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1. Study
2. Postgraduate
3. Taught Courses
4. Masters
5. Law - LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law)

Course Fact File

Code	LLMCRF
Duration	1 Year Full-time; 2 Years Part-time
Teaching Mode	Full-time, Part-Time
Qualifications	LLM
NFQ Level	Level 9
Closing Date	Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.
Non-EU Closing Date	Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.
Start Date	8 September 2025

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 unique opportunity to engage with one or both of our specialised and innovative Law Clinics. As a student on the Child Law Clinic, you will provide research assistance to lawyers on real cases, helping to contribute to the quality of advocacy on children’s issues, and lobbying for the reform of child law and children’s rights. In the Family Law Clinic, you will support and maintain the Clinic’s online Family Law information hub, provide research assistance to lawyers in relation to litigated familial disputes, and will contribute an original blog on a topical issue of family law, to be published on the clinic’s information website.

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.

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

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.  

Fees and Costs

How To Apply

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 15 June. Early application is advised.

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