Programme structure

 London is a leading international financial market and the UK is pre-eminent in developing new approaches to financial regulation. The LSE has been at the academic forefront in interdisciplinary thinking about financial regulation and practice. LSE Law boasts one of the strongest teams of regulation and financial practice lawyers in the country and many of their books are standard texts in the field. LSE's location, moreover, allows close contract with regulators and financial institutions. The courses offered cover the whole field of banking and securities law, both transactional and regulatory. The emphasis is largely international and European, to reflect the globalisation of the financial markets.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BE Principles of financial regulation *

LL4BF Regulating for financial stability

LL4BK Corporate crime

LL4BL Financial crime

LL4CM Law in the economy *

LL4F1 Secured financing in commercial transactions *

LL4F2 The law and practice of international finance

LL4G8 Law of corporate finance

LL4H4 Financial law

LL4K8 Law of corporate finance: Securities regulation *

LL4K9 European capital markets law

LL4Z9 Banking law *

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability.

The world economy has changed significantly in the past two decades. This specialism focuses on two main factors behind this trend. One of them is the liberalisation of economic activities, which is manifested in the opening to competition of a number of key sectors (telecommunications, transport, postal services) at the national level and in the increase in international trade. The second one is the crucial relevance of 'information' and 'knowledge' in the world economy.

As a result of these changes, the legal disciplines covered in this specialism have acquired major practical importance. The sectors that were formerly organised around a State-owned monopoly are now subject to competition rules. International trade is subject to the rules of the World Trade Organisation. These mirror, and are complemented by, the Treaties governing trade at the regional level (including the European Union). Finally, the rise of intellectual property Competition, Innovation and Trade Law rights is a very visible trend.

Given the 'transnational' nature of these three disciplines, these courses provide a global perspective on the issues. Instead of focusing on a single jurisdiction, class discussions typically revolve around the principles underlying the law and its practical implementation. Similarly, an emphasis is placed on the interface between disciplines, which greatly overlap one another in their logic and objectives. Some courses are at the crossroads of disciplines (e.g. EU State Aid Law). Others discuss how one discipline influences another (for instance, the rise of intellectual property has greatly influenced the evolution of competition rules and their scope of application).

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AA Global copyright policy: Contemporary issues *

LL4AF Principles of global competition law

LL4AG Competition law: Challenges and prospects

LL4AV Global trade governance: Contemporary issues *

LL4B1 Foundations of international economic law

LL4BM The legal protection of inventions

LL4BN Innovation, technology and patent law *

LL4BP Current issues in intellectual and cultural property law

LL4N6 Principles of copyright law *

LL4S1 Cyberlaw *

LL4S2 E-commerce law

LL4S4 Digital rights, privacy and security

LL4Z5 EU state aid law

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

London is one of the world centres for corporate, commercial and capital market transactions. This is largely due to the sophistication and adaptability of English company and commercial law. At LSE, the Cassel Professorship of Commercial Law has provided a focus for the development of a strong team of company and commercial lawyers with a variety of legal backgrounds (both common law and civil law). LSE Law maintains strong links with practice, the judiciary and the public sector, and contributes actively to law reform. This combination of intellectual leadership and cutting-edge practical insight is reflected in the teaching programme.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AA Global copyright policy: Contemporary issues *

LL4AF Principles of global Competition law

LL4AG Competition law: Challenges and prospects

LL4AH Comparative company law

LL4AJ Insolvency law: Principles, rescue and reconstruction processes

LL4AK Insolvency law: Company liquidation and stakeholder interests

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BK Corporate crime

LL4BL Financial crime

LL4BM The legal protection of inventions

LL4BN Innovation, technology and patent law *

LL4BR Trade marks, brands and branding: Contemporary issues *

LL4BX Corporate governance

LL4C5 Fundamentals of international commercial arbitration

LL4C6 Advanced issues of international commercial arbitration

LL4CC Commercial remedies

LL4CD European company law *

LL4CF UK corporate law *

LL4CJ Comparative corporate taxation

LL4CK Taxation of corporate transactions *

LL4CM Law in the economy *

LL4CP Tax Avoidance

LL4CQ Legal Aspects of Private Equity and Venture Capital

LL4E7 Investment treaty law

LL4F1 Secured financing in commercial transactions *

LL4F2 The law and practice of international finance

LL4F3 Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring in Europe

LL4F4 Takeover regulation in the UK and US *

LL4G6 International commodity sales law *

LL4G8 Law of corporate finance

LL4H4 Financial law

LL4K5 International commercial contracts: General principles

LL4K8 Law of corporate finance: Securities regulation *

LL4K9 European capital markets law

LL4N6 Principles of copyright law *

LL4S2 E-commerce law

LL4S4 Digital rights, privacy and security

LL4Z1 Business taxation

LL4Z5 EU State aid law

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability.

