Property Law (5 credits)
  • LW6563 Child Law in Practice (10 credits)
  • LW6568 The Family and the Law (10 credits)
  • LW6653 Family Law Clinic or LW6654 Child Law Clinic (10 credits)
  • LW6655 Contemporary Issues in Children's Rights (5 credits)
  • LW6656 Foundations of International Children's Rights Law (5 credits)
  • LW6658 Juvenile Justice (5 credits)

Elective Modules

  • LW6592 Mental Capacity Law (5 credits)
  • LW6609 Mental Health Law (5 credits)
  • LW6619 Alternative Dispute Resolution: Processes and Practice (5 credits)
  • LW6634 Refugee and Forced Displacement Law (10 credits)
  • LW6614 Family Law Clinic (5 credits)
  • LW6615 Child Law Clinic (5 credits)*

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

It may be that not all modules listed above will be offered in any particular session and/or other options may become available.

Note: 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.

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.

Academic Programme Catalogue

See the Academic Programme Catalogue where you can search for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year to year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules.

Course Practicalities

LLM classes are in seminar format. This participative and interactive format of teaching is suitable for postgraduate level. You will receive advance reading lists and/or materials for each seminar. Seminars take place in two-hour blocks between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. 10 credit modules run for 12 weeks and 5 credit modules run for 6 weeks. Arrangements are made for courtroom observation in the family courts.

Part-time Option

The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.

Assessment

You will be examined by continuous assessment throughout the year and your dissertation must be submitted in September. To view individual module assessments in the Book of Modules

Who teaches this course

The School of Law has many committed lecturers with expertise across a wide range of areas, and has particular strengths in the area of child and family law. For a full list of School members, including details of research interests, publications and postgraduate supervision. 

Why Choose This Course

I liked how hands on it was & the fact we were involved in an active case. It was great to see our research and work being applied to real circumstances.

Rachel Condon

Find Out More

The LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) is the first course of its kind in Ireland and it builds on the School’s wide range of expertise and knowledge in the area of child and family law. From this course, you will gain a unique specialisation in legal issues relating to children and the family, including family property, children’s rights and juvenile justice. You will also have the opportunity to work on real cases and to lobby for reform through the Child Law Clinic, which allows you to make contacts and gain practical experience.

Top 100 ranking

UCC School of Law has been ranked among the world’s best Law Schools in the latest QS World University Rankings by subject, placed 59th in the World and 1st in Ireland.

Skills and Careers Information

As the only qualification of its kind in Ireland, graduates are uniquely qualified in the areas of child law and family law. As well as allowing legal professionals to specialise in these areas of legal practice, graduates of this degree are well equipped to work anywhere in the children’s sector – with government departments and agencies (in education, child protection, youth justice etc.), with non-governmental organisations (both nationally and internationally), or other bodies who work with children. Few statutory or children’s organisations have staff with legal expertise in the child and family law area and this is a significant gap in the sector.

Requirements

To be accepted on this course, you must be approved by the School of Law.

You will also normally have: 

  • (a) A Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours Law degree (NFQ, Level 8) Or
  • (b) Have such other relevant third-level educational qualifications and/or professional experience as, in the opinion of the School of Law, qualifies the candidate under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to undertake the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) Degree.

If you are an overseas candidate, you are welcome to apply and your qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis as above.  

For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.

International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

  • In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.
  • Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.
English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Vsit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Fees and Costs

Postgraduate EU and International Fees 2024/2025

See our Postgraduate EU and Non-EU (International) Fee Schedule for the latest information.

Deposits 

If your course requires a deposit, that figure will be deducted from your second-semester fee payment in January.

Fee payment 

Fees are payable in two equal instalments. First payment is at registration and the balance usually by the end of January.

How can I pay? 

See different options on our How Do I Pay My Fees? page.

Any questions? See the 'Contact Us' section on the Fees Office page.

How To Apply

1. Check dates

Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

2. Gather documents

Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

  • Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC.
  • Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply online

Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

  • You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
  • In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.
  • Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.
  • Please enter the names and email addresses of two referees. 

The closing date for non-EU applications is Open until all places have been filled or no later than 30 June. Early application is advised.

Apply Now

For queries regarding course content or timetables please contact

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