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Law & Criminal Justice

Undergraduate

The UCD Sutherland School of Law is the first purpose-built university law school in Ireland. Ranked in the top 100 in the world, it is Ireland’s largest law school and provides students with a solid foundation for a career either in legal practice or in many other rewarding fields related to law.  Our graduates have progressed to hold some of the highest legal and political offices in Ireland, including Chief Justice, Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Taoiseach and Tánaiste. Our alumni have also achieved considerable success internationally as legal practitioners and in the human rights and NGO sectors.  Amongst our alumni we can also count a judge at the European Court of Human Rights and the Irish Ambassador to Belgium.

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About Law & Criminal Justice

The UCD Sutherland School of Law is the first purpose-built university law school in Ireland. Ranked in the top 100 in the world, it is Ireland’s largest law school and provides students with a solid foundation for a career either in legal practice or in many other rewarding fields related to law.  Our graduates have progressed to hold some of the highest legal and political offices at home including Chief Justice, Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Taoiseach and Tánaiste in Ireland, and in Europe, judge at the European Court of Human Rights and also the Ambassador to Belgium.

UCD Sutherland School of Law welcomes first year students to a friendly and supportive community. Under our Peer Mentoring and Academic Adviser schemes, current students and lecturers are assigned to each first year student in order to offer advice and answer any questions. You will explore the fundamentals of law by studying modules in Constitutional Law and Contract Law. In 'General Introduction to Legal Studies' you will learn to solve legal problems by working in teams.

Lectures are supplemented with small group tutorial teaching to help you learn how to understand cases, to interpret legislation and, ultimately, find your own voice. You will be encouraged to get involved in debating and mooting (mock trials). You can join other students in the UCD Law Society, which organises many events. You may decide to participate in the UCD Student Legal Service. Run by Law students, it provides legal information clinics to students. Specialist careers support is provided by the School's Career Advisor to help you identify and achieve your career ambitions.

Among our accomplished alumni of UCD Law & Criminal Justice are:
  • Peter Sutherland, Former Attorney General
  • John Murray, Former Chief Justice of Ireland
  • Eugene McCague, Chairman, Arthur Cox
  • Sir Anthony O'Reilly, Businessman




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