The corporate securities markets arguably comprise the most dynamic sector of the financial industry. Business traditionally handled within the commercial banking and insurance sectors is making creative use of structured capital market techniques, and very significant reforms are taking place both in trading systems and in the post trade infrastructure. As well as new opportunities, these changes present new regulatory and legal risk management challenges. The teaching team includes world class academics and draws together scholarly and practitioner expertise. The LLM in Corporate and Securities Law provides a strong intellectual analysis of these markets, including insights from substantive private law, regulation and practice.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AH Comparative company law

LL4BF Regulating for financial stability

LL4BK Corporate crime

LL4BL Financial crime

LL4CD European company law *

LL4CF UK corporate law *

LL4CQ Legal Aspects of Private Equity and Venture Capital

LL4F2 The law and practice of international finance

LL4F3 Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring in Europe

LL4F4 Takeover regulation in the UK and the US *

LL4G8 Law of corporate finance

LL4H4 Financial law

LL4K8 Law of corporate finance: Securities regulation *

LL4K9 European capital markets law

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability.

LSE provides one of the intellectually richest environments for the postgraduate study of criminology and criminal justice in Europe. LSE Law includes experts in all aspects of these subjects, including criminal law theory, evidence, procedure and sentencing; theory of criminal law; mental health law; policing and enforcement; and theories of justice. LSE Law academics are regularly consulted by government and law enforcement agencies, and are influential in policy formation. The teaching approach is interdisciplinary, collaborating closely with the Departments of Sociology and Social Policy, under the auspices of the prestigious Mannheim Centre for Criminology. The Mannheim Centre's seminars attract world class academic and public sector speakers, and provide a stimulating programme enabling LLM students to encounter a diversity of theoretical and policy perspectives enriched by a wide range of practical experience.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AR International criminal law 1: Core crimes and contexts

LL4AS International criminal law 2: Prosecution and practice

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BK Corporate crime

LL4BL Financial crime

LL4CE Security and criminal law

LL4CL Explaining punishment: Philosophy, political economy, sociology

LL4K7 Mental health law: The criminal context

Non-Law Courses

The following courses are considered complimentary to this specialism area but do not count towards your specialism and will require Department approval to attend:

SA403 Criminal justice policy

SA4L6 Illegal drugs and their control: Theory, policy and practice

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

The first British textbook on European law was written at LSE, which was also the first British university to develop a Masters in European Studies. European Law courses on the LLM take forward this tradition by offering an innovative and unique programme. The LLM offers a series of advanced courses that builds upon, rather than replicates, traditional European studies, and provides a strong basis for careers in the public sector, commercial practice, or academia. The programme offers interdisciplinary, practical and cross-cultural insights into all the central legal fields of the European Union. LSE Law students will be taught by a range of staff from LSE Law as well as other LSE departments, government lawyers responsible for applying EU law, and leading experts from a number of other European universities. Students will also enjoy the benefits of the European Institute, the largest Institute of its kind. Its reputation ensures that each year it is able to attract an array of visiting speakers and offer a range of specialised seminars.  

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL468 Human rights law: The European Convention on Human Rights

LL4AF Principles of global competition law

LL4AG Competition law: Challenges and prospects

LL4BG Philosophical foundations of European Union law

LL4BH Law and Government of the European Union

LL4BV Transnational environmental law

LL4CD European company law *

LL4F3 Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring in Europe

LL4H8 Employment law

LL4K9 European capital markets law

LL4S4 Digital rights, privacy and security

LL4Y9 Comparative and Transnational Law 

LL4Z5 EU state aid law

Non-Law Courses

The following courses are considered complimentary to this specialism area but do not count towards your specialism and will require Department approval to attend:

