“Northumbria University School of Law benefits from a well-rounded mix of academics and practitioners, both solicitors and barristers, from the public and private sector, and maintains connections with legal practitioners locally and nationally.

We believe that the Law School is in an excellent position to understand and respond to the requirements of solicitors and barristers, their clients and a wide range of other professionals. The practical expertise of many of the members of staff, and the focus on excellence in teaching, ensures that the Masters programmes we offer are of a consistently high standard, designed to meet the practical needs of its students. We are constantly developing the programmes to make the most of new technologies, and to respond to the changing requirements of professionals.

We are proud of our strong reputation that we have built for our distinctive and innovative Masters programmes focused on the practical operation of the law. The Law School is committed to ensuring that it remains at the forefront of Masters provision and that its students benefit from the highest quality of teaching.”

Professor Kenny - Dean of Northumbria School of Law Our Current LLM Programmes Full-time programmes:

LLM Commercial Law

LLM Int. Commercial Law

LLM Int. Trade Law

Distance-learning programmes:

LLM Adv. Commercial Property Law

LLM Adv. Legal Practice

LLM Claims and Risk Management in Healthcare

LLM Commercial Law

LLM Int. Commercial Law

LLM Int. Trade Law

LLM Medical Law

LLM Mental Health Law

LLM Mental Health Law, Policy and Practice

Our New LLM Programmes for 2006/2007

Distance-learning Programmes:

LLM Child Law

LLM Information Rights Law and Practice

LLM Employment Law in Practice (Subject to validation)

Postgraduate Certificate in Business Law (Subject to validation)

City Campus for the Future

As part of its commitment to students, Northumbria University is investing more than £100 million in the expansion and refurbishment of its City Campus and in September 2007, the Law School will be located to a state-of-the-art, purpose built premises on a seven acre site.

The key objectives of the city campus master plan for redevelopment are to create a identity for the university based on more modern attractive buildings, clear gateways and information points, linked by a network of pleasant pedestrian walkways.

As part of this, an impressive landmark pedestrian bridge spanning the central motorway will be constructed. This will link the two integrated city centre campuses.

Northumberland Road will be transformed into a pedestrian-only zone lined with trees to provide a space for events, open days, exhibitions and cafes. A major feature will be erected at the top of the road to define it as the main entrance to the University campus.

Northumbria University School of Law

LLM Newsletter

June 2006

Volume 1, Issue 2

Professor Phillip Kenny

Artists Impression of New Campus

Northumbria University School of Law has built a strong reputation for its practical, ground-breaking Masters programmes. The majority of these programmes are taught by distance learning. The flexible distance learning approach is particularly attractive to professionals who wish to develop knowledge and expertise whilst working. The programmes attract a diverse student group from all over the world, both lawyers and non-lawyers from a wide variety of professions.

LLM Employment Law in Practice From February 2007, Northumbria University will be offering the opportunity to obtain either a Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or LLM in Employment Law in Practice, via distance learning. This programme will adopt a practical approach to employment law and is designed to appeal to anyone advising upon employment law issues. It is anticipated that it will be of particular interest to human resource professionals and lawyers.

The full LLM programme comprises five core modules, one optional module and a project. Students following the Diploma route study five core modules and one optional module, whilst Certificate students must undertake three core modules. (This programme is subject to university validation.)

The core modules include:

• Study Skills & Legal Research for Employment Law

• Structuring the Employment Relationship

• Managing Equality and Diversity Issues

• Terminating the Employment Relationship

• Restructuring the Employment Relationship

Postgraduate Certificate in Business Law Northumbria University School of Law has developed the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Law, designed specifically to meet the needs of members of the business community who are interested in developing their understanding of the law that affects their business activity.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Business Law enables students to study three modules from the wide selection of modules available on the various Masters programmes. This means students can select the modules that meet their specific needs. All of the modules are taught from a practical point of view enabling students to understand the law in context and to apply it to real life situations.

In order to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Law students are required to satisfactorily complete three modules. Entry onto the modules takes place in February and September of each year. (This programme is subject to university validation.)

Modules include:

• Commercial Contracts

• Company Law & Insolvency

• Competition Law

• E-Commerce Law

• Employment Law

• Environmental Law

• Free Movement of Goods & Persons

New LLM Programmes

Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 2

Optional modules include:

• Retirement and Pensions

• Tribunal Practice and Procedure

• Working with Trade Unions

• Handling Data Protection Issues

• Health and Safety

• Intellectual Property Law

• International Sale Contracts

• International Dispute Resolution

• International Trade Finance Law

• Marine Insurance Law

• WTO Law

• Carriage of Goods by Sea Ross Fletcher - Course Leader of Business Law

LLM Information Rights Law and Practice In September 2006 the School of Law will launch its new Masters programme in Information Rights Law and Practice. The exciting new LLM programme has been developed by Northumbria University in conjunction with the Department of Constitutional Affairs. It is the first postgraduate qualification designed to unravel the complexities of information rights.

