Law and LegalTechLLM

Do you have a background in law or computing? Would you like to develop the skills and knowledge to use new technologies to offer innovative legaltech services or software?

On this LLM Law and LegalTech Master's degree, you'll take introductory modules on law or computing (depending on your background), giving you the knowledge you need to move into more advanced areas later in the course.

You'll explore how to use technology to make legal services more accessible to clients and how to make technology easier to use for legal professionals. You'll also be trained how to use ContractExpress from Thomson Reuters'; the industry standard in legal services software.

This is one of a handful of LLM legaltech courses in the UK, bringing together the specialisms of law and computing. The skills and knowledge you gain on this Master's in legal technology course will boost your career prospects in sectors related to law and IT and allow you to take advantage of emergent technologies such as blockchains, electronic contracts and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop and deliver innovative law services and software.

When you finish the course, you'll have the skills and knowledge to pursue a career in areas such as law, IT consultancy, the NHS, Government services and charities. You could also start up your own business.

Our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the legaltech industry.

Job roles you could go onto include:

• Legal advisor
• Paralegal
• Claims handler
• IT consultant
• Software developer

If you're a law graduate and take the CILEx Level 6 Diploma in Legal Practice, you'll also have a recognised professional qualification in addition to your degree, once you join CILEx as a paying member.

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.

We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and opportunities to build your CV.

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

You'll need to study modules worth a total of 180 credits. For example, 1 module worth 60 credits and 4 modules worth 120 credits.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed.  This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.

Teaching on this course includes:

• Workshops
• Presentations
• Simulation sessions
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Group discussion

Teaching staff on this course have a combination of professional legal and academic experience.

You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a Web connection.

How you'll spend your time

We recommend you spend at least 35 hours a week studying for your Law and LegalTech Master's degree. You’ll be in timetabled teaching activities such as workshops and seminars for about 8 hours a week (full-time) and 4 hours a week (part-time). The rest of the time you’ll do independent study such as preparation for seminars and workshops, reading, and planning and writing assignments, alone or in a group with others from your course.

You may occasionally need to go to University and course events during the day, or at weekends.

Extra learning support

Personal tutor

Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to postgraduate study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.

As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.

Study support tutors

You'll have help from a team of Faculty of Business and Law study support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.

They can help with:

• improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
• delivering presentations (including observing and filming presentations)
• understanding and using assignment feedback
• managing your time and workload
• revision and exam techniques

Academic skills support

As well as support by faculty teaching staff and your personal tutor, you can use the University’s Academic Skills Unit (ASK).

ASK provides one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Note taking
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Presentation skills
• Referencing
• Working in groups
• Revision, memory and exam techniques

If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.

Library support

Library staff are available in person or by email, phone or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.

The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.

Term dates

The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.

See term dates

If you do the course full time, you'll work on your dissertation over the summer and submit it in September.

How you're assessed

You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

You'll be assessed through:

• exams
• coursework
• portfolio submissions

Tuition fees (2024 start) 

These fees are based on courses starting in 2023. We'll confirm 2024 fees here in autumn 2023.

UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students

• Full-time: £11,400
• Part-time: £3,800 a year (subject to annual increase)

EU students

• Full time: £11,400 (including Transition Scholarship)
• Part time: £3,800 a year (including Transition Scholarship – subject to annual increase)

International students

• Full-time: £17,900
• Part-time: £5,970 a year (subject to annual increase)

Funding your studies

Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover. 

If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Tuition fees terms and conditions

Starting in September 2024

Please contact us.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.