English and Law

English and law is a combination that brings two of the most demanding analytical disciplines together, each one sharpening skills that are of genuine value in the other. English develops close reading, interpretive skill, critical argumentation and the ability to write with precision and rhetorical awareness. Law requires the careful analysis of texts, the application of rules to facts, the construction of arguments from authority and the ability to navigate complex and often competing claims.

Lawyers read texts with extraordinary care, and English graduates are often exceptionally well prepared for legal thinking. Together the two subjects offer complementary training in the arts of language and reasoning.

At the University of Derby this three-year, full-time programme also offers a foundation year route for those who would benefit from additional preparation before the main degree begins, making the combination accessible to students from a wider range of educational backgrounds. You will study the history and criticism of English literature alongside the core subjects of English and Welsh law, including contract, tort, criminal law and public law, developing both close textual analysis and legal reasoning skills. The combination is designed to keep your career options genuinely open, preparing you both for legal professional routes and for the many other professions where legal knowledge and the skills of literary analysis are both assets.

Graduates pursue careers in law with appropriate further training, in publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, human resources, media, cultural organisations and the voluntary sector. The degree's combination of analytical rigour, communication skills and legal knowledge is valued across many professional settings. Some graduates also continue to postgraduate study in English literature, creative writing or law, building on the undergraduate foundation to develop deeper expertise in one or both disciplines.