The LLM has been specifically designed to meet the needs of information practitioners and is therefore likely to attract both professionals specifically charged with processing information and others working in environments where information is held, including central and local government, health and education.

In order to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate, students must satisfactorily complete any three of the core modules. Students who are following the LLM/Diploma route take all of the five core modules, plus one optional module. On completion of the core and optional modules students may elect to graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma or to progress to LLM level. Those students who wish to continue to LLM level are required to complete a dissertation.

Core modules include:

• Legal Research and Study Skills

• Foundation of Information Rights

• Data Protection

• Freedom of Information

• Access to Environmental Information

LLM Child Law Recent public inquires and court cases have highlighted a need for all professionals working with children to acquire specialist knowledge of this increasingly complex area of law. To develop this specialist knowledge and understanding of the law and practice relating to children, Northumbria University launched the Child Law LLM/Diploma/Certificate programme in February 2006.

The programme is likely to be attractive both to doctors and nurses in the NHS but also to appeal to social workers, CAFCASS officers, those involved in youth offending and education, together with legal professionals working in the family justice and criminal justice systems. It will also be of interest to anybody wishing to obtain a further academic qualification in this dynamic subject.

There has never been a more appropriate time for practitioners working with children to study child law. The programme provides students with an opportunity to combine study of the law with full-time employment. This enables students to develop legal knowledge alongside practical skills to better understand the application of the law to their field. Specialist options focusing on child protection, medical issues, education, criminal law, children’s rights and the role of the expert witness have been developed in consultation with professionals, to meet the specific needs of practitioners.

New LLM Programmes

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 2

Optional modules include:

• Managing Records for Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Access to European Union Information

• Confidentiality and Medical Issues

• Children and Young Persons - Sharing Information

• Information as Intellectual Property

• Information in Employment Law

• Media and Privacy Law

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to offer this exciting and inno-vative new programme. In practice, solicitors, social workers, police, health

professionals and others find issues relating to children often pose the most demanding thought-provoking problems. This LLM will provide an

opportunity to study and discuss a range of legal concepts and areas which form the jigsaw which is child law.”

Helen Kingston (Programme Leader)

At the School of Law we continue to develop our LLM programmes in order to meet the growing needs of our students. Our most recent new modules include Law in Professional Practice and WTO Law.

Law in Professional Practice

In response to demand from students the School of Law offers LLM students the opportunity of undertaking this module in Law in Professional Practice. This has been designed specifically for those students who wish to further develop the legal skills necessary for continuing professional legal study, such as the Bar Vocational Course.

The module aims to provide students with an opportunity to examine how law operates in a practical context and the opportunity to demonstrate how legal rules operate in practice. The module involves 8 two hour workshops in advocacy, interviewing, drafting, negotiation and legal writing.

WTO Law

WTO Law constitutes a new source of law of growing importance, which derives from the economic importance of the members of World Trade Organisation, the broad range of subjects regulated and its unique dispute settlement.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the economic theories underlying WTO Law, to provide a good overview of the institutional aspects of the WTO, mainly the dispute settlement system, and to analyse in depth the main substantial aspects of WTO Law. This module enables students to understand the highly debated issues of the Doha Round and more broadly globalisation.

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Many of our LLM programmes enjoy recognition for Continuing Professional Development purposes. Programmes have been accredited by The Law Society, The Bar Council and various professional and medical organisations in recognition of their contribution to professional development.

Most recently, the CPD Accreditation Sub-Committee of The Law Society of Hong Kong has awarded a maximum of 15 CPD points to the following Northumbria University distance learning courses:

• LLM Advanced Commercial Property Law

• LLM Claims and Risk Management in Health Care

• LLM International Commercial Law

• LLM International Trade Law

• LLM Medical Law

New LLM Modules

CPD Accreditation from The Law Society of Hong Kong

At Northumbria University School of Law we are delighted to welcome a number of new LLM tutors to our programmes.

Dr Phil Anderson

Dr Phil Anderson is a part time lecturer teaching a module on the Law of Marine Insurance. Phil began his career at the age of 17 when he became part of the Merchant Navy where he spent 12 years of his life before deciding to pursue a new career ashore. For 27 years he worked in Marine Liability Insurance with P&I clubs. Initially working as Claims Handler he moved into Risk Management and Loss Prevention, a field in which he is considered one of the worlds leading experts in the industry, rising to become a full Director of the North Insurance Management Company.

Phil now runs his own Consultancy Company specialising in safety management on board ships. His main work these days is as an Expert Witness in Court and before Arbitration Tribunals mainly in marine insurance cases where the management of safety is potentially causative of the loss.

