Graduate Diploma in Law

"Our students come from leading institutions across the world and from a range of undergraduate disciplines including history, English, mathematics, science and philosophy. This course is best suited to students who are focused upon practice in the UK, either at the Bar or as solicitors. You may use your time on the programme as a means to make that choice.

An above-average proportion of our GDL students go on to become barristers, but the strong grounding in law we offer is valued by committed law students wherever they practice in the end. Our students enjoy the fact that our course is demanding. It has an emphasis upon reading case law directly and developing their skills of legal analysis, oral argument and writing.

Objectives The City Law School’s Graduate Diploma in Law programme is nationally renowned. Since its inception in 1977, it has trained students at an extremely rigorous level, covering the seven core foundation subjects that are prerequisites for progression to professional legal training. The programme is unique in that it introduces you to legal ethics as well as covering the core content.

You will be encouraged to think about your reasons for practising law, and how you will find value in practice. The course has also been designed to be accessible and student-focussed; at The City Law School we welcome students’ questions and offer significant one-to-one support.

From Lord Leggatt of the Supreme Court, to Martha Spurrier, Director of Liberty and Dinah Rose QC the Barrister who helped Julian Assange fight his extradition from the UK to Sweden, our alumni set the benchmark for legal practice across the world. Our academic team is also globally renowned and includes Professor Panos Koutrakos, the Jean Monnet Professor of European Law and Joint Editor of European Law Review, and Professor Martin Dixon,Specialist in Land Law.