ANC opens the pathway for Non-Law Graduates to enter a Career in Law

The ANC School of Postgraduate Education has introduced a LLM Pre Masters in Law Programme for non-law graduates for the first time in Sri Lanka. The programme module to be delivered in 10 weeks will provide an essential framework for understanding the basic nature and function of law and legal institutions, the salient features of different legal traditions and the ingredients and consequences of legally enforceable contracts. The module will approach these aspects primarily from a perspective of Sri Lankan law and will draw parallels from foreign and international law wherever such is necessary to meet the envisaged learning outcomes. The new programme caters to the changing nature of the job market and aspirations of the individuals to change jobs, specialise and change professional direction and for interdisciplinary knowledge.

Upon completion of this programme, a smooth transfer of the graduates to the British LLM Programme offered by ANC School of Postgraduate Education in collaboration with Ealing Law School of UWL will be assured.

The ANC School of Postgraduate Education offers a range of internationally recognised LLM programmes in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Ealing Law School of UWL, a well-reputed university ranked as the No 01 Modern University in London (Guardian 2012. Million+ Universities). It has a record on high quality teaching and is recognised as one of the leading universities in the UK for employability, by having 94% of its students being employed within six months of graduation.

As a UGC approved international university, the key features of ANC’s LLM programme include an internal British degree conducted as a Mirror Model that can be completed in 12 – 15 Months in Sri Lanka, with up to 20% teaching done by visiting faculty of UWL, weekend classes in a Black Board Virtual Learning Platform, free textbooks and UWL online library access, dissertation supervision by UWL professors and networking opportunities with professionals in the corporate world.

Dr Phillipp Elliot-Wright, Course Leader for LLM and LLB Programmes, University of West London in a message said, “The LLM Pre Masters in Law Programme is a new and exciting opportunity to enable non-law graduates to enrol on the LLM Programme at ANC. Since 2012, the University of West London has been offering its LLM programme at our partner college ANC, albeit has only been open to graduates in law. This programme, offered by ANC, has been developed in liaison with UWL. It is designed to enable non-law graduates to gain the necessary knowledge and understanding as to the foundations of contract law, alongside an appreciation of comparative legal systems, so as to enable them to enrol in the LLM programme at ANC. Thus, upon the successful completion of the LLM Pre Masters in Law Programme, students will be entitled to enrol directly onto the University of West London LLM programme at ANC.”

Dr Asoka Silva, Senior Academic Adviser (Legal), American Education Centre Limited in a statement emphasised that the present entry criteria for almost all the reputed post-graduate level business and commercial law degree programmes available in Sri Lanka require an applicant to be either a law graduate or an attorney-at-law. “Some foundation knowledge on law, especially on contract law, is believed necessary to understand the course content and complete a post-graduate level degree in business and commercial law successfully. While on the one hand these entry requirements have helped maintain academic standards expected of a postgraduate degree, they have, on the other, closed the door for non lawyers and prevented them from entering into post-graduate level legal studies. The LLM Pre Masters in Law Programme of the ANC School of Post-Graduate Studies has been designed with the aim of creating a pathway for non-law graduates to enter post-graduate legal studies in the field of business and commercial law and other related areas. Thus, for the learners who are new to the study of law, this new Pre Masters in Law Programme will provide an essential framework for understanding, inter alia, the basic nature and functioning of law and legal institutions, the salient features of different legal traditions and the ingredients and consequences of legally enforceable contracts. The content of this Pre Masters in Law Programme and its assessment methodology have been reviewed and quality assured by the subject experts of both Ealing Law School of University of West London, UK and the ANC School of Post-Graduate Studies.”