Phil is also the current international President of the Nautical Institute (the professional body for ships captains and others in control in seagoing ships.) With the Law of Marine Insurance module he is able to bring the subject alive and links together the three main topic areas covered of Hull and Machinery, Liability/P&I and Cargo Insurance.

Liane Atkin

Liane Atkin is a senior lecturer at the School of Law. Liane teaches Commercial Law on the LLB and LPC programmes, and is module tutor for the module in Commercial Contracts which forms part of the LLM in Commercial Law. Liane has also been involved in developing a Data Protection module for our new LLM in Information Rights and is assisting in the development of our new LLM in Employment Law in Practice.

Formerly a solicitor in a commercial law firm and specialising in employment law, Liane maintains contact with legal practice through our very successful Student Law Office where she supervises an employment firm. Liane’s key research interests are employment law, particularly redundancy and disability discrimination, commercial contracts and issues relating to data protection.

Andrew Mills

Andrew Mills has recently became module tutor of Quality and Risk Management in Healthcare, which forms part of our LLM in Claims and Risk Management in Healthcare. Andrew became a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management in 1980 and has served as Director of Operations, and with two major multinational conglomerates before ten years with the NHS as an active risk manager.

Andrew’s work with the NHS has included involvement with the Department of Health in design of their Risk Management Manual and various governance standards. Andrew’s particular interest is in systems, processes and techniques to make things better for patients, staff and taxpayers.

Gillian Weatherill

Gillian Weatherill is the new tutor of the Future of Mental Health Services module. Gillian is an associate at Eversheds Solicitors, she specialises in healthcare law and has extensive experience of advising NHS trusts across the northern region.

Gillian’s work in practice includes advice on a diverse range of issues including consent to treatment, child protection, data protection, the Human Rights Act, the Freedom of Information Act and inquests. She provides specialist advice to mental health trusts on complex issues arising in respect of the Mental Health Act and associated legislation and guidance. She also represents trusts at inquests, Mental Health Review Tribunals and declaration proceedings. From a litigation prospective, she handles complex psychiatric medical negligence claims on behalf of mental health trusts.

New LLM Tutors

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Dr Phil Anderson

Dr. Simone Schnitzer joined the law school in 2000 as a practitioner from Germany where she worked for several years as “Rechtsanwältin” (solicitor/barrister), having qualified in Bavaria. In addition she graduated in French for lawyers and applied this expertise during a stage in Brussels. She completed her PhD with “summa cum laude” (equivalent to a first class honours) at Augsburg University in Germany. Her thesis was published as refereed monograph by Deutscher AnwaltVerlag, Bonn.

At the law school Simone is programme leader of the LLM Full Time as well as teach-ing Private International Law/ International Dispute Resolution, International Trade Law and Carriage of Goods by Sea. Her textbook “Understanding International Trade Law” was published by Law Matters in December 2005.

Having participated in many courses during her legal career, she is a firm believer in the benefits of further study. In her teaching she emphasises the practical application of the law, which as a former practitioner she feels is most relevant to students in their future careers.

A Northumbria University Lecturer has been nominated for the coveted Law Teacher of the Year award. Kevin Kerrigan, from the School of Law is the second Northumbria lecturer to make it to the final stages of the scheme. Kevin was one of only five finalists for the prestigious award.

At the conference, Kevin gave a presentation on his work in the Student Law Office (a live solicitor’s practice run by school of law students) and his work into miscarriages of justice. The conference praised Kevin’s presentation as “Excellent, demonstrating a wide range of teaching skills, styles and philosophies.”

Visiting Professorship - Dr Rhona Smith The University of Western Ontario in Canada attracts distinguished visitors to their law school each year. At Western Law, the traditional university winter term has been split into a four week January Term and the spring term which runs from February to April. The January Term programme was developed to bring professionals and academics from around the world to Western Law to engage students in research, training, writing and oral advocacy while regularly scheduled programs are suspended for the month. The structure of the January Term programme is a hands-on format, rather than straight lectures, which allows both students and the broader legal community to benefit from the knowledge shared by the visiting scholars.

Dr Rhona Smith is a principal lecturer at Northumbria University School of Law and was appointed Visiting Professor for the January Term at the University of Western Ontario Law School. She taught a course on Rights in Education and Human Rights Education.

Page 6

Northumbria University

School of Law

Sutherland Building

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 8ST

If you would like to find out more about our new LLM programmes or any of our existing LLM programmes please contact the School of Law.

Phone: (+44) (0) 191 227 4494 Fax: (+44) (0) 191 227 4557

Email: la.information@northumbria.ac.uk

Web: www.northumbria.ac.uk/law

Volume 1, Issue 2

School of Law Staff Profile - Dr Simone Schnitzer

Dr Rhona Smith

Dr Simone Schnitzer

Law Teacher of the Year

Kevin Kerrigan