Why choose the Swansea GDL?
Swansea GDL has many unique features
What’s Distinctive about the Swansea GDL?
Swansea GDL has many distinctive features:
The Pro Bono Clinic
In 2002 the School of Law at Swansea University established the first law clinic of its kind in Wales, receiving a commendation at the Law Society’s prestigious National Pro Bono Awards. Since then, the School has joined with other pro bono groups in order to provide students with valuable skills and experience in areas such interviewing, legal research, client care and professional ethics.
Strong Links with the Legal Profession
The School benefits from excellent local and national links with the legal profession. This is achieved by virtue of the Pro Bono Clinic, lectures given by visiting lawyers from both the public and private sectors and as a result of the School being a centre for Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Welsh Medium Provision
Students are given the opportunity to attend classes and present work for assessment thought the medium of Welsh, should they so wish. It is anticipated that the use of Welsh will increase in the courts in the future but, for this to occur, there will be a need for lawyers who are not only fluent in the language but fully acquainted with its legal terminology.
Continuity of Study
Swansea School of Law also offers a Legal Practice Course (LPC) which allows students who have completed their GDL in the School to move seamlessly on to the vocational stage of their studies. Swansea GDL students also benefit from reduced fees and are afforded priority in the allocation of places on the LPC.
Learning Through a Supervised Research Project
The GDL Programme has been applauded for its legal research module, in particular the practice of guiding students to research a devolution-related topic. This has been highlighted as being not only an excellent way of raising awareness of the devolution settlement in Wales but also due to the positive impact that such study is likely to have on students in their future legal careers.
Swansea: ‘Wales’ Best Student Experience’
The School of Law at Swansea University has been voted the top Law School in Wales in a student satisfaction survey run by IPSOS-MORI. The National Students Survey provides comprehensive comparative data, compiled on an annual basis, on the student experience across the majority of UK higher education institutions, allowing Swansea University’s performance to be benchmarked. The University has also won the Times Higher Educational Award for the Best Student Experience in the UK, an award voted for by students, who are polled on facilities, prospects, social life, and course satisfaction at their universities. The President of Swansea University Students' Union summed up studying at Swansea by saying "With its excellent location and unforgettable annual events, social societies and sports clubs, studying at Swansea has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life."
Swansea: The Area
Swansea University is located on the beach in an area which was the first in the UK to be dedicated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. The campus is largely self-sufficient but the city centre, which is only two miles away, offers a wide range of shopping, cultural, entertainment and sports facilities.
GDL Frequently Asked Questions