EU420 European law and government

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

Human rights issues have generated heightened public debate in recent years, and these public concerns are central to the interests of LSE. The taught courses reflect the wide-ranging academic expertise of staff members, who also have a wide spectrum of experience in human rights legal advocacy, activism and work with governments and within international organisations. The numerous intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations and networks in London allow for distinguished guest speakers in lectures and seminars. The LSE Centre for the Study of Human Rights provides a specialised interdisciplinary human rights degree. Members of LSE Law are involved in the Centre's activities and there is constant exchange between other Law Department staff and those attached to the Centre. The Centre has an exciting and regular public outreach programme that brings together leading academics and practitioners in human rights from the UK and abroad for debate and discussion of critical issues in human rights.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL468 European human rights law

LL469 UK Human rights law

LL475 Terrorism and the rule of law

LL4A6 Climate change and international law

LL4A8 International law and the use of force

LL4A9 Law in war

LL4AQ Constitutional theory

LL4AR International criminal law 1: Core crimes and contexts

LL4AS International criminal law 2: Prosecution and practice

LL4AW Foundations of international human rights law

LL4AX Selected topics in international human rights law

LL4BA International law and the movement of persons within states

LL4BB International law and the movement of persons between states

LL4BG Philosophical foundations of European Union law

LL4BH Law and Government of the European Union

LL4BW Law and political thought *

LL4E6 International dispute resolution: Courts and tribunals

LL4K4 The international law of self-determination

LL4K7 Mental health law: The criminal context

LL4L4 Law and the Holocaust

LL4L6 Theory of human rights law

LL4S4 Digital rights, privacy and security

LL4Z6 Comparative constitutional law

LL4Z7 Comparative constitutional rights

Non-Law Courses

The following courses are considered complimentary to this specialism area but do not count towards your specialism and will require Department approval to attend:

GI421 Sexuality, gender and culture

GI422 Sexuality, gender and globalisation (year long unit )

SO424 Approaches to human rights

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

The emerging disciplines of Information Technology, Media and Communications Law are among the most dynamic and exciting legal developments in recent years. LSE Law is at the leading edge of these fields. We have a team of experts researching a variety of aspects within these subjects ranging from Internet governance and regulation, electronic contracting, regulation of Internet content and copyright, through to universal service provisions, network regulation and telecommunications regulation within developing markets. LSE Law collaborates closely with the Media@LSE research centre, which is a focus for interdisciplinary research within the fields of telecommunications, media and new media and boasts a team of internationally renowned scholars drawn from the Law, Information Systems, Sociology and Social Policy, Economics and Government Departments, and from the Centre for the Analysis of Risk and Regulation. This inter-disciplinary research group runs a range of seminars for graduate students and draws upon a wide range of speakers from both sides of the regulatory divide to provide contemporary insights into the fast-changing regulatory structures in these subject areas. LLM students are welcome to attend these informal and informative seminars. 

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AA Global copyright policy: Contemporary issues *

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BM The legal protection of inventions

LL4BN Innovation, technology and patent law *

LL4BP Current issues in intellectual and cultural property law

LL4H2 Media law: Regulating publication

LL4H3 Media law: Regulating newsgathering

LL4N6 Principles of copyright law *

LL4S1 Cyberlaw *

LL4S2 E-commerce law

LL4S4 Digital rights, privacy and security

LL4S5 Piracy, content and ownership in the information society

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

In recognition of the emergence of Intellectual Property Law as an important but controversial policy instrument and a major focus of academic inquiry, LSE Law has now greatly expanded its LLM programme in this area.

The Department has assembled a team of leading specialist researchers offering courses in each of the three major IP sub-areas of copyright, patents and trade marks, as well as a menu of related options focusing on media law and regulation, information technology law and regulation, cultural property, and the 'global bio-economies' in which some types of intellectual property right now function. Together, these courses present a rich variety of perspectives on the intellectual property system: they impart a sophisticated understanding of the law relating to patents, copyright and trademarks; they explore the factors responsible for the continuing rapid expansion of each of these regimes of rights; they reveal Intellectual Property Law the processes by which economic, cultural, political and technological pressures for change in the area of intellectual property law become translated into legal initiatives; and they critically analyse the theoretical frameworks that have been used to justify or explain the imposition of proprietary structures (alongside other regulatory systems) within the fields of knowledge, culture and innovation. Together with colleagues in other departments and research institutes (notably the Department of Media and Communications, BIOS and DESTIN), the teachers of this group of courses routinely engage in and facilitate interdisciplinary work relevant to intellectual property law. The stimulating environment generated by these links is further enriched by a network of distinguished visitors offering occasional lectures and seminars on current issues and debates in IP law, theory and policy.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AA Global copyright policy: Contemporary issues *

