Law with French Law

Law provides the framework within which individuals, businesses, and states interact, and studying it develops some of the most transferable intellectual skills available in higher education: the ability to read complex texts with precision, to construct logical arguments, to identify relevant facts and apply principles to them, and to communicate clearly under pressure. Adding French law to an English law degree extends these capabilities in a significant direction, offering you an understanding of the civil law tradition that underpins the legal systems of France, much of continental Europe, and many jurisdictions beyond. The two systems differ fundamentally in their structure and sources, and understanding both gives you a comparative perspective that is increasingly valuable in legal practice.

At the University of Westminster, this three-year full-time programme covers the foundations of English law, including contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional and administrative law, and equity, alongside a systematic study of French legal doctrine and institutions. You will develop your French language skills in a legal context, engaging with French legal texts, concepts, and the terminology of the civil law tradition. Westminster's location in central London gives you proximity to the legal profession, international institutions, and the many organisations where French-language legal skills are relevant, from international firms to European bodies and cross-border commercial practices.

You will develop rigorous analytical writing skills, the ability to reason under uncertainty, and an understanding of how legal systems are embedded in broader social and political contexts. The comparative dimension sharpens your understanding of your own legal system by seeing it alongside another fundamentally different one.

Graduates with a law with French law degree pursue careers in international commercial law, European law, human rights, government, and the civil service. Many qualify as solicitors or barristers through the standard professional training routes, with the comparative and linguistic dimension offering a genuine competitive advantage for roles in international or European contexts. Further study in international law, European law, or legal practice is also a natural progression.