The international summer school in Law has operated since 1948 and is an important forum for the development of students’ interest in law, as well as being of particular value to students from overseas. The course concentrates on legal issues arising within a business or commercial context.

As well as gaining a thorough knowledge of the foundations of English Business Law, overseas students also find that taking a law course is an excellent way of improving their written and spoken English at a technical rather than merely a conversational level.

More information on:

• Teaching Methods and Materials

• Academic Staff

• Course Structure

• Who should attend and language level requirements

Teaching methods

The courses will be taught by a series of lectures and interactive seminars, including consideration of detailed case studies and quizzes. Students will also be given the opportunity to hand in written work for formative assessment if they wish. There will generally be a lecture each morning from 1000 until 1300; and each afternoon from 1400 until 1600.

Teaching materials

Exclusive course manuals – written or compiled by the tutors – will be provided for each course, which will cover the course content in detail. Students who wish to read beyond the course will also be given a list of recommended texts to buy.

Many of the lectures will be presented with the use of Power Point. These presentations will then be available for the students to download to their own computers through a special website.

Barrie Goldstone

Barrie is a Principal Lecturer in Contract, Tort and the English Legal System, and Director of the Common Professional Examination/ Graduate Diploma in Law course.  He is the Mooting Master for all the university mooting competitions, including the Lady Oliver Cup, the final of which is judged each year by a senior member of the judiciary.  His research interests include International Energy Law; the social background of the Law of Obligations; and the Law relating to the Performing Arts. His current doctoral research relates to social justice within professional legal education.  Away from academia, Barrie is a prize-winning composer and lyricist of musical theatre, and he has recently served as a judge on the Laurence Olivier Awards committee.

Alan Wilkinson

Alan is a Senior Lecturer in a wide range of subjects, including Employment Law, Financial Services, Investment Law, Corporate Finance, Business Crimes and Sharia Law. On being admitted as a Solicitor he worked in private practice before becoming the Director of Legal Affairs and Compliance for a London Stock Exchange listed Financial Services Company.

The first week of this course seeks to impart a basic understanding of the English Legal System by means of two introductory lectures on the sources of modern English Law and the court system.

There follows a thorough study of the Law of Contract, which is fundamental to all aspects of business law. The second week builds on the information covered in the first week to look at some important practical areas of Commercial Law and Company Law.

Introduction to the English Legal System 

• This brief introduction to the course will cover the following topics:
• The major sources of English Law, including statutes, the common law, and equity
• The court system
• The legal profession

 The Law of Contract 

• This will include a detailed examination of the Law of Contract, including the following topics:
• The formation of a contract by offer, acceptance, consideration and intention
• The contents of a contract, including the different types of term which may be incorporated
• The effect of exemption clauses, both at common law and under statute
• The effect on a contract of both misrepresentation and mistake
• The discharge of a contract by frustration
• Remedies for breach of contract

Commercial Law 

This is concerned with the specific requirements that English Law imposes on those involved in commercial operations. This will include a study of:

• The Law of Sale and Purchase of Goods
• Hire Purchase agreements
• Agency
• The Law of Insurance
• Aspects of the Law of Real Property
• Aspects of Banking Law

Introduction to Company Law

This part of the course will examine the formation and running of registered limited liability companies in the United Kingdom. In particular, the following topics will be studied:

• The nature of a company compared with other forms of business association
• The formation of a company
• Company contracts
• The functions, duties and responsibilities of the officers of a company
• Raising finance
• The process of liquidation

Who Should Attend?

Anyone with an interest in the foundations of English Business Law for personal, academic or professional reasons.  Any graduate contemplating studying for the Graduate Diploma in Law with a view to going on to take either the Legal Practice Course (to become a solicitor) or the Bar Professional Training Course (to become a barrister.) Any law graduate from outside the UK who is thinking of taking an LL.M. at a UK university.

If you are unsure which of the Law courses offered would be most suitable for you, please contact: Barrie Goldstone, the course director, for assistance (email: barrie.goldstone@londonmet.ac.uk).

Required Language Levels

Most students at Summer School speak English as a second language, and we do not expect you to be fluent. However, to get the most out of your course, you should be able to read, understand and speak English well enough to take an active part in class, read textbooks and prepare coursework.

It is not necessary to have passed any examinations in English, but as a very rough guide, we suggest that you should be at Cambridge First Certificate level as a very minimum (or IELTS 6).

If you are an advanced speaker, you will find the courses offer an excellent means of practising your spoken English in a natural context and expanding your technical vocabulary.