LL4AG Competition law: Challenges and prospects

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BM The legal protection of inventions

LL4BN Innovation, technology and patent law *

LL4BP Current issues in Intellectual and cultural property law

LL4BT Cultural property and heritage law

LL4BU Art and antiquities law

LL4H2 Media law: Regulation publication

LL4H3 Media law: Regulation newsgathering

LL4N6 Principles of copyright law *

LL4S1 Cyberlaw *

LL4S5 Piracy, content and ownership in the information society

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

International business law and the environment in which it operates are central to the work of LSE. The teaching team offers a range of expertise and background, and has made major contributions to academic scholarship, private practice, the public sector and various industry bodies. LSE has a strong tradition of hosting public debates on the broader global issues affecting international business law, involving a range of world class speakers. There are many opportunities for interdisciplinary work relevant to international business law, with strong departments in Economics, Industrial Relations and International Relations. Key related research centres are housed at LSE including the Centre for Risk and Regulation, the European Institute and the Suntory and Toyota International Centre for Economics and Related Disciplines. LLM students benefit from this stimulating intellectual environment, with regular contributions to the taught courses from leading specialists in the field.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AF Principles of global competition law

LL4AG Competition Law: Challenges and prospects

LL4AH Corporate governance

LL4AL International business transactions: Commercial litigation

LL4AM International business transactions: Advanced procedure and tactics

LL4AN International business transactions: Transnational torts

LL4AP International business transactions: Contracts and property

LL4AV Global trade governance: Contemporary issues *

LL4AY International tax systems *

LL4B1 Foundations of international economic law

LL4BF Regulating for financial stability

LL4BK Corporate crime

LL4BL Financial crime

LL4BM The legal protection of inventions

LL4BN Innovation, technology and patent law *

LL4C5 Fundamentals of international commercial arbitration

LL4C6 Advanced issues of international commercial arbitration

LL4CJ Comparative corporate taxation

LL4CK Taxation of corporate transactions *

LL4CM Law in the Economy

LL4CP Tax Avoidance

LL4E7 Investment treaty law

LL4F2 Law and practice of international finance

LL4F3 Mergers, acquisitions and restructuring in Europe

LL4F4 Takeover regulation in the UK & US *

LL4G6 International commodity sales *

LL4H4 Financial law

LL4K5 International commercial contracts: General principles

LL4K9 European capital markets law

LL4S2 E-commerce law

LL4Y9 Comparative and Transnational Law

LL4Z2 Principles of taxation *

LL4Z3 Consumption taxes

LL4Z5 EU state aid law

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

LSE Law is at the forefront of research in legal theory, with experts teaching in the areas of traditional jurisprudence, law and social theory, law and political theory, feminist legal theory, the philosophy of punishment and criminal justice, intellectual history and the theory of international law and human rights. Individual subjects are generally taught by teams of teachers so as to draw on their particular expertise. This offers an intellectually rich and varied field of study, in which students may develop their own conceptual and analytic skills and interests. Students also benefit from the unique LSE environment that constantly attracts speakers from around the world, thus enriching the intellectual resources available within the Department.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL475 Terrorism and the rule of law

LL4A6 Climate change and international law

LL4AQ Constitutional theory

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BG Philosophical foundations of European Union law

LL4BP Current issues in intellectual and cultural property law

LL4BW Law and political thought *

LL4CA   Law and social theory *

LL4CB Modern legal history: Private law and the economy 1750-1950

LL4CE Security and criminal law

LL4CL Explaining punishment: Philosophy, political economy, sociology

LL4CM Law in the economy *

LL4CO Taxation of Wealth

LL4CP Tax Avoidance

LL4H7 Foundations of legal theory

LL4J1 Critical perspectives on legal theory *

LL4L1 The theory and practice of dispute resolution *

LL4L4 Law and the Holocaust

LL4L5 Socio-legal theory and practice

LL4L6 Theory of human rights law

LL4L7 Advanced mediation *

LL4Y9 Comparative and Transnational Law

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

LSE has a long tradition of teaching international law. Previous teachers in the Department include Christopher Greenwood a judge, at present on the International Court of Justice, Judge Rosalyn Higgins, former Judge on the International Court of Justice, and Professor Ian Brownlie, member of the International Law Commission. The distinguished team of current international law teachers continues this tradition of commitment to the study of international law and its development in response to changing geo-political conditions. All of the international law teachers have governmental, practical or activist experience to complement their academic expertise, for example through practice in international and regional institutions, participation in international litigation and consultancies with a range of international organisations. The contacts and interests of the international lawyers, as well as the London location, mean that courses include lectures and discussions with a range of visiting specialists. There is a constant stream of distinguished visitors to LSE who give public lectures and involve themselves in discussion groups and seminars in international law and its related disciplines. The Centre for the Study of Human Rights, the European Institute, and the Departments of International Relations and International Development provide further opportunities for consideration of the relevant issues from more diverse perspectives.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL475 Terrorism and the rule of law

LL4A6 Climate change and international law

LL4A8 International law and the use of force

LL4A9 Law in war

LL4AD Rethinking international law I: International law and contemporary problems

LL4AE Rethinking international law II: International legal thought

LL4AR International criminal law 1: Core crimes and contexts

LL4AS International criminal law 2: Prosecution and practice

LL4AV Global trade governance: Contemporary issues *

LL4AW Foundations of international human rights law

LL4AX Selected topics in international human rights law

LL4B1 Foundations of international economic law

LL4BA International law and the movement of persons within states

LL4BB International law and the movement of persons between states

LL4BV Transnational environmental law

LL4BZ International human rights of women: Advanced issues

LL4C2 World poverty and human rights

LL4CM Law in the economy

LL4E6 International dispute resolution: Courts and tribunals

LL4E7 Investment treaty law

LL4K4 The international law of self-determination

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

LSE Law has been at the forefront of public law teaching and scholarship throughout the twentieth century. As a result of the pioneering work of world class scholars, the School rapidly established a reputation as one of the leading centres of public law in Britain. Today the public law team at LSE continues that tradition. LSE Law's aim today is to maintain and bolster this reputation, and the combined strength and depth offered by LSE staff currently working in the field rivals that of any law school in Britain. At Masters level, the primary teaching objectives are to situate public law in a European setting, to examine foundational issues, and to focus especially on the growing importance of regulatory techniques to the realisation of governmental objectives. The School's close proximity to many of the key institutions of government, its regular programmes of visiting speakers on public law issues, and the quality of its staff make it an ideal location for postgraduate study in this field.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL468 European human rights law

LL469 UK human rights law

LL475 Terrorism and the rule of law

LL4AQ Constitutional theory

LL4AT Regulation: Strategies and enforcement

LL4AU Regulation: Legal and political aspects *

LL4BG Philosophical foundations of European Union law

LL4BH Law and Government of the European Union

LL4BV Transnational environmental law

LL4BW Law and political thought *

LL4CP Tax Avoidance

LL4H2 Media law: Regulating publication

LL4H3 Media law: Regulating newsgathering

LL4K7 Mental health law: The criminal context

LL4L6 Theory of human rights law

LL4Z2 Principles of taxation *

LL4Z6 Comparative constitutional law

LL4Z7 Comparative constitutional rights

Non-Law Courses

The following courses are considered complimentary to this specialism area but do not count towards your specialism and will require Department approval to attend:

EU420 European law and government

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability. 

The taxation programme at LSE Law offers an unusually wide range of options, providing students with a solid foundation in the fundamentals of taxation, together with the opportunity for detailed study of important and topical tax issues. The specialised programme is suitable for all with an interest in taxation, whether for private practice, for tax administration, or for an academic career. Teachers include distinguished academics and several of the most highly regarded UK tax-practitioners. The courses offer a rigorous study of tax legislation and jurisprudence combined with complementary analysis of relevant tax policy issues.

* Please note: courses marked with an asterisk are suspended for 2018/19.

LL4AY International Tax Systems

LL4AZ International Tax Systems: Advanced Problems *

LL4CG Understanding Issues in Tax Law and Policy

LL4CH Current Issues in Tax Law and Policy

LL4CJ Comparative Corporate Taxation

LL4CK Taxation of Corporate Transactions

LL4CM Law in the Economy *

LL4CO Taxation of Wealth

LL4CP Tax Avoidance

LL4Z1 Business Taxation

LL4Z2 Principles of Taxation *

LL4Z3 Consumption Taxes

Non-Law Courses

The following courses are considered complimentary to this specialism area but do not count towards your specialism and will require Department approval to attend:

EC426 Public Economics (year long unit)

Please note that not all subjects are offered every year, so if a subject is crucial to your study programme, please confirm its availability.